The last tasting note (from March 2023) prompted me to drink this wine with a simple dinner of grilled lamb and asparagus at home, thinking that I wouldn't want to risk opening it with friends or for guests. The writer of that note is clearly a very experienced wine drinker and reviewer (much more so than I), but he must have opened a bad bottle. This wine is still fabulous.
A bit more rustic and less elegant than most Zinfandels from Ridge, but still very much in the Ridge style. Translucent ruby with some brick-red around the edges. Intense dark red fruit, very brambly and peppery; classic old-vine Sonoma Zin aromas and flavors. Tertiary notes are definitely present but are complementary and nowhere near dominant. Tasted great immediately after opening, still beautifully balanced and even more delicious 2-3 hours later. Perfect with rich food, as the great Paul Draper suggested on the back label. Bottles of this wine that have been properly stored and aren't corked should last another few years.
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Almost all Marquis Philips wines offered remarkably good QPR, and I was very disappointed when the brand was taken off the market. I kept a few bottles around, and this may be my last one. Almost 10 years after the last tasting note here, the 2008 Sarah's Blend is still excellent for fans of big, high-alcohol reds. (This one is 16% ABV.) Not subtle and not very complex, but the fruit is still there along with some nice tertiary notes that are still far from dominant. 15 years past the vintage, this inexpensive marvel could last even longer if properly stored.
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With proper storage, this was beautiful and absolutely not over the hill. Classic aged Zinfandel aromas leapt out of the glass immediately after opening, and the wine improved from there. Brick-red with hints of brown around the edges. Lots of pepper and spice on the nose and palate with some raspberry aromas remaining. This wine lacks terroir, of course, but it was expertly made and has aged exceptionally well.
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2002 Ridge Zinfandel Stone Ranch
2/18/2024 - cydrone Likes this wine: 91 Points
The last tasting note (from March 2023) prompted me to drink this wine with a simple dinner of grilled lamb and asparagus at home, thinking that I wouldn't want to risk opening it with friends or for guests. The writer of that note is clearly a very experienced wine drinker and reviewer (much more so than I), but he must have opened a bad bottle. This wine is still fabulous.
A bit more rustic and less elegant than most Zinfandels from Ridge, but still very much in the Ridge style. Translucent ruby with some brick-red around the edges. Intense dark red fruit, very brambly and peppery; classic old-vine Sonoma Zin aromas and flavors. Tertiary notes are definitely present but are complementary and nowhere near dominant. Tasted great immediately after opening, still beautifully balanced and even more delicious 2-3 hours later. Perfect with rich food, as the great Paul Draper suggested on the back label. Bottles of this wine that have been properly stored and aren't corked should last another few years.
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2008 Marquis Philips Sarah's Blend
12/20/2023 - cydrone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Almost all Marquis Philips wines offered remarkably good QPR, and I was very disappointed when the brand was taken off the market. I kept a few bottles around, and this may be my last one. Almost 10 years after the last tasting note here, the 2008 Sarah's Blend is still excellent for fans of big, high-alcohol reds. (This one is 16% ABV.) Not subtle and not very complex, but the fruit is still there along with some nice tertiary notes that are still far from dominant. 15 years past the vintage, this inexpensive marvel could last even longer if properly stored.
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2006 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County
8/18/2023 - cydrone Likes this wine: 90 Points
With proper storage, this was beautiful and absolutely not over the hill. Classic aged Zinfandel aromas leapt out of the glass immediately after opening, and the wine improved from there. Brick-red with hints of brown around the edges. Lots of pepper and spice on the nose and palate with some raspberry aromas remaining. This wine lacks terroir, of course, but it was expertly made and has aged exceptionally well.
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