October 16, 2016 - Good brightness, fruit, and backbone. Well structured and rounded at 13 years old.
February 24, 2014 - Unlike others I find this aging beautifully. Has been stored in my roving cellar since purchase & wine is at its prime. Deep dark color, thick mouthfeel & long finish. Nose of baked cherry pie, cloves, tea, earth. Structured palate with meat, leather & earth over that cherry pie. Well balanced, solid tannins, Classic York creek.
November 9, 2013 - Dissapointing. I am surprised, this wine seems past it's prime, after only 10 years.
January 1, 2013 - One of the rare occasions I found a Ridge wine to be a bit past its prime. Good, but better to drink earlier in its life.
October 24, 2012 - Decanted several hours. Decent fruit without a great nose or complexity. Tannins and alcohol absent. Does not hold up to spicy foods - not a big zin.
May 26, 2012 - This was a time when Ridge made some Zins with higher RS that left me downright unimpressed. Nevertheless, for an ‘03, it’s one of the better ones for sure. This particular bottle and food pairing, however, worked very well. Nose of brown sugar, plum, blackberry and some slight Zin funkiness. The palate shows it all in spades with broad strokes of black cherry and dusty rose. The feel is of velvet slipping down the throat. Very claret-like: balanced and long lived on the finish. Probably at peak. Tiny grains of sediment. 14.9% alc. With pork ribs with peach sauce. An incredibly wonderful pairing with the sweetness of the fruit balanced with the heat. Recommended.
February 27, 2012 - Huge changes in the glass. What started off as a wine that seemed out of balance evolved to a powerful zin evoking coffee, cocoa, lush black fruit, ash, and toffee.
February 17, 2012 - Drinking very well and probably can last several more years. Bold fruit with good finish.
November 29, 2011 - Dark red color with some thinning at the rim. Aromas of dusty red plum, zin-berry, and a bit of roasted meat. Palate showcases red fruit with some earthy, dusty elements with a well-balanced overall presentation that (to my surprise) wins me over. My best experience with a Ridge York Creek to date (going back to the 1995 vintage). Drink.
October 8, 2011 - Much better luck this time around (compared to the other bottle I drank last year): rich, bitter, dark chocolate notes, plum and fruitcake nose, sprightly acidity keeping it all fresh, and a long, moderately discordant finish battling it out between orange peel and forest strawberries. Very good indeed.