Medium ruby-garnet. Earthy. Hint of plummy Merlot fruit. Chocolate - milk chocolate (I don't think I'm tasting oak so much as varietal Merlot character). 14% alcohol. Slightly rustic finish. Soft medium-minus tannins. Medium acid. Slightly bright. Maybe medium plus acid. Hint of balsamic prickle on the finish - it's really working for me.
Beautifully integrated, and the flavors are well melded together. Bittersweet chocolate. Cassis. Slight stewed green peppers. Slight toast / baking spice. Gingerbread (oak?). I've gotten gingerbread in Ridge before. I wonder if Kathryn Hall uses American oak - no, it's 50% new french oak.
Brett, mushrooms, stewed peppers. Hint of coffee. Everything bridges together. Developing and well melded together but not yet tertiary. Medium body. Med plus alcohol, acid, tannins. Lovely.
2016 Chateau Musar 93 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
This is the first time this wine REALLY sang. Perfumed fruit. Deep and complex. Tertiary plus primary.
Lots of fruit plus perfumed fruit. Balsamic. Red and black fruits. So good.
Has great musar character - tamari blackberry with hints of brett, VA.
This was absolutely gorgeous.
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2016 Vinattieri Ticinesi Merlot Vinattieri 88 Points
Switzerland, Ticino
Medium ruby-garnet.
Earthy. Hint of plummy Merlot fruit. Chocolate - milk chocolate (I don't think I'm tasting oak so much as varietal Merlot character).
14% alcohol. Slightly rustic finish. Soft medium-minus tannins. Medium acid. Slightly bright. Maybe medium plus acid.
Hint of balsamic prickle on the finish - it's really working for me.
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2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Beautifully integrated, and the flavors are well melded together. Bittersweet chocolate. Cassis. Slight stewed green peppers. Slight toast / baking spice. Gingerbread (oak?). I've gotten gingerbread in Ridge before. I wonder if Kathryn Hall uses American oak - no, it's 50% new french oak.
14.9% alcohol.
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2014 Château Léoville Poyferré 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Brett, mushrooms, stewed peppers. Hint of coffee. Everything bridges together. Developing and well melded together but not yet tertiary.
Medium body. Med plus alcohol, acid, tannins. Lovely.
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