What a wonderful 2nd wine from Ridge. First the primary notes with sour cherries, cassis and some blood orange hit you. With time more secondary notes with tobacco leaves and umaminess come through. The tannins are tame in the beginning but come through with lots of bite after 1-2 hours. Still quite young, would wait for 3-5 more years for prime drinking window.
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Coming back to this. Proper 3 hours of time to open up. On the nose: Plum, dark chocolate, cassis, leather, graphite and espresso. The plum notes are very rich and enticing. On the palate: Plum, cassis, dark chocolate and cinnamon. This is terrific.
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Very bright, almost neon red in the glass. Fruit forward in style. Cherry juice notes, not a lot of structure to it. Struggle with this bottling vs their zins or similarly priced cabs like the Mount Veeder, which for the same vintage had a lot more going on.
High frequency tightly coiled cherry fruit, acidity quite high. Medium bodied, light on its feet. Didn't change much over three days. I'll pass on the Monte Bello bottling.
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Iron, oak shavings and red fruit with a hint of plum. Minty too. Super ferric. Lots and lots of fine powdery tannins. Needs time to come together. Long finish dominated by sweet American oak.
Needs some more time for my taste, but a very nice wine.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Even at this young age, I found the 2019 Estate Cabernet more alive than the 2012 Monte Bello I recently experienced. Simpler than the Monte Bello, and shy on the nose, the flavours on the palate were howver quite interesting and expressive. Mostly fruit forward, but fascinatingly opened with a burst of sweet citrus before showing its blue and black fruits. Personally, I am finding their Zinfandel blends far more profound than the Cabernets I have tasted, which admittedly is limited. Next one will be the 2014 Monte Bello.
So I set up a blind tasting of the 5 main reds from Ridge. The entry level Three Valleys, the Lytton Springs, the Geyserville, the Estate Cab and the legendary Monte Bello! I knew what I brought but I had everyone including me drink the wines blind and in no particular order. The order that ended up coming out was: 1:Geyserville 2:Monte Bello 3:Estate Cab 4:Three Valleys 5:Lytton Springs.
Here are the notes for the Estate Cab: the nose is very light, slight oak, slight fruit, nothing very expressive here. On the palate it is very delicate, again red fruits but not very obvious. Nothing amazing, extreme or crazy with this wine but nothing bad either. Maybe some age would help it out but I'd prefer using the cellar space for the Monte Bello to be honest. This was my 3rd favorite.
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Sourced entirely from Ridge's Monte Bello Vineyard, this wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, aged for 16 months in American oak barriques (58% new). Opaque crimson in color, it offers a bounty of black and blue fruits that are accented with notes of bittersweet chocolate, licorice, bark, eucalyptus and sage. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (13.8%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, framed with plentiful fine-grained tannins and a generous aliquot of American wood. Dense on the mid-palate and long on the back end, this is a delicious yet deceivingly structured Cab. If you can resist, give it a couple of years in the cellar so that the oak and tannins can better integrate. This particular bottle was Vinturi-decanted and serially tasted over the ensuing three hours. If you elect to pop the cork at this early stage, give it at least two hours of air. Drink 2025-2044.
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Ordered this wine off the list at Edson Hill in Stowe, VT and was blown away by the quality. Nothing chocolaty or overdone here; this is just great, fresh, intense Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly) with fabulous dark red and black fruits accompanied by zingy acidity and a lifted floral note. Quite structured at this point but the complexity on the finish is already showing itself with wonderful notes of red spices, mint and graphite. At last, a West Coast cab for under $100 that satisfies me.
PnP which probably does a disservice but no time to decant. Color is youthful ruby red. On the nose: Plum, dark chocolate, graphite, cassis and some baking spices. On the palate: plum, sour cassis and graphite. Decent length and nice mouthfeel. Good potential. It’s young and I didn’t give time to open up. I expect it will improve during dinner.
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This was admittedly young and I tend to enjoy Ridge with 5-10+ yrs of aging. Regardless still enjoyable and definitely upside from here as the oak better integrates
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So young right now but already gorgeous. Nose is tight but shows lots of cranberry, plum, spearmint and graphite. Even after 2+ hours the palate is still very tight with powerful tannin but shows some blackberry, cola, and spice. Clearly built to last and excited to see where this goes.
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From memory. Opened at a capitol grille, decanted for about 30 mins. Has that unique Ridge nose mixed in with vanilla, muddled red and purple fruits. The palate was quite tight with muscular tannins and high acid, great concentration of fruit and complexity at this stage. Has that tension and elegance I have grown to appreciate. Oak is well managed here. Obviously too young to drink now but when i'm not paying who cares. 93+ with 94-95 potential in a few years. Probably great value if you can find this for around $60.
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Absolutely beautiful - though embryonic, one can taste its future.
Ridge perfume - sweet American oak - dominates the nose. Undercurrents of red fruit underneath. Extremely primary.
Full body with powerful, grippy tannins and equally powerful acidity. Intense but balanced. Gorgeous red fruit character. Already, there is complexity: earth, menthol and savory aspects. The oak is easily moderated by the depth of aroma.
Long, long finish with notes of red fruit and oak perfume.
This has many years to go.
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#1 or #2? notes seem spot-on to me. We ordered this last weekend at dinner and right out of bottle it wasn't what exactly what we were looking for paired with filet. Corked the half bottle remaining. Revisited a week later (stored at cellar temperature) and standing alone it was a nice expression of those flavors. If you know what to expect it's a pleasant departure from overly extracted fruit and quite a bit more interesting. Medium to light body (for a cabernet blend).
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needs a little air to unfurl. eventually, a very delicate but defined black currant bouquet up front, with subtle attractive floral and herbal notes in support. palate is on the lighter side, med body, v nice balance, w/acidity and tannin (surprisingly so given how young this is!), some good tart black berry fruit and a welcome green pepper note mid-palate, as well as attractive minerality through the finish. definitely earlier than i prefer to drink a quality red but this is v good.
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Not bad...not great....a little on the thin side...weak finish. Taste more like Ridge Zins. Would not buy again at $53+. many other alternatives as good or better for less $$$$
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Had to try one of my 9 bottles. Decanted for 4 hours. While I didn't try it initially upon decanting, I smelled it and think that it would have tasted delicious from the PnP. Had it with oven-grilled veggies and BBQ-grilled flank steak at the 5-hour mark. Great with food or by itself. I love this style of Brdx blend (with a notable PV components), as it reminds me of Leeuwin Estate Art Series. Next bottle in 5 years. Being conservative with my score right now, as this could easily add a point or two with a couple more cellar years.
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Beautiful red fruit. Red cherry, cranberry. a bit brambly. Cedar. Everything is very nicely balanced on the nose and palate. Maybe this is because I come at wine from a whiskey drinker's perspective, but the finish is just a bit too short for me to really be infatuated with this one.
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Thought I was drinking a Margaux for a minute. Dark with plums, a little wood, and a slight menthol aftertaste. Masterfully balanced and could easily sit for another 10 years
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First of 4 half bottles purchased this summer at the winery. If blind, could be a dead ringer for left bank Bordeaux. Earth, tar, black fruits, big tannins, inky black. Painfully young and tight with bracing acidity. Structure and stuffing to age for the long haul. Great QPR in a world of highly overpriced California cabernets.
This drank well after being open for an hour. Very dark wine, blue and red fruits, savory backbone. Drinks well young given the balance and acidity. Nicely done. Medium richness.
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Monte Bello Visit: 88% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. This is lovely - compared to the 16 I had a few weeks ago, a little plusher maybe, but still with a lovely herbal core and that hint of menthol. At this price there's not much better.
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Just delicious. Black and blue fruits on the nose, palate is full bodied with enough acidity to carry. Plush tannins. Medium long finish. No awkwardness at all. Will probably get better with age but it's so appealing now.
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This is the 2nd bottle I’ve had of this, and it was very different from the first. Namely the first one was approachable from the start , whereas this was pretty tight and packed a lot of acidity on day 1 after a shortish decant (<1hr). On day 2 I decanted for 3+ hrs and it was showing much better. Less oak than other vintages, and I think will age well.
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Still on the younge side, misses a bit of balance. Nose is amazing already, taste is a bit too much in your face and at the same time misses some of the vanilla, etc which it will likely have in time. Good wine, but wait a few more years
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Deep dark garnet in color, almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries blackberries & plums with overtones of floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, leather, tobacco, graphite & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth texture, plush, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, minerals, herbs & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks well at present with decanting & extended airing (90+ mins.) but will benefit & develop further with additional aging at which time it may merit a higher score (93+). An exceptional vintage for this "Estate" bottling.
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Quick Visit to Ridge Lytton Springs (Healdsburg, California): Good ruby color. Aggressive dill aromas. Medium weight, nice coating feel. Mixed black and red fruit, high acidity, soil finish with coarse tannin. Overall, I am left with an herbaceous, tart, tannic impression. Tasted next to the Monte Bello from the same vintage, and this wine was coarse in comparison.
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Round, even plush with buried but ample tannins, and no sign of overripeness or sweetness. The nose is rather reserved, and nobody will accuse this of being over-oaked. Pleasant enough, if a bit dumb right now. Completely unlike this wine 5-7 years ago. Would make a nice house cab to serve casually except for the 60 dollar price tag here.
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I still bit closed. Opened a 375 and found it enjoyable. Tannis are clean and crisp. If you can hold until at least 2026, you’ll be rewarded. Otherwise, decant for 2 hours and enjoy!
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A really good year for growing. Poppy says this year she sang. Little tight on the nose right now, but still very pretty. Just opened. Tight, and needs time. That's gonna be a great vintage.
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Dark purple-maroon in the glass. On first taste, it's bright - with noticeable acidity - for a cabernet. On taste, I get black cherry, rhubarb, and a little baking spice. It's like a dark berry pie in summer - bright - without the heavy sweetness. Lighter (in a good way) than I would expect from a California cabernet.
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Nose: Strawberry, raspberry, ripe plum and maybe a bit of rhubarb. Toasty also, but elegant.
Taste: Oh yes. Currant, cherry compote, background hints of blackberry with a good underpinning of minerals and touches of cedar. Such silky texture, tannins are beautifully integrated into the finish where they raise up a bit but that’s to be expected.
What a compelling offering, and at the price point honestly is probably one of the best QPR deals out there. I’ve had many vintages of this bottling and this is one of the very best. Superb now, will absolutely sing with a short to medium term lay down
Quite dark, saturated blackish red. Very clear, black currant fruit on the nose. Well integrated with the oak on the nose. Spice and blackberries round out and add complexity to the nose. Rich and runs on the precise palate with penetrating fruit, enveloping tannin and bright acidity. Definite vegetal/black currant character On the finish. This is not overly done up, there’s no creme de cassis, this is about focused, pure Cabernet fruit. 94
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This was open for business from the start. More approachable than other young ridge cabs that I’ve had. Not sure there’s much upside from here but it’s drinking great now
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Day 3 or 4? - Very very young and wound but with lots of material. Dark fruit. Sweet and pinpoint. Blackberry and black raspberry. Maybe a bit of purple florals. Similar on palate excellent balance dark fruits. A bit of florals. Maybe some spice from oak (very gentle and subtle). Very primary and right. Super fine tannins and bright. Finish shows the fruit, somewhat more tart, very linear. Spicy and a bit floral. This has more to it maybe for the longer term but I liked the complexity in the Merlot for now. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
Dark ruby. Pronounced aromas of blackberry, raspberry, graphite, rose, chocolate, with a nice touch of oak. Lovely spread of dark fruit on the palate, velvet feel, high acids, strong but well integrated tannins, full bodied, vibrant, low to medium alcohol (13.8%). Very long winding aromatic finish. Soul satisfying wine.
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After a few hours, it really balanced out and felt smooth, balanced, & integrated. I have had better estate cabs but this still hits the spot after a bit of time, next bottle is a magnum that I will give 10-12 years
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Great nose of ripe purple fruit. Palate has good black fruit up front, but the tannins take it over pretty quickly. Would be very interesting to see in a few years as this has some settling down to do, but great potential
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Another great estate cab. Quite drinkable right now. Little tight right out of the bottle but opens up pretty quickly. Deep purple with ruby rim. Nose of black fruit and spice. Blackberry and earth on the palate.
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4/11/2024 - Klugi Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a wonderful 2nd wine from Ridge.
First the primary notes with sour cherries, cassis and some blood orange hit you.
With time more secondary notes with tobacco leaves and umaminess come through.
The tannins are tame in the beginning but come through with lots of bite after 1-2 hours.
Still quite young, would wait for 3-5 more years for prime drinking window.
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2/19/2024 - Rasmussenbrent Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good, still a little young so give it some time
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1/7/2024 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coming back to this. Proper 3 hours of time to open up. On the nose: Plum, dark chocolate, cassis, leather, graphite and espresso. The plum notes are very rich and enticing. On the palate: Plum, cassis, dark chocolate and cinnamon. This is terrific.
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12/30/2023 - mattyobrien Likes this wine: 90 Points
Trail creek cabin dinner 2023
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12/7/2023 - Vino Loco wrote: 89 Points
Very bright, almost neon red in the glass. Fruit forward in style. Cherry juice notes, not a lot of structure to it. Struggle with this bottling vs their zins or similarly priced cabs like the Mount Veeder, which for the same vintage had a lot more going on.
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11/1/2023 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
High frequency tightly coiled cherry fruit, acidity quite high. Medium bodied, light on its feet. Didn't change much over three days. I'll pass on the Monte Bello bottling.
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10/21/2023 - JLCFan wrote: 92 Points
Iron, oak shavings and red fruit with a hint of plum. Minty too. Super ferric. Lots and lots of fine powdery tannins. Needs time to come together. Long finish dominated by sweet American oak.
Needs some more time for my taste, but a very nice wine.
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9/27/2023 - Marmie11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Even at this young age, I found the 2019 Estate Cabernet more alive than the 2012 Monte Bello I recently experienced. Simpler than the Monte Bello, and shy on the nose, the flavours on the palate were howver quite interesting and expressive. Mostly fruit forward, but fascinatingly opened with a burst of sweet citrus before showing its blue and black fruits. Personally, I am finding their Zinfandel blends far more profound than the Cabernets I have tasted, which admittedly is limited. Next one will be the 2014 Monte Bello.
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9/10/2023 - DevenStephens Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ridge Blind Tasting; 9/9/2023-9/10/2023: Ridge blind tasting!
So I set up a blind tasting of the 5 main reds from Ridge. The entry level Three Valleys, the Lytton Springs, the Geyserville, the Estate Cab and the legendary Monte Bello! I knew what I brought but I had everyone including me drink the wines blind and in no particular order. The order that ended up coming out was:
1:Geyserville
2:Monte Bello
3:Estate Cab
4:Three Valleys
5:Lytton Springs.
Here are the notes for the Estate Cab: the nose is very light, slight oak, slight fruit, nothing very expressive here. On the palate it is very delicate, again red fruits but not very obvious. Nothing amazing, extreme or crazy with this wine but nothing bad either. Maybe some age would help it out but I'd prefer using the cellar space for the Monte Bello to be honest. This was my 3rd favorite.
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9/1/2023 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sourced entirely from Ridge's Monte Bello Vineyard, this wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, aged for 16 months in American oak barriques (58% new). Opaque crimson in color, it offers a bounty of black and blue fruits that are accented with notes of bittersweet chocolate, licorice, bark, eucalyptus and sage. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (13.8%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, framed with plentiful fine-grained tannins and a generous aliquot of American wood. Dense on the mid-palate and long on the back end, this is a delicious yet deceivingly structured Cab. If you can resist, give it a couple of years in the cellar so that the oak and tannins can better integrate. This particular bottle was Vinturi-decanted and serially tasted over the ensuing three hours. If you elect to pop the cork at this early stage, give it at least two hours of air. Drink 2025-2044.
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7/29/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ordered this wine off the list at Edson Hill in Stowe, VT and was blown away by the quality. Nothing chocolaty or overdone here; this is just great, fresh, intense Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly) with fabulous dark red and black fruits accompanied by zingy acidity and a lifted floral note. Quite structured at this point but the complexity on the finish is already showing itself with wonderful notes of red spices, mint and graphite. At last, a West Coast cab for under $100 that satisfies me.
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7/13/2023 - Nicke Andersson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lamm, potatissallad
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5/18/2023 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP which probably does a disservice but no time to decant. Color is youthful ruby red. On the nose: Plum, dark chocolate, graphite, cassis and some baking spices. On the palate: plum, sour cassis and graphite. Decent length and nice mouthfeel. Good potential. It’s young and I didn’t give time to open up. I expect it will improve during dinner.
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4/16/2023 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was admittedly young and I tend to enjoy Ridge with 5-10+ yrs of aging. Regardless still enjoyable and definitely upside from here as the oak better integrates
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4/15/2023 - ethanwade Likes this wine:
So young right now but already gorgeous. Nose is tight but shows lots of cranberry, plum, spearmint and graphite. Even after 2+ hours the palate is still very tight with powerful tannin but shows some blackberry, cola, and spice. Clearly built to last and excited to see where this goes.
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4/14/2023 - Acove Likes this wine: 93 Points
From memory. Opened at a capitol grille, decanted for about 30 mins. Has that unique Ridge nose mixed in with vanilla, muddled red and purple fruits. The palate was quite tight with muscular tannins and high acid, great concentration of fruit and complexity at this stage. Has that tension and elegance I have grown to appreciate. Oak is well managed here. Obviously too young to drink now but when i'm not paying who cares. 93+ with 94-95 potential in a few years. Probably great value if you can find this for around $60.
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3/30/2023 - mark2eye wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully but feels a bit like infanticide to drink these now.
Notes of Graphite, blueberries, pepper, high acid and tannin.
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3/18/2023 - JLCFan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful - though embryonic, one can taste its future.
Ridge perfume - sweet American oak - dominates the nose. Undercurrents of red fruit underneath. Extremely primary.
Full body with powerful, grippy tannins and equally powerful acidity. Intense but balanced. Gorgeous red fruit character. Already, there is complexity: earth, menthol and savory aspects. The oak is easily moderated by the depth of aroma.
Long, long finish with notes of red fruit and oak perfume.
This has many years to go.
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2/17/2023 - Karlj940 wrote: 91 Points
#1 or #2? notes seem spot-on to me. We ordered this last weekend at dinner and right out of bottle it wasn't what exactly what we were looking for paired with filet. Corked the half bottle remaining. Revisited a week later (stored at cellar temperature) and standing alone it was a nice expression of those flavors. If you know what to expect it's a pleasant departure from overly extracted fruit and quite a bit more interesting. Medium to light body (for a cabernet blend).
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2/12/2023 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 93 Points
needs a little air to unfurl. eventually, a very delicate but defined black currant bouquet up front, with subtle attractive floral and herbal notes in support. palate is on the lighter side, med body, v nice balance, w/acidity and tannin (surprisingly so given how young this is!), some good tart black berry fruit and a welcome green pepper note mid-palate, as well as attractive minerality through the finish. definitely earlier than i prefer to drink a quality red but this is v good.
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1/24/2023 - Waedi Likes this wine: 91 Points
91+
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1/2/2023 - Andrew Vaughan wrote: 89 Points
Had a second bottle. Oddly, was markedly not as pleasing as the last one. Seemed way too young, acid balance off, needed a very long decant to tame.
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1/1/2023 - Carib wrote: 87 Points
Thin, a bit forgettable. Fine with a meal. I'm a big fan of the vineyard. This will probably be an entirely different wine in 5 to 10 years. Hold.
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12/30/2022 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not bad...not great....a little on the thin side...weak finish. Taste more like Ridge Zins. Would not buy again at $53+. many other alternatives as good or better for less $$$$
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12/25/2022 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had to try one of my 9 bottles. Decanted for 4 hours. While I didn't try it initially upon decanting, I smelled it and think that it would have tasted delicious from the PnP. Had it with oven-grilled veggies and BBQ-grilled flank steak at the 5-hour mark. Great with food or by itself. I love this style of Brdx blend (with a notable PV components), as it reminds me of Leeuwin Estate Art Series. Next bottle in 5 years. Being conservative with my score right now, as this could easily add a point or two with a couple more cellar years.
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12/23/2022 - Andrew Vaughan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this one. Nice balance, pleasing tannins, good acidity.
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12/18/2022 - Shavedaddy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Beautiful red fruit. Red cherry, cranberry. a bit brambly. Cedar. Everything is very nicely balanced on the nose and palate. Maybe this is because I come at wine from a whiskey drinker's perspective, but the finish is just a bit too short for me to really be infatuated with this one.
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12/17/2022 - Dan Gould Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thought I was drinking a Margaux for a minute. Dark with plums, a little wood, and a slight menthol aftertaste. Masterfully balanced and could easily sit for another 10 years
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12/17/2022 - Peraix Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wild dark berries with a touch of mint.
Revisit 2027
92+
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12/4/2022 - markydecker Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of 4 half bottles purchased this summer at the winery. If blind, could be a dead ringer for left bank Bordeaux. Earth, tar, black fruits, big tannins, inky black. Painfully young and tight with bracing acidity. Structure and stuffing to age for the long haul. Great QPR in a world of highly overpriced California cabernets.
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11/25/2022 - Franken Berry Likes this wine: 92 Points
This drank well after being open for an hour. Very dark wine, blue and red fruits, savory backbone. Drinks well young given the balance and acidity. Nicely done. Medium richness.
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11/11/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Monte Bello Visit: 88% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. This is lovely - compared to the 16 I had a few weeks ago, a little plusher maybe, but still with a lovely herbal core and that hint of menthol. At this price there's not much better.
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11/11/2022 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Monte Bello with Leon (Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, CA): Deep ruby color. Ripe bell pepper Pyrazines and blackcurrant. Savory and delicious. Well integrated oak.
13.8%
This wine is great. Green driven new world BDX blend.
Some gingerbread/eucalyptus impression (amber oak? My imagination?).
Med plus body, med plus acid, med plus plush tannins.
Fruit character doesn’t have a ton of shades of black fruit, but I’m digging the combo of super ripe bell pepper and deep blackcurrant. Very cab.
Context from Leon: this is median or even on the less herbaceous side for Ridge estate.
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10/22/2022 - Swimbikerundrink Likes this wine: 95 Points
Baby ‘Bello.
Yum.
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10/8/2022 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just delicious. Black and blue fruits on the nose, palate is full bodied with enough acidity to carry. Plush tannins. Medium long finish. No awkwardness at all. Will probably get better with age but it's so appealing now.
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10/3/2022 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is the 2nd bottle I’ve had of this, and it was very different from the first. Namely the first one was approachable from the start , whereas this was pretty tight and packed a lot of acidity on day 1 after a shortish decant (<1hr). On day 2 I decanted for 3+ hrs and it was showing much better. Less oak than other vintages, and I think will age well.
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9/30/2022 - JohannesGlugla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still on the younge side, misses a bit of balance. Nose is amazing already, taste is a bit too much in your face and at the same time misses some of the vanilla, etc which it will likely have in time.
Good wine, but wait a few more years
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9/11/2022 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark garnet in color, almost opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries blackberries & plums with overtones of floral & earthy/dusty notes, spices, leather, tobacco, graphite & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth texture, plush, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, minerals, herbs & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks well at present with decanting & extended airing (90+ mins.) but will benefit & develop further with additional aging at which time it may merit a higher score (93+). An exceptional vintage for this "Estate" bottling.
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9/9/2022 - drwine2001 wrote:
Quick Visit to Ridge Lytton Springs (Healdsburg, California): Good ruby color. Aggressive dill aromas. Medium weight, nice coating feel. Mixed black and red fruit, high acidity, soil finish with coarse tannin. Overall, I am left with an herbaceous, tart, tannic impression. Tasted next to the Monte Bello from the same vintage, and this wine was coarse in comparison.
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8/24/2022 - crcarlson Likes this wine: 93 Points
great fruit, great acidity, nicely integrated oak, blue fruit, medium plus alcohol, a very nice santa cruz / high elevation Cab.
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8/14/2022 - mark2eye Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really enjoyable and contrary to other reviewers, I think it's drinking very well right now, after a decent decant of course.
Notes of cigar box, cranberry sauce and bruised plum.
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7/29/2022 - Force5 Likes this wine:
Round, even plush with buried but ample tannins, and no sign of overripeness or sweetness. The nose is rather reserved, and nobody will accuse this of being over-oaked. Pleasant enough, if a bit dumb right now. Completely unlike this wine 5-7 years ago. Would make a nice house cab to serve casually except for the 60 dollar price tag here.
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7/14/2022 - catowne1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young
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6/23/2022 - Dagman Likes this wine: 90 Points
It's early on but still tasted quite good. Bright, vibrant fruits balanced with good acid. Feels like it will be a strong performer in 3-4 years.
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6/9/2022 - Phidelt418 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I still bit closed. Opened a 375 and found it enjoyable. Tannis are clean and crisp. If you can hold until at least 2026, you’ll be rewarded. Otherwise, decant for 2 hours and enjoy!
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6/2/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A really good year for growing. Poppy says this year she sang. Little tight on the nose right now, but still very pretty. Just opened. Tight, and needs time. That's gonna be a great vintage.
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5/30/2022 - cclearningwine wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple-maroon in the glass. On first taste, it's bright - with noticeable acidity - for a cabernet. On taste, I get black cherry, rhubarb, and a little baking spice. It's like a dark berry pie in summer - bright - without the heavy sweetness. Lighter (in a good way) than I would expect from a California cabernet.
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5/29/2022 - RSLyss wrote: 94 Points
Pop ‘n’ pour from 375ml
Nose: Strawberry, raspberry, ripe plum and maybe a bit of rhubarb. Toasty also, but elegant.
Taste: Oh yes. Currant, cherry compote, background hints of blackberry with a good underpinning of minerals and touches of cedar. Such silky texture, tannins are beautifully integrated into the finish where they raise up a bit but that’s to be expected.
What a compelling offering, and at the price point honestly is probably one of the best QPR deals out there. I’ve had many vintages of this bottling and this is one of the very best. Superb now, will absolutely sing with a short to medium term lay down
RSL BS Rating - 94
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5/13/2022 - ras2006 Likes this wine: 92 Points
medium to full bodied, smooth, very nice
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4/22/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite dark, saturated blackish red. Very clear, black currant fruit on the nose. Well integrated with the oak on the nose. Spice and blackberries round out and add complexity to the nose. Rich and runs on the precise palate with penetrating fruit, enveloping tannin and bright acidity. Definite vegetal/black currant character
On the finish. This is not overly done up, there’s no creme de cassis, this is about focused, pure Cabernet fruit. 94
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4/19/2022 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was open for business from the start. More approachable than other young ridge cabs that I’ve had. Not sure there’s much upside from here but it’s drinking great now
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4/19/2022 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 3 or 4? - Very very young and wound but with lots of material. Dark fruit. Sweet and pinpoint. Blackberry and black raspberry. Maybe a bit of purple florals. Similar on palate excellent balance dark fruits. A bit of florals. Maybe some spice from oak (very gentle and subtle). Very primary and right. Super fine tannins and bright. Finish shows the fruit, somewhat more tart, very linear. Spicy and a bit floral. This has more to it maybe for the longer term but I liked the complexity in the Merlot for now. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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4/18/2022 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark ruby. Pronounced aromas of blackberry, raspberry, graphite, rose, chocolate, with a nice touch of oak. Lovely spread of dark fruit on the palate, velvet feel, high acids, strong but well integrated tannins, full bodied, vibrant, low to medium alcohol (13.8%). Very long winding aromatic finish. Soul satisfying wine.
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4/18/2022 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Expressive nose. Very nice wine and while approachable now this is still young and should improve with time.
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4/1/2022 - hadukla Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a few hours, it really balanced out and felt smooth, balanced, & integrated. I have had better estate cabs but this still hits the spot after a bit of time, next bottle is a magnum that I will give 10-12 years
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3/31/2022 - BrendanMcS wrote: 92 Points
Great nose of ripe purple fruit. Palate has good black fruit up front, but the tannins take it over pretty quickly. Would be very interesting to see in a few years as this has some settling down to do, but great potential
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3/30/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another great estate cab. Quite drinkable right now. Little tight right out of the bottle but opens up pretty quickly. Deep purple with ruby rim. Nose of black fruit and spice. Blackberry and earth on the palate.
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