It had a nice aroma when i opened the bottle but over time it got better and better till the last glas was superb. Rich subtle flavorful. An absolute joy. I wish i had more.
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Still alive and kicking! In fact, better than the last two bottles. Quite a bit of browning and a bit of a stinky nose on opening, but that blew off and it opened up after 30 minutes. What a nice surprise!
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Opened, double decant and drunk over 4-5 hours. Dark crimson, opaque core, garnet rim. Sweet berry fruit on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate, medium to low acidity but not fat or over ripe. Tannins smooth and giving some structure and letting the wine flow beautifully. Has a touch of menthol or eucalypt about it - in a way like a WA Australian cabernet. Nice long finish. My first zin of note - much different to what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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What the Hell does Acker do to wines before releasing them? Seriously, does anybody there actually taste any of the wines? The ONLY two bottles of 95 Lytton I ever had that were bad were both Acker auction purchases.
For those keeping track at home, I'm zero for my last six Acker purchases that I opened. Zero.
Disappointing bottle, showing more lean and hot than my previous experiences. Dark fruit, brambly/herbal notes, but also sweet liquor notes with some heat, dill, and a lean frame, with a slightly bitter finish. Basically, a normal Ridge Lytton profile without the rich fruit. Hopefully bottle variation (as my last was great); bottle seemed in good condition; Acker auction purchase. Drink now.
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Return to San Antonio III - barolo/bordeaux (Mike O): My blind which I thought would stump everyone-- and it did --but MikeO nailed it in ~30secs. Big slightly sweet nose with a little caramel and spice notes. Mature macerated berry fruit with a dried fruit quality. Still holding up but I thought it needs to be drunk up rather than held.
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I find drinking windows on these fairly funny, as this one was apparently at the end of its ten years ago. Spice, blackberry, and chocolate on the palate. Some sweetness. Perhaps a bit hot on the nose suggesting slight fading, but still drinking great. Medium acidity, fading tannin. Yum. Drink now.
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Cork was imbibed 1/3. Popped and poured. V: Garnet, with orange meniscus. N: Strawberry jam, sandalwood, zin-pinot aromas. P: Smooth texture, richly fruited and mature flavours; no tannin, Sweet fruit finish, touch of bitters on finish. Drink or hold around 2020, fully integrated now. 14.3% abv
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Popped and decanted for sediment. Huge nose of slightly reduced, jammy raspberries and currants with a bit of clove and sweet spices. Black cherry and black plums on the palate with a touch of black pepper. Silky smooth mouthfeel, good acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Amazing showing for a 20 year old wine. The moral of the story is to buy more Ridge and let it age.
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In a word (or more) beautiful; very Bordeaux/old Spain like. Deep dark nose with soil, plum, black cherries on the nose. Long palate with dried cherries, blackberry, pepper and a sense of ripe mourvedre. Silky integrated tannins, long finish. WOW.
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Jordan brought a magnum into FHE. Really nice mature dark cherries, barnyard, touch of pepper spice. Still nice body. Reductive elements. Very nice. Still living probably due to pristine storage and large format bottle.
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A bit porty and overripe, with raisiny black fruit and menthol and lots of American oak notes (dill especially). Rich with soft tannin, well balanced and not especially sweet, but the fruit profile didn't really work for me. Not nearly as good as my previous experience 3 years ago.
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I believe I was the outlier last night, as I didn't care for this, yet others seemed to like it. Where it went off the rails for me is that I believe it is too ripe, which lended a nail polish aromatic to the nose and an over-ripe fruit expression on the palate, jammy. I'd not tpyically think of Ridge wines in this expression but this bottle was not great and I had one taste and dumped out the rest.
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Ridge Zinfandels vertical: this was nice and still going strong. the body is lighted than more recent vintages, and reminds me or a medium bodied bordeaux or rioja.
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Still moderately deep center, yet clearly paling at the rim. One of the longer lived zins (along with the '92 Lytton) I've ever had, it's clearly started its descent. Still sweet, porty aromas, and unfortunately showing a bit of heat. Bottle 11 of a case that's best drunk up at this point. ****
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BBQ at Matt and Francesca’s (Vancouver, BC): No formal notes. A big stylist difference from the ’82 Haut-Marbuzet. Riper, more new worldish of course, with blackberry and other berry fruit. This wasn’t as new worldly as the Carlisle that followed. I’ve never been a big Zin fan so maybe that’s why others enjoy this more than I do. Good.
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To celebrate the completion of the upload and "getting it all organised" in Cellartracker.com of my collection which dates back quite a few years, years marked by travel, new houses, new enterprises, and new relationships, my friend Rik and I consumed this last bottle of Ridge with a dinner inspired by a recipe of Olivier Roellinger, the great French chef with the restaurant in Cancale. It is one of the few Michelin starred restaurants that threw away its stars, to be able to concentrate on the food and forget about the snobbery. So the magret de canard is prepared with cloves, coriander, and a magic vinegar from Roellinger's spice shop called Celtic Vinegar. It is thus a classic south western French dinner, but with spices collected by Roellinger on his travels to the orient.
How did this old Ridge Zin hold up? Well, we should have drunk it perhaps 5 years ago, but I was in full construction phase at the Jardin Gorbeau. No matter, it is a grand wine, and even if in 2012 it is over the edge, it made for a wonderful meal. We opened at at about 6 pm and happily the 17 years of its life, not always in the best of circumstances, were proven to be acceptable, the cork was intact, moist, and no vinegar. Whew. The first nose was of prunes. It was fruity but it needed air. We gave it 2 hours of decanting while the dinner was prepared; besides the duck inspired by Roellinger we dribbled some truffle oil on simple steamed broccoli, and the potatoes (after all we are in Normandy) were basic and pure. The truffled broccoli was an inspiration. At mealtime the Ridge was open. It had passed its prime no doubt, it was not like the wine I used used to drink at the London Wine Bar in San Francisco, but its complexity was there. The prunes had become not the only element, with the Celtic Vinegar flavour of the duck and the truffles on the broccolin, the Ridge began to scent of chocolate. I kid you not. Not heavy chocolate, just a whiff, but the spices of the Ridge and the spices of the duck played together.
We finished the meal with a local farm produced Camembert, and the Ridge became candy. That was incredible. The bitterness of the Camembert full of fungus and who knows what else gives it such a stinky wonderful flavour, made the Ridge liquid bonbon. It was like drinking sweet liquour. That was a surprise. The dessert was some squares of Lindt 70% noir chocolate, and even here, the Ridge held up. It is not Banyuls Rimage with respect to the chocolate, but it lived through the dinner with pride and honour and made us happy.
The cave, now completely under Cellartracker.com's aegis, has been opened. Stay tuned.
Jon Cooper Jardin Gorbeau Etretat Guesthouse and Spa Etretat, Normandy, France
Absolutely gorgeous. Intense dark fruit on the nose with leather and spice. A touch of bricking beginning to show around the edges. Full mouthfeel with even more fruit, silky smooth tannin and enough acid to keep the everything in balance. The wine is in a great place right now.
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I do love this wine. Really at its peak. My notes were consistent with others'. Core of blackberry fruit and a backbone of tannins. Medium mouthfeel & decent finish. Like a refined & restrained California cab.
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No detailed notes taken. Popped & poured. Nice core of juicy blackberry fruit with a backbone of medium tannins. Medium body & medium length of finish. For a 16 year old Zin it was drinking beautifully - fruit still had plenty of life.
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Drank at Apiary and served it blind to the rest of the table. Had the whole table + the somm convinced it was a good Sonoma Cab from the early 90s, who knew Zin could age this well? My friend even knew it was Ridge (he spotted the distinctive silver capsule on the top of the bottle), and he still guessed cab (and he'll hate me for reminding him of this).
Popped, then poured into a decanter and served immediately. This was a well-stored bottle: very dark color, not the slightest hint of bricking, not musty at all. Wonderfully pure aromas of dark berry fruit, and some nice spicy brambly elements playing in the background, with a lovely inner core of sweetness that continues through the palate. Terrific balance, the sweet fruit flavors never feel cloying and the finish is long and smooth. The tannins have mostly softened up, but there's still some structure left. This bottle was quite primary for a 15-year-old bottle, and it could easily go another 5 years, maybe more. A beautiful wine.
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Not my style. Mahogany color to tawny rim. Very (nearly over) ripe grenache pruney nose. Medium mid-palate and length, but just not cohesive or with enough individual character. A Jekyll/Hyde wine - trying to be something it just isn't. Good for another few years, but for my taste, drink up. Only Ridge in a while I would not rebuy. 86 pts quality, 70 pts personal preference.
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Clear dark red. Cabernet nose at first the more like a slightly sweet Rhone. Really nice flavours and a nice balanced finish. Claret like. No over the top raspberry or blackberry fruit.
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This one has entered a sweet spot. Much more subdued plum nose than the 92 on the same night, and much better balance. A little earth plus classic Zinfandel jam but missing the baby fat of it's youth. Very nice!
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Light purple. Very mature Zin, beautiful. Nose more complex spicy sweet dry fruits, palate the same with coffee. Acid is gone, tannins melded and some dry sweet fruit, spice, cherries. Just a great effort holding together 13 years on.
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Lush, round, broad fruit with burnt carmel and a super long deep dark finish. Wonderful perfume, the fruit explodes in slow motion, blossoms like a black rose--the most apt description I can give for this wine. Nicely aged and drinking very well, I'd guess this will hold on but not improve for several more years. Strong, packed, earthy, yet with a light touch and round edges. I wish the next time somebody questions the ability of Zin to age well I could pull out a glass of this. B++
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No tasting note recorded. Drank for a 375ml, purchased directly at the winery. Consistent tasting notes from previous tasting back in 2006. This really was a great older zin.
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Initially there was a really powerful fruity nose, different than what I remember of this wine. As it evolved, complexity emerged, still with fruit, but also earth and spice. The nose was quite young, but in the mouth, the tannins were really silky, showing the wine's age. After about an hour, an amarone-like aroma emerged. The finish was medium long. A fun wine.
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Very good. I had the 1993 a week ago and was quite under whelmed, the 95 was more like I recall older vintages of Ridge. Fruit is still very present and this wine is no where near it’s end. Spice and pepper dominate the nose over a backdrop of dark red fruit. Tannins are wonderfully resolved and the wine takes on added depth in the mouth and really blossoms with current, blueberry. All of this with a medium to long lingering finish. I suggest opening up for at least thirty minutes, it was still improving at hour four.
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Dark purple, looks younger than it is. Black pepper, clove, hints of dark red fruit on the nose. In the mouth, velvety with soft tannins, easy going down, great with red snapper with sage, with a medium to long finish. Hard to believe it's a ten year old zin.
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Saturday, September 25, 2004 Another wine selected by Bob Couzzi during his stay. It took awhile to come around, but when it did, oh my! What a load of zin berry, chinese spice and the right touch of oak. Balanced fruit and tannins. Powerful but with finesse. With grilled duck and french hanger steak.
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At Yasmin's restaurant in Williamstown, MA. ($75 off list) Dark, opaque, purple. Spicy nose full of blackberry, cherry, and espresso. Full bodied, with great body and grip. Spicy, peppery, loaded with dark fruit and coffee on the palate. Balanced. Long finish. Great now, but should have another 10 years of life at least.
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I took my sole bottle of 1995 Ridge Lytton Springs along to a favorite restaurant and had it with a pancetta/eggplant/mint pizza and a duck breast entree. The wine was amazing. This eight-year-old zin was a dark, inky black purple, with a tremendous nose of ripe fruit. It had a mouth-filling unctuousness, with tannins as smooth as a cashmere sweater and tastes of chocolate, raspberry, and earth. The fellow sitting next to me at the bar turned out to be from Denmark. We started taking about wine, and the subject of several recent encounters with Ch. Latour came up. I offered him some of the Lytton Springs, and he eyes lit up in surprise. He was blown away by the wine, and even more so by the price. This is a great bottle of wine. Anyone who has one left should plan something special and open it up.
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4/7/2024 - seijaro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, what a beauty! Huge but smooth, a hint of sweetness. Wasn't this good in its prime... wish we had more :(
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2/26/2024 - Phil P Likes this wine: 96 Points
It had a nice aroma when i opened the bottle but over time it got better and better till the last glas was superb. Rich
subtle flavorful. An absolute joy.
I wish i had more.
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1/7/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still alive and kicking! In fact, better than the last two bottles. Quite a bit of browning and a bit of a stinky nose on opening, but that blew off and it opened up after 30 minutes. What a nice surprise!
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2/11/2021 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent brownish garnet color showing no sign of degradation. Delicious red fruit nose. Soft red fruit and vanillin notes; absolutely delicious.
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5/30/2020 - ebpayne wrote:
Dead, past prime. It was once great!
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4/13/2020 - seijaro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite smooth but still alive, remarkable for a 25-year-old Zin! The fruit has faded, yet it's still there. A surprising wine that was very enjoyable.
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12/23/2017 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still young. Blackberry flavors with pronounced tannins. Long on the palate but not terribly complex. A very nice Zinfandel.
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8/13/2017 - Mivvy Likes this wine:
Opened, double decant and drunk over 4-5 hours. Dark crimson, opaque core, garnet rim. Sweet berry fruit on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate, medium to low acidity but not fat or over ripe. Tannins smooth and giving some structure and letting the wine flow beautifully. Has a touch of menthol or eucalypt about it - in a way like a WA Australian cabernet. Nice long finish. My first zin of note - much different to what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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7/8/2017 - seijaro Likes this wine: 91 Points
I could go 92 if pressed. A nice old Zin, pleasant but not a memorable wine. It did not show the sweetness I remember from its youth.
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7/1/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Acker wines - a fortnight of culling crap from the cellar; 6/29/2016-7/13/2016: I have had many bottles of this wine, and 100s of bottles of Lytton, and I have just one question:
What the Hell does Acker do to wines before releasing them? Seriously, does anybody there actually taste any of the wines? The ONLY two bottles of 95 Lytton I ever had that were bad were both Acker auction purchases.
For those keeping track at home, I'm zero for my last six Acker purchases that I opened. Zero.
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4/21/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 85 Points
Disappointing bottle, showing more lean and hot than my previous experiences. Dark fruit, brambly/herbal notes, but also sweet liquor notes with some heat, dill, and a lean frame, with a slightly bitter finish. Basically, a normal Ridge Lytton profile without the rich fruit. Hopefully bottle variation (as my last was great); bottle seemed in good condition; Acker auction purchase. Drink now.
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4/13/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Return to San Antonio III - barolo/bordeaux (Mike O): My blind which I thought would stump everyone-- and it did --but MikeO nailed it in ~30secs. Big slightly sweet nose with a little caramel and spice notes. Mature macerated berry fruit with a dried fruit quality. Still holding up but I thought it needs to be drunk up rather than held.
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2/14/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 92 Points
I find drinking windows on these fairly funny, as this one was apparently at the end of its ten years ago. Spice, blackberry, and chocolate on the palate. Some sweetness. Perhaps a bit hot on the nose suggesting slight fading, but still drinking great. Medium acidity, fading tannin. Yum. Drink now.
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5/31/2015 - Tony Molester wrote:
Cork was imbibed 1/3. Popped and poured.
V: Garnet, with orange meniscus.
N: Strawberry jam, sandalwood, zin-pinot aromas.
P: Smooth texture, richly fruited and mature flavours; no tannin, Sweet fruit finish, touch of bitters on finish.
Drink or hold around 2020, fully integrated now.
14.3% abv
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4/11/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and decanted for sediment. Huge nose of slightly reduced, jammy raspberries and currants with a bit of clove and sweet spices. Black cherry and black plums on the palate with a touch of black pepper. Silky smooth mouthfeel, good acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Amazing showing for a 20 year old wine. The moral of the story is to buy more Ridge and let it age.
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8/20/2014 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
In a word (or more) beautiful; very Bordeaux/old Spain like. Deep dark nose with soil, plum, black cherries on the nose. Long palate with dried cherries, blackberry, pepper and a sense of ripe mourvedre. Silky integrated tannins, long finish. WOW.
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8/10/2014 - steinbrl12 wrote: 91 Points
dark and fairly ripe. Medium body with no noticeable tannins. Good mature nose and taste. Very smooth
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6/6/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Jordan brought a magnum into FHE.
Really nice mature dark cherries, barnyard, touch of pepper spice.
Still nice body. Reductive elements. Very nice. Still living probably due to pristine storage and large format bottle.
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5/14/2014 - coremill wrote: 86 Points
A bit porty and overripe, with raisiny black fruit and menthol and lots of American oak notes (dill especially). Rich with soft tannin, well balanced and not especially sweet, but the fruit profile didn't really work for me. Not nearly as good as my previous experience 3 years ago.
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4/23/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I believe I was the outlier last night, as I didn't care for this, yet others seemed to like it. Where it went off the rails for me is that I believe it is too ripe, which lended a nail polish aromatic to the nose and an over-ripe fruit expression on the palate, jammy. I'd not tpyically think of Ridge wines in this expression but this bottle was not great and I had one taste and dumped out the rest.
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3/23/2014 - Bisty Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Still quite dark colour. Very good fruit with a juice and ammy finish.
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3/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels vertical: this was nice and still going strong. the body is lighted than more recent vintages, and reminds me or a medium bodied bordeaux or rioja.
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10/27/2013 - pkatz wrote: 85 Points
Showed some oxidation.
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8/2/2013 - bpj87 wrote:
While there was some tertiary charm, the heat was simply overbearing. Both the nose and palate suffered from the effects of excessive alcohol.
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11/4/2012 - cos65 wrote:
Still moderately deep center, yet clearly paling at the rim. One of the longer lived zins (along with the '92 Lytton) I've ever had, it's clearly started its descent. Still sweet, porty aromas, and unfortunately showing a bit of heat. Bottle 11 of a case that's best drunk up at this point. ****
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8/25/2012 - godx wrote: 87 Points
BBQ at Matt and Francesca’s (Vancouver, BC): No formal notes. A big stylist difference from the ’82 Haut-Marbuzet. Riper, more new worldish of course, with blackberry and other berry fruit. This wasn’t as new worldly as the Carlisle that followed. I’ve never been a big Zin fan so maybe that’s why others enjoy this more than I do. Good.
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4/17/2012 - psrv wrote: 92 Points
Blind Ridge Lytton Springs and Lytton Estate 1990 - 1997 (Berkeley): Group's #3; my #2; 1 first; 4 second; 3 third; 1 last. Aromas and flavors of cherries, red fruit, minerals and spice. Medium bodied, high acid, good fruit, and a long finish.
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3/27/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Sweetly fruited, red berry, cough drop, cinnamon, some tobacco and leather developing. Towards the end of the sweet spot for Lytton.
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3/1/2012 - Jardin.Gorbeau.Etretat.France wrote: 92 Points
To celebrate the completion of the upload and "getting it all organised" in Cellartracker.com of my collection which dates back quite a few years, years marked by travel, new houses, new enterprises, and new relationships, my friend Rik and I consumed this last bottle of Ridge with a dinner inspired by a recipe of Olivier Roellinger, the great French chef with the restaurant in Cancale. It is one of the few Michelin starred restaurants that threw away its stars, to be able to concentrate on the food and forget about the snobbery. So the magret de canard is prepared with cloves, coriander, and a magic vinegar from Roellinger's spice shop called Celtic Vinegar. It is thus a classic south western French dinner, but with spices collected by Roellinger on his travels to the orient.
How did this old Ridge Zin hold up? Well, we should have drunk it perhaps 5 years ago, but I was in full construction phase at the Jardin Gorbeau. No matter, it is a grand wine, and even if in 2012 it is over the edge, it made for a wonderful meal. We opened at at about 6 pm and happily the 17 years of its life, not always in the best of circumstances, were proven to be acceptable, the cork was intact, moist, and no vinegar. Whew. The first nose was of prunes. It was fruity but it needed air. We gave it 2 hours of decanting while the dinner was prepared; besides the duck inspired by Roellinger we dribbled some truffle oil on simple steamed broccoli, and the potatoes (after all we are in Normandy) were basic and pure. The truffled broccoli was an inspiration. At mealtime the Ridge was open. It had passed its prime no doubt, it was not like the wine I used used to drink at the London Wine Bar in San Francisco, but its complexity was there. The prunes had become not the only element, with the Celtic Vinegar flavour of the duck and the truffles on the broccolin, the Ridge began to scent of chocolate. I kid you not. Not heavy chocolate, just a whiff, but the spices of the Ridge and the spices of the duck played together.
We finished the meal with a local farm produced Camembert, and the Ridge became candy. That was incredible. The bitterness of the Camembert full of fungus and who knows what else gives it such a stinky wonderful flavour, made the Ridge liquid bonbon. It was like drinking sweet liquour. That was a surprise. The dessert was some squares of Lindt 70% noir chocolate, and even here, the Ridge held up. It is not Banyuls Rimage with respect to the chocolate, but it lived through the dinner with pride and honour and made us happy.
The cave, now completely under Cellartracker.com's aegis, has been opened. Stay tuned.
Jon Cooper
Jardin Gorbeau Etretat Guesthouse and Spa
Etretat, Normandy, France
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11/22/2011 - jackaroo wrote: 93 Points
Agree with Parker. This is a first growth among California zins. Smooth, rich and perfectly aged.
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9/4/2011 - TimF wrote:
Absolutely gorgeous. Intense dark fruit on the nose with leather and spice. A touch of bricking beginning to show around the edges. Full mouthfeel with even more fruit, silky smooth tannin and enough acid to keep the everything in balance. The wine is in a great place right now.
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5/6/2011 - CDH Likes this wine: 90 Points
I do love this wine. Really at its peak. My notes were consistent with others'. Core of blackberry fruit and a backbone of tannins.
Medium mouthfeel & decent finish. Like a refined & restrained California cab.
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4/2/2011 - CDH Likes this wine: 89 Points
No detailed notes taken. Popped & poured. Nice core of juicy blackberry fruit with a backbone of medium tannins. Medium body & medium length of finish. For a 16 year old Zin it was drinking beautifully - fruit still had plenty of life.
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1/31/2011 - yhn wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind.
Nose - classic L.S., clean, shy, black cherry and black currant.
Rustic alicant-y fruit, deep, youthful, sweet, hint of cinnamon candy.
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1/11/2011 - coremill wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Apiary and served it blind to the rest of the table. Had the whole table + the somm convinced it was a good Sonoma Cab from the early 90s, who knew Zin could age this well? My friend even knew it was Ridge (he spotted the distinctive silver capsule on the top of the bottle), and he still guessed cab (and he'll hate me for reminding him of this).
Popped, then poured into a decanter and served immediately. This was a well-stored bottle: very dark color, not the slightest hint of bricking, not musty at all. Wonderfully pure aromas of dark berry fruit, and some nice spicy brambly elements playing in the background, with a lovely inner core of sweetness that continues through the palate. Terrific balance, the sweet fruit flavors never feel cloying and the finish is long and smooth. The tannins have mostly softened up, but there's still some structure left. This bottle was quite primary for a 15-year-old bottle, and it could easily go another 5 years, maybe more. A beautiful wine.
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1/8/2011 - bstueber wrote:
Wonderful
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1/6/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 93 Points
Incredible fruit, nice herbaceousness, complex, delicate spice. Popping & alive, wow! Great poise and balance.
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11/28/2010 - christyler wrote: 91 Points
Still very youthful and drinking beautifully now.
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8/5/2010 - sawira wrote: 86 Points
Not my style. Mahogany color to tawny rim. Very (nearly over) ripe grenache pruney nose. Medium mid-palate and length, but just not cohesive or with enough individual character. A Jekyll/Hyde wine - trying to be something it just isn't. Good for another few years, but for my taste, drink up. Only Ridge in a while I would not rebuy. 86 pts quality, 70 pts personal preference.
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7/20/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Clear dark red. Cabernet nose at first the more like a slightly sweet Rhone. Really nice flavours and a nice balanced finish. Claret like. No over the top raspberry or blackberry fruit.
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3/5/2009 - bwillia wrote: 95 Points
This one has entered a sweet spot. Much more subdued plum nose than the 92 on the same night, and much better balance. A little earth plus classic Zinfandel jam but missing the baby fat of it's youth. Very nice!
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1/11/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 92 Points
Light purple. Very mature Zin, beautiful. Nose more complex spicy sweet dry fruits, palate the same with coffee. Acid is gone, tannins melded and some dry sweet fruit, spice, cherries. Just a great effort holding together 13 years on.
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8/4/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Lush, round, broad fruit with burnt carmel and a super long deep dark finish. Wonderful perfume, the fruit explodes in slow motion, blossoms like a black rose--the most apt description I can give for this wine. Nicely aged and drinking very well, I'd guess this will hold on but not improve for several more years. Strong, packed, earthy, yet with a light touch and round edges. I wish the next time somebody questions the ability of Zin to age well I could pull out a glass of this.
B++
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1/3/2008 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
No tasting note recorded. Drank for a 375ml, purchased directly at the winery. Consistent tasting notes from previous tasting back in 2006. This really was a great older zin.
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11/22/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous balanced Zin. Briary fruits are joined by nice brown spices.
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3/7/2007 - sol wrote: 92 Points
Initially there was a really powerful fruity nose, different than what I remember of this wine. As it evolved, complexity emerged, still with fruit, but also earth and spice. The nose was quite young, but in the mouth, the tannins were really silky, showing the wine's age. After about an hour, an amarone-like aroma emerged. The finish was medium long. A fun wine.
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12/3/2006 - SteveH wrote: 90 Points
Very fruity up front, almost too much at first. Calmed down after a few minutes and lost that raisiny character. Nice balance, not a great finish.
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11/9/2006 - gregg g wrote:
17 vintages of Ridge Zinfandel, '67 & '78 Stony Hill & Dessert Wines (Campanile in Los Angeles, CA.): Showing a raisiny, pruny nose at first. This eventually morphed into a softer spicey nose. The fruit seems a little stewed, almost amarone like. The finish was also somewhat clipped. Not a bad wine on it's own, though there were better wines in this flight.
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5/14/2006 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
Very good. I had the 1993 a week ago and was quite under whelmed, the 95 was more like I recall older vintages of Ridge. Fruit is still very present and this wine is no where near it’s end. Spice and pepper dominate the nose over a backdrop of dark red fruit. Tannins are wonderfully resolved and the wine takes on added depth in the mouth and really blossoms with current, blueberry. All of this with a medium to long lingering finish. I suggest opening up for at least thirty minutes, it was still improving at hour four.
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11/6/2005 - sol wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple, looks younger than it is. Black pepper, clove, hints of dark red fruit on the nose. In the mouth, velvety with soft tannins, easy going down, great with red snapper with sage, with a medium to long finish. Hard to believe it's a ten year old zin.
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10/30/2004 - ajjar wrote: 93 Points
Delicious, still fresh and alive with smooth tanins, sparkling fruit, dark cherry. Farewell...
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9/25/2004 - timewithwine wrote:
Saturday, September 25, 2004 Another wine selected by Bob Couzzi during his stay. It took awhile to come around, but when it did, oh my! What a load of zin berry, chinese spice and the right touch of oak. Balanced fruit and tannins. Powerful but with finesse. With grilled duck and french hanger steak.
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3/20/2004 - Spencer wrote: 92 Points
At Yasmin's restaurant in Williamstown, MA. ($75 off list) Dark, opaque, purple. Spicy nose full of blackberry, cherry, and espresso. Full bodied, with great body and grip. Spicy, peppery, loaded with dark fruit and coffee on the palate. Balanced. Long finish. Great now, but should have another 10 years of life at least.
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5/24/2003 - PaulH wrote: 93 Points
I took my sole bottle of 1995 Ridge Lytton Springs along to a favorite restaurant and had it with a pancetta/eggplant/mint pizza and a duck breast entree. The wine was amazing. This eight-year-old zin was a dark, inky black purple, with a tremendous nose of ripe fruit. It had a mouth-filling unctuousness, with tannins as smooth as a cashmere sweater and tastes of chocolate, raspberry, and earth. The fellow sitting next to me at the bar turned out to be from Denmark. We started taking about wine, and the subject of several recent encounters with Ch. Latour came up. I offered him some of the Lytton Springs, and he eyes lit up in surprise. He was blown away by the wine, and even more so by the price. This is a great bottle of wine. Anyone who has one left should plan something special and open it up.
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6/15/2001 - twoamps wrote: 92 Points
usual lytton springs
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2/24/2000 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasting of 8 Zinfandels (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nice, rich dusty nose fruity nose with vanilla hints, nice, rich, fruity taste, medium tannins, very, long finish. My #5 of 8.
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3/11/1999 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
9 Famous Zinfandels with some age on them. (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of heat/alcohol and dusty, dry earth, young, pleasant, nice, rich taste, smooth, lovely, rich mouthfeel, very big body, lots of dusty dirt on palate and finish. My #4 of 9.
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