12/30/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Thought this was fantastic. Nice dark fruits/cherries mixed with some spice and earthy flavors. Medium to full body with excellent structure. Medium to long finish. Better with a few hours of air. Good amount of acid which suggests a long life ahead. May improve with more age. Wish we had another bottle!

7/24/2015 - horse wrote:

Decent for daily drinker, but mostly unremarkable. Some notes of earth with muted fruit. Did not improve on subsequent nights. Drink now.

7/20/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Very good the first night. Really great on the second night when fully open. Nose of fruit followed by medium body with flavors of cassis as well as other fruits, and then a medium to long finish. Has structure to age, but certainly okay to drink now. Very enjoyable! Will look to purchase 2012s via Last Bottle.

6/16/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Excellent juice, but still young and should benefit from more age. Dense, full structure of cassis and other berry fruits with noticeable tannins and a rewarding, complex finish. Better on second night with fruit somewhat less primary and additional layers of complexity on mid palate and in finish. If drinking now, decant or give time to open up. If we had another bottle, I would probably hold for at least a couple more years. This was our first GB Cab, so I've no other reference points on how this compares on QPR basis to other GB offerings.

6/11/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Thought this was great. Needs a bit of time to open up, but very good once it does. Muted nose of fruit, then delicious fruit/spice flavors with medium body followed by a menthol/cherry/spice finish that seems to pop boldly out of the medium body and make this wine quite excellent. I didn't experience the heat mentioned in other notes. Even better on the second night. One more bottle that I'll sit on for a bit, but okay to drink now OR hold. Drank without food and enjoyed both nights. 92+.

6/11/2015 - horse wrote:

Okay as daily drinker. Some cherry/fruit on the nose and the same on the palate with a medium body and medium to thin finish. Enjoyable, but limited structure and complexity. Better on first night than second night. Drink now.

5/28/2015 - horse wrote:

Some berries and bit of oak on the nose. Light to medium body with berry fruit, some spice, and oak flavors on the palate. Fine tannins with a short to medium finish. Overall, elegant and tasty, albeit somewhat oaky (would prefer less). Good on first night, better on second night. Drink now.

4/19/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Cassis, other fruits, and some oak on the nose. Fruit forward and seemingly young initially, but really opens up after a few hours of air with layers of complexity (decant would accelerate opening). Delicious with medium to full body and a long finish. I'm planning to give my two other bottles more age, but we really enjoyed this bottle. High quality juice.

3/28/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Delicious. After a few hours of air, the wine is a beautiful mouthful of complex, layered dark fruits and some spice with well integrated tannins and a touch of oak. Drinking very well. Like dessert. 93+

3/21/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

A very nice surprise with great structure. This bottle was opened for a party but NOT consumed on Monday of this week. Thus, drank a bit over the course of each subsequent night, including the last small bit now on Saturday (now five nights later). The wine was delicious each night although became just a tad hot on nights four and five. It held up surprisingly well, which suggests good bones for a number of years to come. Medium body of dark fruits, spice, and some menthol. Well integrated tannins with a medium to long finish. The longevity over a number of nights factors into my 91 score. Excellent QPR.

2/20/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Excellent. Muted nose at first, then wafts of cassis and other fruit once the wine opens up over a few hours. Layers of rich dark fruit and some earth on the palate with medium to full tannins and body. Complex, long berry and spice finish. Fairly dense structure with lots of sediment (could filter). Really enjoyed this bottle!

2/18/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Was going to wait a year before trying, yet couldn't resist cracking one open. Quite good, but young and fruit forward. Dark and inky with more structure than the 2011. Muted nose of fruit, but lots of dark berry fruit on the palate with heavy tannins. Persistent and pleasant finish. Should improve with age. Will let my other bottles lie for a bit. 91+ with expectation of a higher score in two to three years. Hold.

2/14/2015 - horse wrote:

Enjoyable with usual cab flavors but a bit thin on the first night. However, the wine opened up and improved markedly on the second night to exhibit more complexity. Still medium bodied with medium-ish tannins, so different from "big bold" Cali cabs. At LB price point, very good QPR. 87-88 first night. maybe 90 second night. 88-89 pts.

2/14/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Thought this was excellent. Like dessert. Beautiful nose. Complex, full bodied mouthful of fruit and spice with a long, delicious finish. Juicy tannins. No decant, but opened up over course of evening. Good amount of sediment at bottom. Structure for further aging. 93+

2/6/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Agree with 1961VINTAGE that this is a great QPR. Some melon and other fruit on the nose, then a nice balance of fruit, cream and oak on the palate. Pleasing finish. Very refreshing vino. 91+

2/7/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Delicious. Needs a few hours to open up. Dark ruby in color. Bouquet of cherry/berries and some earth on the nose, followed by layers of cherry and other dark fruit on the palate which persist in a pleasant finish. Full body with fairly dense structure, but with seemingly more medium tannins. Imagine this will improve with further age. Will let our other bottle rest for a bit.

2/5/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Very good. Opened up over the course of 2-3 hours. Mixed berry on the nose with the same on the palate combined with some delicious spice flavors. Medium body, but with a long lingering finish. Good QPR, although I think V Sattui hiked the price somewhat on the 2012 vintage. 90+

2/1/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

A bit of vanilla, cedar, and fruit on the nose, followed by a mix of dark berries and plums on the palate. Medium body with moderate tannins and a lingering finish. There was some sediment remaining in bottle. We really enjoyed this wine. Went too quickly. Delicious and drinking very well, but structure to improve with further age.

1/31/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Light ruby in color. At first, quite sweet and fruit forward with light to medium body and little else going on... but after a few hours, the wine was singing - really opened up and became more medium bodied with mixed fruit and menthol notes. Elegant with medium to long finish.

1/30/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Thought this was quite good and a great QPR. Cherries on the nose and palate. Medium body with medium tannins and finish. Drinking very well. A nice "Italian" from California. Only one more bottle remaining; wish I purchased more.

1/24/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Opened mid-week and was pleasantly surprised. Really very good and agree with earlier comments that this is an excellent QPR. Nice nose with dense fruit flavors and body on the palate. Has structure to age and may improve further. Would purchase again.

1/24/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Agree with Mootsie that this was a nice surprise. Similar experience and notes. Also wish I picked up more bottles from LB. Lots of fruit and even some oak on the nose early on which then fades to fruit/cassis with air. Certain layers of complexity on the palate (berries/cassis/spice) evolve with air over a few hours. Some sweetness, too, but not too much. Medium to full body with a lingering finish. Wife also enjoyed - she thought this tasted like a Cab and I had a similar thought.

1/2/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Very good. Dark berry fruit on the nose and on the palate. Full body with good structure and a long finish. Should improve with age. Agree with other notes that this has more of a Bordeaux character than a California Cab. Either way, very nice.

1/2/2015 - horse Likes this wine:

Did not disappoint...Excellent. Fairly consistent with a number of other notes below - somewhat muted nose and takes an hour or so to open up. Decant would help... Once it opens, lots of dark berry fruit on the palate with various layers of complexity and a medium to long finish. Dense structure should evolve nicely over time. Delicious.

12/31/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Popped and poured with aeration in glass. Light purple-brownish color. Some limited berry fruit on the nose with nice range of elegant fruit and spice on the palate. A surprisingly light structure/body, almost delicate with minimal tannins. Medium finish. Could be mistaken for a pinot. I was expecting a heavier Zin coming from Howell Mountain requiring add'l age. Not so. Ready to drink and quite good. Curious to try other Zins/wines from Howell Mountain AVA.

12/13/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Our first Shirvington and I/we thought this wine was spectacular. Nice berry nose, layers of complex fruit on the palate with excellent balance and well integrated tannins. Maybe I'm nuts since this is 100% Cab, but in addition to cab flavors, I somehow picked up some semblance of Merlot, somewhat akin to bottles of 2008 Mayacamas Merlot and 2010 Ridge Merlot we drank not long ago (although I know some comment that these "mountain merlots" often drink more like cabs). Regardless, very delicious. Looking forward to more.

12/28/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Quite good and better than I remembered from our earlier bottles (last consumed sometime in spring 2014). Just a bit of berry/fruit on the nose, full of spice (some cinnamon?) and some earth on the palate. Spices and complexity increased with more air through course of night. Medium finish. Last of six bottles purchased from Last Bottle (no pun). After drinking the bottle last spring, I recall thinking that I wouldn't purchase again. But, after last night's bottle, I would purchase again. Nice QPR.
UPDATE - not so great on the second night = recommend drinking full bottle on first night. Seemingly lost its mojo on night two. If scoring only second night, might award 86-87 pts. First night 90 pts, so averaging for 88 pts.

12/20/2014 - horse wrote:

Very different than expected.. different other zins we've been consuming from Ridge, Unti, and V Sattui. Enjoyable, yet not my style.. very tangy and almost like grape juice. Tangy fruit is primary. Light tannins. Medium finish. Maybe needs more time, but not sure if more complexity will result.

12/11/2014 - horse wrote:

Restaurant purchase - a bit of dark fruit on the nose with cherries, plums and some spice + black licorice on the palate. Medium tannins and finish. Lighter than expected and not complex, although still enjoyable. Opened up somewhat over dinner and improved. First time I've tried this wine and I'm not familiar with this vintage/pedigree, but likely drink now versus wait. Much prefer the 1998 La Spinetta Barbera d'Alba Gallina we tried last summer.

11/26/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Lots of berry mixed with earth on the nose, smooth and balanced mid-palate with a long finish which includes a lingering tinge of pepper/spice. Very good structure, although not quite as complex as I expected from Mt Veeder grapes (*our first bottle of Mayacamas Merlot, so wasn't sure what to expect). Still, quite tasty and easy to drink. Complexity might increase over time.

11/22/2014 - horse wrote:

Like other reviews, I agree that this is a big, bold cab with a fruit/cassis/berry nose, nice balance, well integrated tannins and an excellent finish. My wife commented that this wine disproves her theory that only California can produce great Cabs. We really liked this wine and seemingly a great QPR ($35 at wine.com).... But, only one problem, for which I withhold making a rating. For some reason, the wine produced an intense head ache for me through the night and into the next day. The vast majority of wines do not bother me, but I wonder if there are additives in this Cab which do not agree with me? Hard to say as Clarendon's Web site has very little info on how they grow grapes and produce their wines (whereas other wineries are being more explicit about avoiding herbicides in the vineyard and not using additives in winemaking). We've one more bottle which we'll hold for another year or so. Hesitant to try again, but may give another chance.

11/16/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

No decant, aerated in glasses over course of evening. Opened up nicely within 1-2 hours. Berries and cassis on the nose as well as palate. Balanced with firm tannins and nice complexity. Really a delicious mouthful. We wanted more once bottle was gone. Some excellent juice.

10/25/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Enjoyable, but as someone else commented I was expecting more from/for Anthology. Some plums, menthol, and cassis on the nose and more of the same on the palette. Reasonably smooth, although I also agree (with another comment) that it seemed thin with less structure than I anticipated. This was my first Anthology, so I've no insights into how this might compare to other vintages. But, I can say that the Groth 2010 Cab (see tasting note) I had two nights ago was much more to my liking. One other bottle of the 2007 in our cellar and not sure if more time will make a difference.
Second Night UPDATE: much better on second night, with more complexity and savory fruit balanced with medium tannins. Great finish. Just needed to open up more. Changing my rating to 90 from 88 on the first night.

10/23/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Restaurant purchase with limited aeration and no decant... BUT, delicious from the outset! Vanilla, plums on both the nose and palette. Very smooth, balanced with a medium to long finish. Everyone at the table loved this wine. Would order again and wish I had some at home! Drinking very well. 92+

10/23/2014 - horse wrote:

Restaurant purchase with no decant and limited aeration. Dried cherries on nose and palette, fairly fruit forward (per earlier comment) with a medium finish. Others at the table enjoyed the wine, but this seemed somewhat disjointed to me. Perhaps this needs more time or decant? Not sure. Much prefer the 2011 RIDGE PS we drank a few weeks back (see tasting comment)... At the restaurant, we followed the Frog's Leap with a Groth 2010 Cab, which was superb on its own and excellent by comparison (though, yes, a different grape).

10/19/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

A very good Grenache from UNTI. Agree with the prior 6/30 drinking comment - very enjoyable with tart, berry flavors/finish as well as some spice (both on nose and on palette). Nice, medium finish. Not sure if more cellar time will benefit or not. Seems to be drinking well. Unfortunately, our last bottle.

10/18/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this wine, our first Ridge PS -- a delicious mouthful, peppery with some berry/fruit flavors, excellent balance, and a rewarding finish. Will save other bottle for another year or so. Have some 2012s on order.

10/3/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Very good. Reddish, brownish color showing age. Opened after 2-3 hours. Pepper, spice, and forest (?) on the nose. Berries and plums on the palette. Smooth, fine tannins. Drinking well. 91+

9/24/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

First time we've tried this Ridge wine. Curious to compare versus Geyserville and East Bench (also have not tried), but we plan to give these bottles some age. For the Three Valleys, certain of the other recent CT comments are pretty accurate: Earthy/dusty on the nose; tart with a somewhat subdued zesty-ness on the palate with low to moderate tannins and a medium finish. Very enjoyable. Drinking well and a good QPR. 88+

9/1/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Delicious - opened, poured, and (mostly) let sit for 1-2 hours before then drinking with a filet mignon dinner. Great meal combination, but wine could also be consumed on its own. Nice balance of fruit and acidity with smooth finish. Great structure which could age. Everyone enjoyed the bottle. Planning to order more direct from UNTI.

7/27/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Restaurant purchase without decant = popped and poured with aeration occurring in the glass. Would maybe open up with more time, but delicious from get-go with flavors of blackberries, mocha and maybe some chocolate (?). Smooth tannins, nice finish. Continues to hold up well. Everyone at our table enjoyed the wine and I would certainly purchase again, although given the age, there probably aren't too many of these bottles out there....

7/16/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Excellent wine - very smooth with savory fruit, soft tannins and a long finish. We actually popped and drank without decanting. Seems deserving of 93-94 score versus current CT avg of only 86. Really delicious.

6/15/2014 - horse Likes this wine:

Still excellent even if past potential prime drinking period. Uncorked and let breathe for a couple hours and then consumed over course of three nights (two days - Sun to Tues nights). Lots of fruit and very smooth with pleasant lingering flavor each night. Unfortunately, this was our last bottle.