6/19/2023 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Dusty red fruit, anise, apricot. Balanced.

12/8/2022 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Hearty fruit up front, smooth throughout, defined by depth and balance. Some cola or licorice to go with the red fruit. A touch of earth. Overall a nice if uncomplicated, easy-drinking blend.

12/4/2022 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Chalky, lingonberry, fennel, fruit stands out above moderate acidity and strong but integrated tannin. Good on its own, very good with bolognese.

11/19/2022 - will2wine Does not like this wine:

Generic, slightly candied fruit is muddied by heavy, almost artificial-tasting oak in this unappealing red. Hard to distinguish from an $8 Jacob’s Creek. Mediocrity in a bottle.

10/15/2021 - will2wine wrote:

robust dark fruit, some rich chewy oak, plenty of acid to balance the weight. great value. a favorite for the price.

4/10/2021 - will2wine Likes this wine:

nice cheap easy drinker with more complexity and balance than usual for the price. fruit is matched by some leather and spice, with ample acid and tannin throughout but a relatively soft finish with a touch of chocolatey oak. some rough edges belie the price point but overall a fun weeknight wine for pairing with a hearty or grilled meal.

8/17/2019 - will2wine wrote:

strikingly bright ruby color. lightweight but long on red fruit and acid. refreshing.

5/8/2019 - will2wine wrote:

Has sacrificed some freshness to time, but still rich and well-integrated, an old friend.

1/2/2019 - will2wine wrote:

simple but fresh and minerally, good light weeknight red with white meat

1/2/2019 - will2wine wrote:

Love a red sparkler for holiday parties, and this one was perfect. Just sweet enough to be fun without being cloying, and some nice yeasty notes backing the fruit.

12/31/2018 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Tart cranberry and apple skin, smoothly integrated.

11/13/2018 - will2wine Likes this wine:

You can tell it was once robust, but now it's delicate, with some olive joining the mellowing fruit and mineral.

6/23/2018 - will2wine wrote:

A California red made in an Italian style, with sharp sour cherry and bright acidity vying against some sweet, candied red fruit notes. The absence of herbal or earth undertones leaves it two-dimensional, but the tension between fruit and acid keeps it fresh and interesting.

6/20/2018 - will2wine wrote:

Thick, sticky, and overdone. Tasted like a cheap California red blend.

6/20/2018 - will2wine wrote:

Light, fresh fruit is complemented by distinct herbal and mineral flavors.

6/20/2018 - will2wine wrote:

Bracing acidity frames deep red and blue fruit, with mineral undertones. Bright and fresh, with a little more complexity than expected.

5/8/2017 - will2wine wrote:

Fresh and nicely balanced, with bright red cherry and some mineral cut.

7/3/2014 - will2wine wrote:

The first bottle of wine my folks ever bought me. Held onto it probably a little too long, but it still had some punch even a decade later.

7/3/2014 - will2wine wrote:

I bought two bottles, drank the first one in 2008, the second in 2014. The first was good--the second was delicious. Whoever said drink by 2010 underestimated this wine by a lot.

7/3/2014 - will2wine wrote:

Big and round for a sauvignon blanc. Starfruit, kiwi, grass. Not shy.

7/3/2014 - will2wine wrote:

Funky. Too funky? That depends on how funky you like it. I like it a little funky.

7/3/2014 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Like mixed berry pie paved over with road tar. Too tannic now, but huge. Give it time.

3/16/2014 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Pure, smooth, and viscous, with peach and honeysuckle high notes grounded by some concrete minerality. Beautiful. My first Yquem, hopefully not my last.

12/8/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Rustic and funky, with almost Burgundy-like meat, pepper, and barnyard aromas and dark fruit flavors. Not much depth, but a lot more interesting than your average $12 bottle.

12/8/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Big, sweet, and juicy. Very Californian, but wouldn't have guessed it was a Ridge without the label--it lacks the vegetal or spice notes that complicate other Ridge reds.

4/17/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Age-softened but still robust. Cherry, chocolate, and cedar. Never hot or sharp. Very nice little wine.

2/3/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Weighty for Chianti, with thick but not impenetrable tannins, deep fruit, and a brush of chocolate. Could mellow with some time, but really good now if you don't mind the tannin.

2/27/2013 - will2wine wrote:

Good but not overwhelming acidity and solid fruit lift this above the average for an inexpensive garnacha.

2/17/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Crisp, bright, and finely balanced.

2/17/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Deep, rich fruit, rounded by oak, with a drawn-out finish. Approachable now.

2/10/2013 - will2wine wrote:

Typical cherry and savory elements, better than average depth for the price. Better on second day.

2/10/2013 - will2wine wrote:

Much better-balanced than the average cheap California pinot.

2/10/2013 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Light and floral, with a smoky edge.

1/9/2013 - will2wine wrote:

Tight and tannic at first, this opened up over two nights, but never developed the juicy blackberry flavors that made this wine a favorite in past years.

11/10/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Simple but well-balanced.

11/4/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Heavy with raspberry and oak flavors, but a little syrupy and woody for my taste these days. Those looking for big flavor at a low price should enjoy it.

11/4/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Tight and warm on opening, hinting at dark berry and charcoal. Opened only slightly over two hours. Seems to have potential—may need time.

10/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Never disappoints. To those lamenting that this was already over the hill after a couple years, it's usually the opposite with Ridge wines. Give it time, grasshoppers.

10/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Lithe red fruit, simple but adequate structure. Very nice value.

8/13/2012 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Big and unabashedly fruity, with wild red fruit and a hint of spice.

10/13/2012 - will2wine Likes this wine:

Dark, supple, and well-balanced.

6/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

An impressive feat of winemaking given the difficult vintage. Makes up for a dearth of ripe fruit with an earthy texture and fine balance.

10/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Massive yet stately, with racy dark fruit and a tinge of tart cranberry.

7/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Slightly peppery, and burly without being overbearing.

10/13/2012 - will2wine wrote:

A booming, exuberant red. Delightfully unrefined.

12/13/2011 - will2wine wrote:

Gorgeous. Just now starting to unwind.

10/13/2011 - will2wine wrote:

Impressively, this was still quite good after seven years in bottle. I'm not sure if they still make this wine anymore, but if they do, I'd try it again.

10/6/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Amazingly for a $17 bottle, this was still tightly strung. Could go another year or two.

10/6/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Losing its edge, with secondary nutty flavors overtaking the fruit. Still a lot going on though.

1/8/2012 - will2wine wrote:

Some pretty currant flavors still peeking through a veil of earth and must.