3/14/2024 - chugalug Likes this wine:

PnP at a friend's birthday, but I was the only one to touch it. Their loss! Nose opened up with a brassy, flinty salvo. Beneath that there were aromas of dark red fruit and leather. The palate followed. Smooth, metallic, lots of delicious plum and blackberry, leather, herbal, and spice notes. Good structure and acidity. Brought it home, and after a couple of days the wine mellowed out a little bit and the metallic flinty notes went away. There's a lot going on with this wine, and I'm looking forward to having more of it.

2/3/2024 - Dustonthebottle wrote:

Somebody gave as a gift. Cooked with and finished other half with dinner. Citrus and pear. Decent daily drinker. Wouldn’t go out of my way to buy again. Better Chardonnay options at same price point.

10/17/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:

Seems to have crawled into a bit of a shell. It’s lost some of its boisterous, youthful fruit, but has not yet started to develop bottle aged complexity. Give this a few years before sampling again. There’s plenty of depth, but it’s not giving up the goods right now.

9/19/2023 - markydecker Likes this wine:

Via Coravin, had to have a glass to check on this. As suspected, after 8 years, still painfully young. Given my extensive experience with much older vintages of Ridge York Creek PS from the late 70’s, early 80’s and 90’s, best advice is patience. This needs at least another 5 years in the cellar. Dense and concentrated, medium plus acidity, jammy black fruits, graphite, road tar, creosote, garrigue. When properly aged, these wines can be sublime. Higher scores ahead. Put them away at the bottom of your cellar and forget about them for a while…

9/17/2023 - jmull Likes this wine:

Dinner was smoked brisket with a big group so wanted to have a fun wine lineup. Pulled the 2020 OHR bottlings from Bedrock, Bucklin and Carlisle. All exceptional wines with interesting distinctions.

Bucklin Ancient was the most immediately open of the bunch and wowed with really appealing fruit. Carlisle’s (debut) version was remarkably silky and long, with stunning texture and (at this point) probably tne most tamed tannin. Bedrock’s was the most powerful and structured of the three, with very slightly darker profile.

The group was about evenly split between the three but I’ll give Bedrock the edge. All three of these represent crazy value.

12/19/2022 - SLOFred Likes this wine:

this was a gift from a friend for doing a favor. As good as this wine is, and it was lovely, I just won't buy Justin wines because of their (owners, the Renicks) total disregard for our envionment.

7/11/2023 - markydecker Does not like this wine:

At Shinsei on Monday half price wine night. Have been a fan of Isoceles in the past, but this vintage is way too hot, extracted, overripe, and unbalanced. Syrupy, not enough acidity to balance out the thick dark black fruit. Definitely not my style.

5/23/2023 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine:

I had an experience with this wine last night that is completely disconnected from the other cellartracker.com tasting notes. I thought it was terrific and produced the drinking experience of a higher priced wine.. It is a deep/dark blend with a lot going on. Very complex on the palette.

11/22/2022 - melzar wrote:

Not aging as well as anticipated. Oak now evident, as well as inadequate acidity. Fruit saves this wine, and it went well with Italian sweet sausage and peppers sandwiches. Pagani Ranch is now my favorite Ridge Zin bottling.Addendum: Better on day three.

3/7/2023 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine:

Curiosity won over willpower as I weighed whether to hold off on drinking my 2nd of two bottles. SImilar to the first this opened up after about an hour and was so good with a wonderful mix of soft red fruit flavors as well as tobacco, tea, and an earthy note. Paired awesome with mushroom risotto. Not inexpensive but so good

10/7/2022 - ChateauShiny Likes this wine:

Decanted 90 minutes. Medium-dark clear purple. Big and rich nose. Pencil shavings, graphite, a melody of big dark red and black fruits, sweet baking spices, and a bit of tarragon supported by a mild umami backdrop of mushroom and soy sauce. Full bodied with fine chewy tannins that coat the mouth before the palate comes in. Medium high acidity. Palate of plums and blackberries, supported by the herbal profile of American Oak with a mild touch of cranberry that lifts everything up. Long finish of graphite, cedar, tarragon, thyme, blackberry, mild tar, and a bit of a leafy presence.

This exceeds my expectations based from pervious vintages. I’d give it more air than I did if you are going to drink young. I’d give this a nice long rest in the cellar.

12/25/2022 - Mootsie Likes this wine:

A brighter rendition showing blueberry and cranberry fruits, a bit of chalk initially, anise and white pepper. High acidity. Not the most complex Upslope I’ve had. Short finish and maybe “lean” is the best way to describe it.

1/21/2023 - WineKnut Likes this wine:

Another fine offering. Brought up from destemmed fruit in tastefully applied 36% new French oak.

Color and clarity are perfect. Youthful cherry red with quick running legs. 5

Nose is a bit peppery. Herbal notes supporting clean dark berry and strawberry fruit, that intangible Sta Rita funk, nuttiness and orange zest. 12

Palate is still tannic and quite delicate and confirming nose. Tight, but oh so balanced. A wine to ponder. Bottle development is on an upward arc. 17

Quite enjoyed this vintage and will reload for a 3-5 year window when I expect a slightly softer, but incredibly subtle and beautiful Pinot. 8

12/7/2022 - Decanthor Likes this wine:

Very similar notes to the reviewer below me. Practically no nose during the first 15-20 minutes, so give this at least 30 minutes of air. But once it opens up, this is delicious. So many dark berry flavors, yet not brooding. Good secondary flavors coming in to balance against that fruit. So delicious, complex, with a great mouthfeel. I'm an idiot for not buying more.

11/1/2022 - Snoman Likes this wine:

Jaffurs demonstrates the mastery of its art with this Petite, which displays at age 8 a purity of fruit, balance and elegance, and full integration of acid, tannin and flavor, all leading to a seamless and tasty medium finish. Not a sharp edge to be found, and drinking superbly now.

10/20/2022 - Rieslingfan wrote:

One sip and it’s old home night. There’s a familiarity. Drinking Ridge wine from this site for over 30 years, and it’s instantly recognizable. The little bit of succulence to the fruit, the oak spice, and touch of butter, and the measured concentration speak to the Ridge execution of this Alexander Valley site. Overall I don’t see this as a benchmark or standout version of Geyserville, but it’s completely solid, and presents a classic version of the wine. I will be completely happy drinking it for years to come.

9/4/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Zinchester: I keep on flip flopping between loving Ridge Zins when they are fully mature, and when they offer this vibrancy and life and edge. My fellow diners seemed to believe the 2011 Lytton was the better wine - I agree that it was, but I preferred this - the energy and zip were just joyous.

3/1/2021 - Bill and Tina Does not like this wine:

Every time I swear I'll never drink a $5.99 bottle again the women I dearly Love FOR THE PAST 52 years comes home with 2 bottles of them. Have any of you reached the point that your to old to drink cheap wine? My mother raised me to not say anything bad about anything. So I won't do a rating.

2/5/2021 - IrvineCellar Likes this wine:

It is pale ruby and looks like Pinot but doesn’t smell like it. It’s black plum on the nose along with floral rose water notes and some jam and vanilla. It’s medium bodied and a little heavy in the mouth. Tannins are relatively firm but acidity is medium+ to balance. The palate is red fruit with smoke. It tastes more like Pinot than it smells. The finish is fine. Good effort for $10. 87 pts

3/14/2022 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes. Day 2 and it's even better. It's everything I claim not to like, but I love it.

9/1/2021 - gsomers Does not like this wine:

Our first time and very likely last time trying the iconic Caymus. Bought this sometime in 2020 when we were just getting started on the fine wine journey. Caymus seemed like the entry level for novices wanting to get their fine wine on, shining it's seductive $89 price (highest of all the regular wines) out there like a beacon to unsuspecting Costco shoppers. We've had a lot of wine in the last year and a half and a pretty fair amount of very good wine, but very few we both find objectionable. This unfortunately is right where Caymus landed. It's just not our cup of juice. I'd have to say if you have it, hold it or perhaps gift it to the unsuspecting. There are quite a few very good 2018 Cali Cabs. For us, this is not one of them.

3/4/2022 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine:

Our last bottle, and we chose a great time to open it. Drinking beautifully right now. Tannins fully resolved, with suave dark fruit. Some tertiary notes starting to emerge. This will definitely last another 4-5 years, maybe longer.

2/9/2022 - Francophile1 wrote:

Two words… monolithic & boring.

1/20/2022 - ChateauShiny Likes this wine:

Bottle broke at the neck in my hands while moving some things around in the cellar. Poured into a decanter through a mesh strainer to get any glass fragments out and decanted for nearly 4 hours before tasting.

Medium-dark purple. Complex layered nose – starts off earthy and smoky. The nose is then followed by espresso, cigar box, dusty baking spices, bramble, and vanilla. Something floral is lurking in the nose but doesn’t want to be coaxed out yet. Medium-light bodied, dry, medium-high acidity. Palate starts off raspberry, blueberry, huckleberry, and minerally. Leather and black tea flavors come in with the strong grippy but velvety smooth tannins. Finish of fig, licorice, black pepper, graphite, dark cocoa, and espresso. After a few sips, a persisting spice finish builds up.

Was worried that this bottle might have been flawed – instead we have a lucky accident. Was not meaning to consume a bottle from this vintage this early. This is a lovely wine that will do well with some age.

3/24/2021 - MichielV wrote:

Over several nights; Good zin 66 / petite sirah 34 blend. has rounded out well. Great typical fruit and decent length. With some leftover roast chicken sandwich. Dont buy it by the case but these ATP Ridge Zins are fun to have in the cellar. Maybe I should keep a bunch of them for 10+ years?

8/17/2021 - Sashimie Likes this wine:

Garnet color pushing into purple, ripe raspberry with loam nose.
Dry black and red fruit via plum. Spiciness hits right away, with oak, mineral salinity and a low-level acidic brightness. The tannins grip early and let go but their astringency is obvious throughout. Slight green streak present. This seems “big” but also still “tight.”

3/22/2021 - EMTAME wrote:

Just at the front of its drinking window, but this is wonderful. One of my favorite Geyservilles at this age.

7/8/2021 - Snoman Likes this wine:

An amazing bottle, just keeps getting better and better, gaining depth and complexity year after year. This demonstrates why Craig Jaffurs (at while he still owned and operated the winery) has been called time and again the "master of California Syrah". All culled from great vineyards and made with a Midas touch. Really showcases both the fruit and care in the winery. Sadly, our last bottle of this vintage and vineyard.

6/11/2021 - Stephen Rash Does not like this wine:

Really syrupy and it tasted like it had been seriously manipulated with additives

6/5/2021 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:

Dinner at Il Fornaio, Carmel. Might be my favorite EB ever. Impeccably balanced between the rusticity of Zin and the elegance of a second-growth Right Bank Bordeaux. Plums and cedar and sweetened cranberries merge onto the palate, joined by spicy, smoky notes in the finish. Hillside brush in the bouquet. Delicious as a pop ‘n pour, but develops nicely in the glass. Worth Seeking Out; possibly Outstanding, esp. at its $32 tariff.

3/13/2021 - The Necs Does not like this wine:

i dont understand the ratings- i have had better wine in bulk bottles with a lesser price per ounce. YEs it's cheap but there are much better bargain bottles out there.

3/8/2021 - Omadobs Likes this wine:

Totally agree with KJD45$'s first note. Dark color influenced by the PS; ripe, albeit slightly tart, brambly raspberry/blackberry fruit framed by...well, I'm already plagiarizing and so will stop other than to say not quite as hedonistic as the early 90s heydays, but darn solid.

I think the acid definitely impacts perception here and explains the disparity of reviews. Not a fan of aging zins more than a couple of years, but this definitely could be better in a few.

2/26/2021 - Steve Simmons Likes this wine:

Had this 2018 after 24 hour double decant. Had as part of Sunfish cellars zoom tasting with Ridge general manager David Gates. Tasted side by side with 2012 and 2014 Lytton Springs.

72% Zin, 18%PS, 8% carignane. 14.5%
Garnet
Aromatic blackberry and raspberry
Off dry, medium body, bright and juicy, low tanins
Black fruit, blood orange, tangy raspberry
Very flavorful, not jammy, long finish.
14.5% is hardly noticable

Vertical tasting takeaways:
Surprised how nice the 2018 was this young. The 2018 actually had more fruit and less tannins than the 2014 (which was most muted of the 3). Now not afraid to open more of the 2018s early.
2012 was best integrated, and overall most pleasing/elegant package.
Had all 3 wines with beef bourguignon (recipe/pairing recomendation from Ridge website). Which was both a fantastic pairing and recipe.

1/16/2021 - Benj wrote:

Before I go any further: this is perfectly drinkable, reasonably made, it is obviously going for a certain style, and it achieves it - accessible, fruity, easy-going red wine. It doesn't fall apart with air, it has quite a lot of tannic structure, it is quite richly fruity (albeit a touch raisined), the alcohol is well integrated, the acid is ok.

Now, I have two major complaints about this wine. The first is that the front label says "artfully crafted small lot wines that showcase the best of our estate" and the back label says "barrels produced: 350". Now, there are plenty of wines made in *much* larger quantities, but 350 barrels is not exactly a small lot. 350 barrels is about 8,000+ cases - more than the total production of many smaller wineries. So I find the marketing to be disingenuous and annoying. But what's new there.

My second complaint is that this wine is supposedly made predominantly of Bordeaux varieties (42% Cab Sauv, 21% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot, and then 24% Petite Sirah) but has essentially no Bordeaux varietal character. It is a lurid purple color, it smells like grape concentrate, and it has a strange sweet fullness to the mid-palate that feels artificial. It ends kind of gloopy, and it never really comes together. Like I said at the top, it's fine. I don't have a problem with jammy, anonymous-tasting red wines. What I have a problem with is that this wine is listed at $35, sells in most stores for $20, and drinks like a $10 wine. There are so, so many lovely, well-crafted, distinctive red wines available for $20. This is not one of them. 14.5%, $20.

4/16/2020 - Benj wrote:

Similar to last year's note on this wine: this is a lighter, prettier vintage of the Boatman. Sweet American oak, tons of lively zin fruit, lovely balance, great acid, just a touch of VA for lift. A glass left out overnight was still very good the next morning. Quality stuff. Oak program on this is 100% air-dried American oak, 10% new, 35% 1-2 year-old, 55% neutral. Unlike a lot of Ridge zins, these vines are mature but not geriatric. Still, these 35-year-olds are producing some lovely fruit. 14.5%, $30. 90+

12/13/2020 - Benj wrote:

This is my second Belle Glos single vineyard Pinot Noir, and hopefully it will be my last. This wine is made in a style that begs the question, "Why did you decide to make Pinot Noir?" The color is an opaque magenta-red color that is far darker than makes any sense for a grape that doesn't have all the anthocyanins of a true red grape (this is a clear indication that something has been added to boost the color - not that uncommon for some Californian Pinot Noir producers, but rarely is it *this* dark). There is some good Pinot Noir character on the nose, with dark raspberry and sugared redcurrant, but the alcohol is evident and there's a cooked-candied-raisin fruit character that I associate with grape concentrate. On the palate this is remarkably full-bodied and mouth-coating. There is noticeable residual sugar and an odd combination of oily smoothness with surprisingly high tannin. It is quite bitter and extracted, but also quite round. These are all hallmarks of high-intervention winemaking: not a bad thing in and of itself, but something that can obscure the inherent qualities of the fruit and smudge out varietal character. This is quite gloopy but easy enough to drink and will get you tipsy fast. Ok, but at this price (or even half this price), aren't we looking for something more? There are so many beautiful Pinot Noirs to be had at this price, it is a shame that this one lines shelves across the country. 14.9%, $45.

12/19/2020 - Moselmeister wrote:

This one is interesting as I am wondering if I have a cooked or bad bottle. It’s not corked. It just tastes “raisiny” or a little “past it’s prime”. I read below and no one else says this. The closest thing is “grapy” by one reviewer. It would be great if someone else tried this and let me know. Anyways, here is the note.

Opened and poured in glass for 1.5 hours before tasting. Nose smells of plum, raisins, and a little dried date. Also, some dark chocolate and a little liqueur like. There some tannin but it is open for business. Dark cherry, plum, kirsch, a little spice. Very jammy and slight acid noticeable after a few sips. Good, but not great.

11/21/2020 - catowne1 Does not like this wine:

Really starting to question James Suckling reviews. Used to hold his reviews much higher back when he was with wine spectator, but now I almost ignore any rating he gives a wine, not sure what changed. I’ve not been drinking wine near as long as he, but there’s no way this wine deserves anywhere near 94 points.

I was at 89 upon opening, went up to a 90 about halfway through, and now I’m back down to a solid 87.

Everything was fine until the finish. Heavy bitterness. If you’ve ever had grapes straight off the vine and chewed into the seed... that’s what you have here. Either that or the stem.

Won’t be having again

11/10/2020 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

Awesome version of this. Black fruits dominate. Black cherry, elderberry, black plum, a little blackberry... mostly fresh, but there is certainly some jammy and dried fruit character. Bright high notes of blood orange flit about too. Lavender, incense, coconut, clove, vanilla, licorice.... a little sage and roasted meat... there's a beautiful interplay of American oak spice and ripe wine grape spice. Fresh and firm, this wine always has some serious tannin and acid, but it cuts and grips a bit more in 2018. Full and velvety, long and tangy, with great fruit intensity through the mid-palate, and lots of tannin and spice on the finish. A bit austere for a Zin blend, it is nonetheless a joy to drink. I would save it for 5 to 10 before trying again. It'll keep for 20 in a good cellar, quite possibly much longer. This stuff rules. Yumyumyum

10/23/2020 - Carib Likes this wine:

What a fun & cheerful wine! I enjoyed the unusual blend of varietals / 57% Carignane, 26% Mataro, 17% Zinfandel. Mature balance, elegant fruits, approachable, impressive density, agree with other reviewers here. Per the folks at Ridge: - Ready to go now and for the next ten years; - From Evangelho vineyard, planted in 1888. Get a bunch of bottles and save as mood enhancer.

8/12/2020 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine:

Open in bottle for 2hrs...to go with some smoked short ribs...70% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 3% Alicante Bouschet...inky dark redberry fruit in color...gorgeous nose of red licorice, dusty barrel spice, wood smoke, raspberry jam, a menthally rich compost. The palate is in perfect balance already...deep and exotic liqueured berry fruits...brambly, yet with a nice sheen polish...dusty white pepper, oak spice tannins...lifted with tarted cherry skin acidity...really LOVE the brightness of the cherries and raspberries in this...nuanced tobacco wrapper...Chateau Rayas came to my mind? One of the best young Geezer's I've had to date...and one that will age out brilliantly for probably the next 20 or so years.

5/28/2020 - brasstab wrote:

Why did I drink my second bottle so soon?? I wasn’t paying attention. At any rate, this time it bowled me over. I think I shall order more.

7/17/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote:

Last bottle of a case, was excited to try it with my first attempt at smoking a pork shoulder. Corked...bummer.

6/26/2020 - DB Lawton Likes this wine:

Loved both bottles that were polished off at the great 2020 Graduprom party. Tannins still robust and dark fruit just right. Wish I had more of this. Still time to develop for another couple of years.

6/26/2020 - ludja wrote:

Fantastic everyday wine. What will 2019 be like?

5/18/2020 - fingers Likes this wine:

A dramatic transformation over the past year. Right at the pop, a profound and magnificent garden of flowers and spices greet the nose. Dusty dark purple color, about 80% opaque with heavy sediment, but very pretty in the glass. Appropriately warm and ripe, the mouthfeel manages to smooth things over for the tasty and undeniably-Zinfandel palate of flavors that follow. I believe the 26% of other varieties help hold down the typical jammy character and add some tannic backbone. If the fruit was shy before, it has now found its multi-faceted promiscuous streak.
What an excellent wine.
5+13+17+9= 94

4/11/2020 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Good texture, not too tannic, plush without veering into jam bomb territory. Nose was very reticent - decant! (we did not) - and acidity is a bit too low to merit a higher score. Better alone than with food, at least right now.

5/9/2020 - PNIELSEN wrote:

This vintage is totally unique among those I have tasted for its lively, crunchy palate of under ripe pit fruits and cherries. Vague scents of leather and tobacco on the nose. Still a fair amount of tannic clench. For me, it needs more time to tone down, but I doubt it will ever lose that certain verve. I don't think EB's estimate of a 20 year drinking window is an exaggeration. It seems pretty bullet proof. Fascinating wine.

4/27/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

Tasted blind with 2014 Ridge lytton Springs. This was the clear winner. Faster out of the gate. Black fruit, black cherry, pepper and tobacco. Smooth finish. Years ahead of it.

4/9/2020 - Mootsie Likes this wine:

Very pure. Mineral, eucalyptus, red and black fruits, licorice, white pepper. Young. Excellent.

Closes down with extended air time. Hold.