Birthday Dinner (Hawksmoor Seven Dials): All the characteristics you expect from a somewhat mature Ridge cab - cigar box nose, the vanilla from the American oak with good structure and a spine of lovely acidity. I do think, though, that this was a tricky period for Ridge - it doesn’t quite deliver in the way that wines from the 80s / 90s and 2010s seem to.
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This bottle was clearly better than last year's. Substantial fruit all the way through. Very well balanced. Similar to a very good right bank Bordeaux. In a nice window. Give it some air.
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Beautiful nose with dark cherries, blackberries, vanilla and dried medeteranian herbs. Taste follows the nose,very delicate yet structured. This is drinking perfect now.
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Cork shows next to no ingress. Deep, rich purple still. No light gets through and barely a tinge of bricking. Vanillin oak, redwood and plum nose. A touch warm and rich. Sort of cedary Cab up front on the palate but with a more plum Merlot middle. The middle is weaker though and the Cab seems barely near maturity. Maybe I'm overexplaining for my own contentment. Medium grip and expressive acidity. This has a nice Bordeaux like character after a good amount of air. There is depth yet also a touch hollow. I can't help but wonder if the half that is Merlot is maturing faster than the half that is Cab. Maybe I'm full of it. Enjoyed this a good deal still but it also raises questions. I'm also feeling wistful for the days when it was hard for stores to move this leftover Monte Bello for $35 a bottle. Somehow more expressive and integrated on night two but only as a matter of degree.
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (42%) and Petit Verdot (2%) from the Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains. The harvest started on 18th of September and ended on 25th of October. Destemmed, fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 9 days. The wine was blended using 19 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 36 different ferments.. Aged in American oak (first 5-6 months in 100% new, then the remaining 15 months in 54% new, 28% second use and 18% third and fourth use) for a total of 20 months. 13,7% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Estate Cab 2014, 2011, 2009 and 2006.
Moderately concentrated, somewhat translucent and slightly evolved dark cherry color. The nose feels rather dull, closed and even slightly oxidative at first with understated aromas of blueberries and blackberry jam, some beef jerky, light wizened dark plum notes and a little bit of earth. As the wine opens up in the glass, the aromas start becoming more expressive, introducing more pronounced dried-fruit elements of raisins and prunes. The wine feels savory, meaty and slightly oxidative on the palate with a full body and complex, evolved flavors of gamey meat, raisins and prunes, some sweet blackcurrant marmalade tones, a little bit of earth, light figgy notes, a sweet hint of plum liqueur and a creamy touch of sweet vanilla oak. The gently grippy medium tannins bring some firmness and texture to the mouthfeel, but most of the structure relies on the rather high acidity. The finish is rich, dense and moderately grippy with juicy, slightly oxidative flavors of wizened dark plums and ripe bilberries, sweet blackcurrant jam, a little bit of beef jerky, light peppery tones, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of olive.
At first the wine was surprisingly dull and underwhelming, coming across very disappointing after the three other Ridge Cabs we tasted. However, the wine fortunately opened up in the glass and turned out to be enjoyable and quite lively, if not particularly vibrant or youthful anymore. Even though the 2009 vintage came across as a bit evolved, all the other three vintages were noticeably youthful in style compared to this 2006 vintage, which was getting surprisingly tertiary and at times even slightly oxidative. Based on this sample, I would say Ridge's assessment of this wine aging for 10-15 years is pretty much spot on, as at 15 years of age this wine doesn't really feel like it could improve much - or at all - from here. Due to its slightly understated nature, somewhat dull and oxidative feel and a bit tired energy, this wine didn't really reach the level of the younger vintages, but it's hard to say if it was just the age, or if this was a lesser vintage in quality. All in all, based on how this wine was drinking now, it felt perhaps a bit pricey for its quality at 45,60€.
Really beautiful color, stands out in the glass. Nice delicate nose with cherries, vanilla, thyme/herbs, and dark forest berries. Very delicate on the palate, this wine is not overpowering. Elegant is the key note here and alcohol and oak seamlessly integrated. Nice long finish with smooth tannins. This has held up nicely and I will drink remaining bottles within 1-2 years.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blackberry, apricot and black pepper. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Decanted for a good hour. Ripe and rich as one expects with a good dollop of an oaky dynamic albeit soft and assimilated. Solid wine, very giving and a lot more on the richer side rather than its more focused older brother the Montebello. Still and adjusting for price can give the MB a good run for its money. Very good 91 and with easily another 10 years in the tank.
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Sublime in every way. Cigar and cedar box, Dusty, plummy fruit. With age, American Oak always reminds me of Cool Ranch Doritos. Decanted for just over an hour and it continued to open throughout the evening. I expect it last a few more years though I don’t expect a significant increase in quality.
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Ridge Cabs (La Trompette, London): Double decanted 150mins. Lovely. Cool but ripe fruit and quite rich on the nose. Cool, elegant, a graphite core in a quilted coat. Lovely. **** Coming back after the MonteBello flight this seems simple, broad and coarse and lacking some depth, but it’s all relative. On its own, or first, this is a lovely wine.
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Drank from 375 pnp- I like this style of Cabernet, low alcohol (13.5%?), high levels of acidity, bright berries, black pepper, herbs. Tannins are still present and gripping. I think the 375 still showed plenty of room to develop.
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This was good but really still developing for my taste. The nose still had a fair amount of oak, but also nice dark fruit, herbs, mint, bell pepper, earth. The palate is nicely integrated and enjoyable. If the oak were a bit more integrated this would be very good.
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Solid but not wowed. Good power with a little finesse. Dark cherry, blackberry, a little tobacco and ??? that's pretty much it. Tannins are coming together nicely, still acid up front, just left wanting more.
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I was disappointed with this wine when tasting it a year ago, we enjoyed it more today. Fruit is strong, tannins mellow. The finish is still weak, however.
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First bottle in four years and this has aged beautifully. Purple and opaque with an narrow translucent edge. Nose is very fruit forward for a ten year old wine. The nose is less floral, has some sour cherries with mild spice and vanilla that contributes to enveloping nose. Pallate adds sour cherries and tobacco and mild lingering acidity on the finish that is paired with minerality and cherries. Great value. 5+13+16+8=92
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This is probably at peak. Great nose of black cherry, pie cherry, spicy oak, plum, and dark berries. On the palate, full of flavor but without weight, red plum, black cherry, spice, blackberry, and hints of tobacco. Nice balanced finish with some decent grip. Great with food. 13.7 alcohol. At $25, this was a great bargain.
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Cork disintegrated as it was removed from the bottle, but the wine was fine. Decanted for 2.5 hours. Medium reddish purple. Unremarkable aroma. Tannins are mellow, fruit moderate and dry. The wine has a disappointing quick finish.
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Nose of black and blue fruits, dense on the palate, with great balance and a rich finish. Hard to believe it's nine years old, still tastes youthful. Really lovely wine.
Bottle provided courtesy of jwass.
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This was a great, served with grilled Delmonico steaks. So fresh for a wine with 9 years of age, this had a purity of fruit that made you take notice. So much cassis, a classic Cabernet profile that begged for another sip due to the long finish and vibrant acidity.
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Dark, herbaceous nose, fairly prominent American oak, blueberry and plummy fruit, good acidity, still a bit of drying tannin on the finish. Definitely seems a bit older than a 2006, but in a good way. Excellent.
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Slow ox in glass and in bottle for 2 hrs. A little disappointing. I like some herbal/green pepper in my Bordeaux blends but this was a little much for me. Bottle had not been properly stored and was only $20 from a wine rep friend. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Dark fruit, red berries, spices and cedar on the nose. Very nicely evolved. Classic bdx composition. Beautiful mouthfeel, red berries, coffee beans, good body and fine acidity. Licorice. Smooth tannins. Lovely.
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A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Bordeaux blend, with blackberry, currants, earth, licorice and spices on finish, was good just missing that something to be great. www.winelx.com
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Suave and silky black berry fruit on the palate. Really settling in nicely. Lots of silky and viscous texture. Plump and fruited. Edgy and violet candy on the palate. Still loads of primary fruit, dare I say, not even really turning a corner.
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Big wine. Very nice, plush black and blue fruits on the palate, with an extremely rich finish. Great balance overall, and drinking well now. Excellent wine with a big meal - pretty massive to drink on its own.
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Decanted 1hour Nice dark red color. Clay raspberry, black berry nose. A bit subtle. More fruit than chocolate. Nice flavors. Nice fruit. Strong tannins, high acid. Little ink like smell on the nose. Tasty stuff. Little mint on the nose. Very good fruit. Very good daily drinking wine.
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Dark purple with primary notes of cassis, ripe black cherry, and a hint of olive. The palate is rich with fruit, has a mouth watering acidity, and still fairly prominent tannins. This is delicious, but still quite young. I suspect it will be more interesting in another 5-10 years.
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Much better that two years ago. More open nose of blue berries, the merlot content showing through. Very US. Full bodied but with good balance. Non obtrusive but evident tannins. Good to drink now, but might hold for many years. Not sure that it will become a very complex wine though.
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From memory: Decanted for a good hour before tasting. Dark purple colour. Man, this was good! Loads of sweet blueberries and blackcurrants up front followed by hints of earth, cigar ash and cedar-wood. Fantastic structure – maybe still young, but there’s definitely no shame in opening it now. Had this wine shown a bit more depth and complexity it would have been dangerously close to outstanding. Still; I have never had a Bordeaux at this price point that even comes close to this level of quality. Can’t wait to taste my 07 Monte Bello!
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Decanted one hour, this bottle had notes similar to the last bottle consumed has not moved much in the last year. I would continue to hold or drink with a long decant.
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Purple color with complex aromas of cassis, plum, blue berry, and olives, along with some lovely notes of earthiness. Well balanced and subtle on the palate with a lovely finish. Excellent.
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Not scoring this bottle, either in a dumb phase or was an off bottle, nothing like previous bottles. Hard to say what the flaw was, but was lacking in all aspects. Could have been storage issues (bought at Total Wine).
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night 1: nice aromatics but tight. acid and tannin predominated but the nose tells you there's more.
night 2: nose of black, briary fruit, herbs, eucalyptus, leather and wood. the palate shows sweet tannins that have softened, nice acidic backbone to lift the blackberry and raspberry fruit. leather and wood also present but make for a nice landing.
overall, a very nice wine that deserves decanting (opened too late on night 1 to indulge in that luxury). has the stuffing to go for years based on the tannin/acid profile.
ruby red, in color. earth, dark fruit, tobacco, on the nose. cherry, smoke, earth, nut, clove, on the palate. high tannins, mild acid, on this smooth finish.
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Lacking in some richness. Also a bit tight to start. Also, I took it on the plane with me.2 hrs before it opened, and then not the same level of stuffing I expect from Ridge. Good structure, so maybe a bit of a dumb phase or might be bottle shock (mistakenly opened after a transcontinental flight, so yeah take with a grain of salt). NR
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From 375. Disc just starting to show some age. Still plenty of new oak but not too obtrusive. Tobacco, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry. This is ready to drink. Lots of fruit on the palate with toasty oak and spice, but the alcohol is too prominent. Nice notes of pencil lead early on, which unfortunately faded with time. This would be a good summer wine with a rare steak, but it lacks the breed and balance to really distinguish it on its own. Still, a good buy.
4-
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A staple. Purple and opaque with an narrow translucent edge. Nose is floral, with mild spice and vanilla that makes the wine smell sweet. Pallate adds sour cherries and tobacco. Mild tannins and acidity make the mouth feel a little weak. The finish has light minerality and cherries. Great value. 5+12+16+8=91
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Deep purple with lovely aromas of black currant, plum, and spiced earthy tones. The wine is very well balanced with a tannin structure that is present, but not overwhelming. There is enough acidity to make it a good food wine. The flavors translate well to the palate and the finish continues nicely with everything staying in balance. A beautiful wine that is more bordeaux like in structure and taste than many California cabs.
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Very dark in color but very bright on the nose, this 56% Cabernet blend explodes onto the palate with a good focus and energy. Blueberry jam, sweet cassis extract, black tea leaves, sour cherries, sweet cigar tobacco, and black pepper are woven seamlessly with an adequate amount of oak in a refreshing level of alc at 13.7% This shows a definitely Californian sweet fruit for my old world palate, but it's not over-oaked, not over alcoholic, and not over syrupy.
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Very nice structure, great concentration and still pretty light on its feet. Oak was noticeable but not intrusive. For some reason I had higher hopes for this, but it was still pretty good. From 375.
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Enjoyed this with a BBQ'd rack of lamb last night. A bit of oak noted upon opening. We decided to decant the bottle and it was quite lovely. Medium bodied, no off putting herbal or tannins noted. A lovely bottle of wine. Could easily last another 15 years I think.
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Poured into glass one hour. Consumed with grilled steak. Nice nose of currants, herbs, sour cherry, bing cherry, hints of anise. On the palate, comes across as austere, with flavors of sour cherry, licorice, red cherry, red currant. Finishes with strong dusty tannins and enough acidity to balance the fruits. Still very young at this point, but defnitely pleasurable. Drink with a long decant or continue to hold.
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Still pretty tannic but also pretty fruity. Tons of dry cedar on the palate and on the nose with hints of warm spices and white pepper. Opened up very well after oxygenation.
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Now we are talking. This wine was smooth and voluptuous. Aromas of currants, rosemary, thyme and sweet red cherries. The mouthfeel is full and coats your tongue but doesn't take over at all, it is multi layered with a salty sweet finish which follows a really lovely chewy mix of cherries, red apples and big red berries. A real delight and much better value than some Bordeaux of a similar price.
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Another excellent offerring from Ridge, but it was a bit overshadowed by the standard bottling of Freemark Abbey's Cab from '07 (A better vintage, and a better QPR) - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, plum, mocha, cedar and vanilla, nicely structured and balanced, sweet, soft on the palate with excellent length, really tasty! (92 Points).
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This was from a half bottle- we did not decant but it certainly could have used it. This really is in a gorgeous place right now. Still chewy tannins, but the dark cherry fruit pushes through cleanly. There is a slightly dusty component that compliments the acidity and eucalyptus very well. This seems to be incredibly balanced, at least from the half, but it has at least another 5 years that will allow it to soften and bring out more fruit.
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No formal notes. Currants, smoke, and herbs on the nose. Palate opened up over a few hours, with moderate concentration, fresh acidity, and typical dark currants and rock that is typical of SCM. Medium mocha finish. Coming together well, great for the price compared to napa.
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Thick and jammy with a smooth oak finish. I am really enjoying his wine now. It has come into its own. The tight tannins have mellowed and the alcohol is in good balance. Drink it if you have it.
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Decanted for about 45 minutes before serving. It is extremely well balanced with the acid lifting the fruit flavors and tannins coating the whole palate for a long finish. Nose and flavors had dark cherry, brown sugar, very mild eucalypts and cocoa. Looking forward to a bit more bottle age and softening even more, but very enjoyable currently.
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I thought this was a bit non-desript. Compared to the 2004 and 2005 this showed less grape identlty. Good depth and sweetness, but just a bit boring. Did not change during day two, which surprised me a bit. Probably just too young.
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Dried prunes, cassis, leather. Great nose. Candied fruit. Add some coffee and mint on the back palate. Sure needs some air. Waiting for it to open a bit... And waiting for the bloody steaks.
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Tobacco, black fruit and vanilla/coconut on nose. Fresh. Medium + body, tannins and acidity. Well balanced except that oak is evident on palate. Needs time to integrate.
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Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Day Library Tasting: Dark garnet color with a low-key dark red fruit, and leather aromas. On the palate firm tannins, medium bodied, and fruity with black cherry, and slight herbal flavors. Medium finish. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.7% ABV
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Very lovely right now given 1 hr decant. Smooth, sweet, ripe fruit. The sweetness made it an excellent match with filet of lamb. This will no doubt be better and more sophisticated in 3-4 yrs time, but it's very charming and hard to resist at the moment.
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Lovely forward nose of cassis, black currants, and hint of smoke and cedar. Pure, concentrated, intense dark fruit on the palate, with chalkye tannins and a surprising degree of freshness. Berry and currants flavors carry through to the finish, where a little mocha comes through. Delivers for the price, though maybe not as much depth as could be expected. Still, I appreciate the balanced and restrained style. Drink or hold. On night two this really opened up, with dark concentrated fruit, smoke, and lengthy finish of mocha. Now much more like a mini Montebello. Bumped a point.
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Fantastic. Nice ripe fruit held in check perfectly by great structure. Just delicious but with enough cut to pair nicely with the steaks we had it with. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on some more.
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Nose: Clean - med plus intesity - developing - aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant), some red berries, leather and a hint of eucalyptus. Palate: Med plus acidity - Med plus tannins - Med plus body - Medium flavour intensity and Med plus length with a dry finish that in my opinion probably (and hopefully) will be less dominating in 4-5 years. Aromas of blackcurrant, leather, oak and some eucalyptys/herbs. This is a good wine that will develop further. The second half of the bottle tasted clearly better day 2 after opening, tannins, acidity and the dry aftertaste had settled a bit.
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I get not get the big tannins, or tightness that others are referencing. I also didn't get dark fruit. I got bright red raspberries all over the palate on this. And crisp acidity. Def a food wine. And quite a good one too.
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Dyp blårød Grønne urter, litt fat, solbær, moden frukt God fylde, "varm", plomme, hint av solbær, gode tanniner, laang og tørr ettersmak, mye smak Meget god 90-92
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Even though I decanted this for several hours it was still wrapped up pretty tight. This has closed down quite a bit from a year ago. Classic Bordeaux variety secondary characters showing underneath the American oak. Lean mouthfeel right now. Leave it be.
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Tanniner, fersk eik og primær frukt rett fra flasken. Etter 3 timer på karaffel var den vesentlig mykere og eiken hadde dempet seg. Veldig mørk kjerne, og solbæraktig mot kanten. Dufter flott av solbær, pen eik, kaffe. Meget bra lengde, nokså uttørkende. Dette kan bli veldig veldig bra om 3-4 år...
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3/4 bottle open on day 2. Earthy, red berry, herbs on the nose. Restrained on the palate, maybe not really open, cranberries, wild strawberry, herbs, not much length or finish. Maybe needs time, but based on some tastes of monte bello cabs, this is the style, and it's just not for me, though I do appreciate the un-manipulated winemaking.
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Boy this was a tannin sucker right at opening. Put into a decanter for about an hours worth of air. Nice blood red color on the edges with a black core. Nice lush nose of red and blue fruits, some charcoal, leather, creme de cassis and maybe even some pencil shavings. Creamy raspberries, spice and a hint of oak. Medium body and pretty even all the way through. Decently tannic and drying still. Black and blue fruits, nice heavy dose of up front toasty oak with a decently long finish. This wine is pretty stacked with structure but still loaded with fruit. A bit of smoke, cigar box and more spice all rolled with red fruits. Just needs time and is painfully young.
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Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting- Brief Notes (San Francisco Design Center): Excellent nose, fruit, tobacco, lovely finish. Now, after seeing the price, this wine is a screaming buy and definitely the best value wine of the tasting. A great classic california cab style that's not over the top, and hopefully won't need two decades to develop either.
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Still good as ever- left 1/2 the bottle for the next day and then life happened for 3 days and forgot about this wine- on 4th day it was gone. =( Wish I had just finished the bottle- but wanted to see what a day or so of Air did to it.
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Served blind, next to the 2005 Reserve de la Comtesse. Rubbery, reductive scent made it kind of difficult to get a read on it, though. This was definitely more diffuse and less structured than the claret, but didn't have any feature that gave it away as New World. (I toyed with something Italian, though.) Very surprising on the reveal and even more surprising on reading the description on the back label of how it was made - vinified in new American oak and then racked into more new American oak (along with some older barrels) - not a single person called out any oaky signatures here, much less of American oak, and I tasted none. And this is certainly restrained by the standards of what I'm accustomed to from Ridge.
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Last time I had this wine I made coherent comments and rated it a 93. Well, maybe it didn't blow me away like it did 6 months ago, but it was still an excellent bottle of wine. Probably one of the best CA Bordeaux Blend values <$40.
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Big Cherry and Black Pepper with distinct Tannins promising several years of life. We really liked this wine. I should have grabbed more at that price!
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One of the nicest Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains in a while. It's a bit big, but extremely well balanced. This wine needs lots of time to round out the big, mouth-drying tannins. Great nose of blackberries, leather and plums. Full mouth-feel with a moderately long tannic finish.... Yum. I'd buy this again (and just did)
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I drank this with grilled Ribeye on 5/24/10. It had a pleasant bouquet of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, licorice, anise, spice, chocolate aromas. The palate was smooth, balanced and tasty with flavors that followed the nose. 90+
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Good fruity nose, with jammy cherries. Decent acidity, but hollowing out in mid-palate. And - horror - the aftertaste ends in a woody whimper. We had expected more.
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with the jm boillot 2007 rully. really solid showing again. decanted for 1 hour, then into easy blackberry fruit. very approachable body. rainwater again is a big gun here.
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Bold black cherry and currant, white pepper and a touch of herbal spice round out this lovely, already-smooth red. Just a step behind the Monte Bello in complexity and concentration, and a much better value in this vintage.
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Nose - peppery, cedary, boysenberry and black currant. Peppery, very intense blackberry and black currant, smooth, tight, some green herbs, roasty, vanilla, dried herbs, touch of cedar, a bit bitter.
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Deep purple with a dark core. Ripe black fruits. Blackberry jam. Very pure. All in balance - alcohol, fruit, acidity. Some furry tannins at this age, but with a super silky elegant wine underneath. Still a baby, but very tempting to drink even now, with many years ahead of this Cab-Sav / Merlot led blend. Wonderful.
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(56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot) Nose - green peppercorn, black currant and cedar. Smoky black currant, zest, berry, dusty/gritty tannin. Drink '15-'25
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Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): For me, WOTN at a Ridge wine tasting. Explosive nose of black fruit and a good touch of oak--just smells outright delicious. Ripe red perfume-y fruit on palate with good earth, smooth tannins, and just drinking extraordinarily well right now. Very good QPR and I will have to seek this out.
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Nose of plummy fruit with a touch of mint and chocolate. Very bordeaux in style, but richer California-style fruit to go with the firm tannins. Very good. Vacuum corked it overnight and the tannins had mellowed on second day. Not sure that made it better, but the fruit was certainly more evident. Went well with roast lamb.
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Nice mineral expression this time. Chocolate noted plum expression. A terrific change of pace from the usually thick mocha raspberry Cali Bordeaux blends.
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decant...I had to modify this tasting note after the bottle was open for a couple hours. Dominant Merlot undertones. chocolate and cassis nose with black/blueberries on the palate. Medium bodied and moderately tannic. An excellent value if you like the austere mountain style (that I do). Awesome with lamb - very good red meat wine.
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Decanted an hour prior to consumption. Really showing it's abundant Merlot today with lots of smooth chocolate and plum. Big fruited yet still a bit austere. Nicely balanced. Good with air now and should go for many years, guessing a more medium term vintage for this bottle.
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Changed a lot over a couple hours after a pop 'n pour. Luscious huge berry's and cassis initially. Tightens up over an hour to an austere expression. A couple hours in really comes together balancing nicely textured dark fruit with a mineral finish. This seems like it's going to need quite a few years in bottle but is very good. If it's this good the Monte Bello from 06 must be a knock out.
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stony blackberry and hints of chocolate on the nose. rainwater and light leather. after an hour roast coffee emerges. slight s****y b***s on the tongue. i don't know why i wrote down that note, but it obviously needed to be included. this wine is quite approachable tonight. very nice structure. i will be purchasing more of this vintage.
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4/18/2024 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice but it is obvious that it is near the end. Glad it is my last bottle.
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2/25/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Birthday Dinner (Hawksmoor Seven Dials): All the characteristics you expect from a somewhat mature Ridge cab - cigar box nose, the vanilla from the American oak with good structure and a spine of lovely acidity. I do think, though, that this was a tricky period for Ridge - it doesn’t quite deliver in the way that wines from the 80s / 90s and 2010s seem to.
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2/18/2024 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
this was much better than the last bottle and improved surprisingly and considerably in the glass - best after an hour or so - lovely!
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2/11/2024 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
This one never disappoints. Still have another one.
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7/3/2023 - WetRock wrote:
This bottle was clearly better than last year's. Substantial fruit all the way through. Very well balanced. Similar to a very good right bank Bordeaux. In a nice window. Give it some air.
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4/6/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 89 Points
I think I have left this too long - the fruit has faded leaving quite a dry, dark brooding wine that at the very least needs quite robust food
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6/13/2022 - StefanAkiko wrote: 90 Points
Life's too short.
This isn't my cup of tea. Low acidity and no tannins...
Isn't going away anywhere soon, and also won't grow.
Deep, rich and a definition of Cassis/black currants in wine.
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6/5/2022 - askoje wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful nose with dark cherries, blackberries, vanilla and dried medeteranian herbs.
Taste follows the nose,very delicate yet structured. This is drinking perfect now.
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1/14/2022 - WetRock wrote:
Cork shows next to no ingress. Deep, rich purple still. No light gets through and barely a tinge of bricking. Vanillin oak, redwood and plum nose. A touch warm and rich. Sort of cedary Cab up front on the palate but with a more plum Merlot middle. The middle is weaker though and the Cab seems barely near maturity. Maybe I'm overexplaining for my own contentment. Medium grip and expressive acidity. This has a nice Bordeaux like character after a good amount of air. There is depth yet also a touch hollow. I can't help but wonder if the half that is Merlot is maturing faster than the half that is Cab. Maybe I'm full of it. Enjoyed this a good deal still but it also raises questions. I'm also feeling wistful for the days when it was hard for stores to move this leftover Monte Bello for $35 a bottle. Somehow more expressive and integrated on night two but only as a matter of degree.
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11/27/2021 - forceberry wrote: 88 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (42%) and Petit Verdot (2%) from the Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains. The harvest started on 18th of September and ended on 25th of October. Destemmed, fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 9 days. The wine was blended using 19 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 36 different ferments.. Aged in American oak (first 5-6 months in 100% new, then the remaining 15 months in 54% new, 28% second use and 18% third and fourth use) for a total of 20 months. 13,7% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Estate Cab 2014, 2011, 2009 and 2006.
Moderately concentrated, somewhat translucent and slightly evolved dark cherry color. The nose feels rather dull, closed and even slightly oxidative at first with understated aromas of blueberries and blackberry jam, some beef jerky, light wizened dark plum notes and a little bit of earth. As the wine opens up in the glass, the aromas start becoming more expressive, introducing more pronounced dried-fruit elements of raisins and prunes. The wine feels savory, meaty and slightly oxidative on the palate with a full body and complex, evolved flavors of gamey meat, raisins and prunes, some sweet blackcurrant marmalade tones, a little bit of earth, light figgy notes, a sweet hint of plum liqueur and a creamy touch of sweet vanilla oak. The gently grippy medium tannins bring some firmness and texture to the mouthfeel, but most of the structure relies on the rather high acidity. The finish is rich, dense and moderately grippy with juicy, slightly oxidative flavors of wizened dark plums and ripe bilberries, sweet blackcurrant jam, a little bit of beef jerky, light peppery tones, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of olive.
At first the wine was surprisingly dull and underwhelming, coming across very disappointing after the three other Ridge Cabs we tasted. However, the wine fortunately opened up in the glass and turned out to be enjoyable and quite lively, if not particularly vibrant or youthful anymore. Even though the 2009 vintage came across as a bit evolved, all the other three vintages were noticeably youthful in style compared to this 2006 vintage, which was getting surprisingly tertiary and at times even slightly oxidative. Based on this sample, I would say Ridge's assessment of this wine aging for 10-15 years is pretty much spot on, as at 15 years of age this wine doesn't really feel like it could improve much - or at all - from here. Due to its slightly understated nature, somewhat dull and oxidative feel and a bit tired energy, this wine didn't really reach the level of the younger vintages, but it's hard to say if it was just the age, or if this was a lesser vintage in quality. All in all, based on how this wine was drinking now, it felt perhaps a bit pricey for its quality at 45,60€.
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9/27/2021 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Structure was so nice — very fine, long tannin and high acidity. Cedar, balsamic, jammy and dried fruit. Touch oxidized. Very nice.
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10/8/2020 - askoje wrote: 91 Points
Really beautiful color, stands out in the glass.
Nice delicate nose with cherries, vanilla, thyme/herbs, and dark forest berries.
Very delicate on the palate, this wine is not overpowering. Elegant is the key note here and alcohol and oak seamlessly integrated. Nice long finish with smooth tannins. This has held up nicely and I will drink remaining bottles within 1-2 years.
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8/24/2020 - Veg Likes this wine:
Very popular when served to friends this weekend. Classy.
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8/18/2020 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
This has been a great wine over the years. Never disappoints.
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11/27/2019 - scaredone Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blackberry, apricot and black pepper. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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11/10/2019 - goska wrote: 92 Points
Very solid wine, licorice, cigar box, cassis, integrated oak. Good, solid mouthfeel, nice grip. A bold and harmonious wine with early, pronounced aging. Sits well.
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11/9/2019 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
A big hit with my friends. Great finish.
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11/9/2019 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for a good hour.
Ripe and rich as one expects with a good dollop of an oaky dynamic albeit soft and assimilated. Solid wine, very giving and a lot more on the richer side rather than its more focused older brother the Montebello. Still and adjusting for price can give the MB a good run for its money. Very good 91 and with easily another 10 years in the tank.
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9/30/2019 - sethebarlow Likes this wine: 87 Points
Quite tight - should have decanted it. Strong fruit. Plum and blackberry with a fine dusting of cocoa. Tell tale oak. Very good all around.
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9/4/2019 - sethebarlow Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sublime in every way. Cigar and cedar box, Dusty, plummy fruit. With age, American Oak always reminds me of Cool Ranch Doritos. Decanted for just over an hour and it continued to open throughout the evening. I expect it last a few more years though I don’t expect a significant increase in quality.
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10/16/2018 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Cabs (La Trompette, London): Double decanted 150mins. Lovely. Cool but ripe fruit and quite rich on the nose. Cool, elegant, a graphite core in a quilted coat. Lovely. **** Coming back after the MonteBello flight this seems simple, broad and coarse and lacking some depth, but it’s all relative. On its own, or first, this is a lovely wine.
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4/12/2018 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
This one is always a winner. Hard to find now and particularly at a value price. Nice though.
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4/2/2018 - eskaar Likes this wine: 96 Points
For en vin! Blomster og mørke kirsebær på nese. Heftig konsentrasjon. Solbær og kirsebær. Lang og frisk avslutning. Tåler fremdeles mange år
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3/28/2018 - mwneil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good solid wine, medium bodied, balanced, showed it age, enjoyable, drank with steak, would drink again.
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3/2/2018 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
quite delicious but it may well improve over the next couple of years
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2/3/2018 - michmagg Likes this wine:
Really good.
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12/27/2017 - ajfret01 Likes this wine:
Dark fruit with a hint of herbs. Pleasant cedar notes with integrated tannins and a medium finish.
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8/28/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank from 375 pnp- I like this style of Cabernet, low alcohol (13.5%?), high levels of acidity, bright berries, black pepper, herbs. Tannins are still present and gripping. I think the 375 still showed plenty of room to develop.
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6/28/2017 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was good but really still developing for my taste. The nose still had a fair amount of oak, but also nice dark fruit, herbs, mint, bell pepper, earth. The palate is nicely integrated and enjoyable. If the oak were a bit more integrated this would be very good.
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1/22/2017 - khunchris Likes this wine: 90 Points
solid wine. Nothing remarkable. Cherries and spice, leather as some others have noted. I paid 35 - still goood QPR.
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12/20/2016 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice with a tenderloin.
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12/15/2016 - Bellissimo wrote:
Solid but not wowed. Good power with a little finesse. Dark cherry, blackberry, a little tobacco and ??? that's pretty much it. Tannins are coming together nicely, still acid up front, just left wanting more.
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11/28/2016 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking very nicely!!!
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11/20/2016 - SumCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was disappointed with this wine when tasting it a year ago, we enjoyed it more today. Fruit is strong, tannins mellow. The finish is still weak, however.
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10/22/2016 - Alexroy wrote: 92 Points
Ripe cherry nose. Smooth, bright red fruit, integrated, lovely.
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10/14/2016 - Delli Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle in four years and this has aged beautifully. Purple and opaque with an narrow translucent edge. Nose is very fruit forward for a ten year old wine. The nose is less floral, has some sour cherries with mild spice and vanilla that contributes to enveloping nose. Pallate adds sour cherries and tobacco and mild lingering acidity on the finish that is paired with minerality and cherries. Great value. 5+13+16+8=92
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8/23/2016 - kthornton78 wrote:
the tannins have softened and red fruits interlaced with spice and leather are prominent. this was really singing.
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12/12/2015 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 93 Points
I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but this was the hit of the evening. Son in Law kept coming back.
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11/19/2015 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is probably at peak. Great nose of black cherry, pie cherry, spicy oak, plum, and dark berries. On the palate, full of flavor but without weight, red plum, black cherry, spice, blackberry, and hints of tobacco. Nice balanced finish with some decent grip. Great with food. 13.7 alcohol. At $25, this was a great bargain.
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11/8/2015 - SumCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork disintegrated as it was removed from the bottle, but the wine was fine. Decanted for 2.5 hours. Medium reddish purple. Unremarkable aroma. Tannins are mellow, fruit moderate and dry. The wine has a disappointing quick finish.
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10/10/2015 - Alexroy wrote: 94 Points
Brambles, dark cherries on nose. Smooth, fresh, dark fruit, cherries, long deep, rich. Lovely.
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8/29/2015 - slulkin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black and blue fruits, dense on the palate, with great balance and a rich finish. Hard to believe it's nine years old, still tastes youthful. Really lovely wine.
Bottle provided courtesy of jwass.
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7/24/2015 - wirelesswine wrote: 93 Points
This was a great, served with grilled Delmonico steaks. So fresh for a wine with 9 years of age, this had a purity of fruit that made you take notice. So much cassis, a classic Cabernet profile that begged for another sip due to the long finish and vibrant acidity.
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4/30/2015 - Tubulus wrote: 92 Points
Dark, herbaceous nose, fairly prominent American oak, blueberry and plummy fruit, good acidity, still a bit of drying tannin on the finish. Definitely seems a bit older than a 2006, but in a good way. Excellent.
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3/28/2015 - wine247365 Likes this wine:
light to medium body, smooth on the palate, not drying on the finish. Wife liked it a lot.
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3/11/2015 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice. Still drinking well.
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11/17/2014 - qcwino wrote:
Slow ox in glass and in bottle for 2 hrs. A little disappointing. I like some herbal/green pepper in my Bordeaux blends but this was a little much for me. Bottle had not been properly stored and was only $20 from a wine rep friend. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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11/1/2014 - goska Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark fruit, red berries, spices and cedar on the nose. Very nicely evolved. Classic bdx composition. Beautiful mouthfeel, red berries, coffee beans, good body and fine acidity. Licorice. Smooth tannins. Lovely.
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8/8/2014 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Bordeaux blend, with blackberry, currants, earth, licorice and spices on finish, was good just missing that something to be great. www.winelx.com
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7/5/2014 - popopdrops wrote: 86 Points
Fet, men domineres for sterkt av syrlig skinn! Ikke gøy.
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6/10/2014 - martcouz wrote: 90 Points
Première expérience avec ce vin, et il me semble prêt à boire. Les tanins sont soyeux, et l'ensemble est harmonieux et digeste.
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5/24/2014 - miTsirraH Likes this wine: 91 Points
love this wine
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5/1/2014 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tannins remain with nice dark fruit up front.
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4/3/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Suave and silky black berry fruit on the palate. Really settling in nicely. Lots of silky and viscous texture. Plump and fruited. Edgy and violet candy on the palate. Still loads of primary fruit, dare I say, not even really turning a corner.
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3/23/2014 - Scott8586 wrote: 89 Points
Body is light/medium; finishes short. Less than I was hoping for.
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12/25/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Big wine. Very nice, plush black and blue fruits on the palate, with an extremely rich finish. Great balance overall, and drinking well now. Excellent wine with a big meal - pretty massive to drink on its own.
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12/8/2013 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1hour
Nice dark red color. Clay raspberry, black berry nose. A bit subtle. More fruit than chocolate. Nice flavors. Nice fruit. Strong tannins, high acid. Little ink like smell on the nose. Tasty stuff. Little mint on the nose. Very good fruit. Very good daily drinking wine.
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11/30/2013 - Jwd12 wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple lots of fruit on nose tasted black and blueberry smooth mellow and balanced no tannins decanted for less than 1/2 hour.
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10/19/2013 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Dark purple with primary notes of cassis, ripe black cherry, and a hint of olive. The palate is rich with fruit, has a mouth watering acidity, and still fairly prominent tannins. This is delicious, but still quite young. I suspect it will be more interesting in another 5-10 years.
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8/28/2013 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine. Sophisticated. Well defined on the nose and palate. Should improve with aging.
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8/18/2013 - UTPK wrote:
Much better that two years ago. More open nose of blue berries, the merlot content showing through. Very US. Full bodied but with good balance. Non obtrusive but evident tannins. Good to drink now, but might hold for many years. Not sure that it will become a very complex wine though.
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6/8/2013 - Pebben wrote: 92 Points
From memory: Decanted for a good hour before tasting. Dark purple colour. Man, this was good! Loads of sweet blueberries and blackcurrants up front followed by hints of earth, cigar ash and cedar-wood. Fantastic structure – maybe still young, but there’s definitely no shame in opening it now. Had this wine shown a bit more depth and complexity it would have been dangerously close to outstanding. Still; I have never had a Bordeaux at this price point that even comes close to this level of quality. Can’t wait to taste my 07 Monte Bello!
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5/20/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Decanted one hour, this bottle had notes similar to the last bottle consumed has not moved much in the last year. I would continue to hold or drink with a long decant.
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5/9/2013 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Purple color with complex aromas of cassis, plum, blue berry, and olives, along with some lovely notes of earthiness. Well balanced and subtle on the palate with a lovely finish. Excellent.
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2/10/2013 - lalande Likes this wine: 93 Points
Délicieux et prêt à boire. Tout en fruits confits et bien rond. Superbe.
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2/9/2013 - VinoPKM wrote:
Not scoring this bottle, either in a dumb phase or was an off bottle, nothing like previous bottles. Hard to say what the flaw was, but was lacking in all aspects. Could have been storage issues (bought at Total Wine).
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2/6/2013 - kthornton78 wrote: 92 Points
needs air.
night 1: nice aromatics but tight. acid and tannin predominated but the nose tells you there's more.
night 2: nose of black, briary fruit, herbs, eucalyptus, leather and wood. the palate shows sweet tannins that have softened, nice acidic backbone to lift the blackberry and raspberry fruit. leather and wood also present but make for a nice landing.
overall, a very nice wine that deserves decanting (opened too late on night 1 to indulge in that luxury). has the stuffing to go for years based on the tannin/acid profile.
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2/6/2013 - boreddoughboy wrote: 93 Points
So good right now
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1/9/2013 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
ruby red, in color. earth, dark fruit, tobacco, on the nose. cherry, smoke, earth, nut, clove, on the palate. high tannins, mild acid, on this smooth finish.
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1/7/2013 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Really starting to hit its stride. Needs a little air and will last for years.
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12/24/2012 - yossarian.livez wrote:
Lacking in some richness. Also a bit tight to start. Also, I took it on the plane with me.2 hrs before it opened, and then not the same level of stuffing I expect from Ridge. Good structure, so maybe a bit of a dumb phase or might be bottle shock (mistakenly opened after a transcontinental flight, so yeah take with a grain of salt). NR
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12/7/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Rich jammy black fruit aromas. Fruity as well on the palate with some spice and tobacco notes. Soft tannins. Ready to drink now.
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10/20/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
From 375. Disc just starting to show some age. Still plenty of new oak but not too obtrusive. Tobacco, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry. This is ready to drink. Lots of fruit on the palate with toasty oak and spice, but the alcohol is too prominent. Nice notes of pencil lead early on, which unfortunately faded with time. This would be a good summer wine with a rare steak, but it lacks the breed and balance to really distinguish it on its own. Still, a good buy.
4-
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10/6/2012 - Delli Likes this wine: 91 Points
A staple. Purple and opaque with an narrow translucent edge. Nose is floral, with mild spice and vanilla that makes the wine smell sweet. Pallate adds sour cherries and tobacco. Mild tannins and acidity make the mouth feel a little weak. The finish has light minerality and cherries. Great value. 5+12+16+8=91
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10/5/2012 - jnewman77 wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple with lovely aromas of black currant, plum, and spiced earthy tones. The wine is very well balanced with a tannin structure that is present, but not overwhelming. There is enough acidity to make it a good food wine. The flavors translate well to the palate and the finish continues nicely with everything staying in balance. A beautiful wine that is more bordeaux like in structure and taste than many California cabs.
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9/15/2012 - Number51 wrote: 92 Points
Very dark in color but very bright on the nose, this 56% Cabernet blend explodes onto the palate with a good focus and energy. Blueberry jam, sweet cassis extract, black tea leaves, sour cherries, sweet cigar tobacco, and black pepper are woven seamlessly with an adequate amount of oak in a refreshing level of alc at 13.7%
This shows a definitely Californian sweet fruit for my old world palate, but it's not over-oaked, not over alcoholic, and not over syrupy.
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9/13/2012 - christyler wrote: 89 Points
Very nice structure, great concentration and still pretty light on its feet. Oak was noticeable but not intrusive. For some reason I had higher hopes for this, but it was still pretty good. From 375.
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8/11/2012 - MeMyself&I wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed this with a BBQ'd rack of lamb last night. A bit of oak noted upon opening. We decided to decant the bottle and it was quite lovely. Medium bodied, no off putting herbal or tannins noted. A lovely bottle of wine. Could easily last another 15 years I think.
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8/5/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Poured into glass one hour. Consumed with grilled steak. Nice nose of currants, herbs, sour cherry, bing cherry, hints of anise. On the palate, comes across as austere, with flavors of sour cherry, licorice, red cherry, red currant. Finishes with strong dusty tannins and enough acidity to balance the fruits. Still very young at this point, but defnitely pleasurable. Drink with a long decant or continue to hold.
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8/4/2012 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Best yet. Its finally settled down and bringin it. 92/93
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7/14/2012 - gavinesq wrote: 90 Points
Still pretty tannic but also pretty fruity. Tons of dry cedar on the palate and on the nose with hints of warm spices and white pepper. Opened up very well after oxygenation.
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6/2/2012 - Birged wrote: 92 Points
Wow, well balanced fruit and tannins, mellow and smooth taste.
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5/16/2012 - christhewino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Now we are talking. This wine was smooth and voluptuous. Aromas of currants, rosemary, thyme and sweet red cherries. The mouthfeel is full and coats your tongue but doesn't take over at all, it is multi layered with a salty sweet finish which follows a really lovely chewy mix of cherries, red apples and big red berries. A real delight and much better value than some Bordeaux of a similar price.
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5/11/2012 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
Nicely weighted, with fine cabernet aromas. Acidity a bit too sharp, decent complexity, but still very competent.
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4/21/2012 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
Another excellent offerring from Ridge, but it was a bit overshadowed by the standard bottling of Freemark Abbey's Cab from '07 (A better vintage, and a better QPR) - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, plum, mocha, cedar and vanilla, nicely structured and balanced, sweet, soft on the palate with excellent length, really tasty! (92 Points).
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4/9/2012 - JesperR wrote: 89 Points
Consistent note
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3/31/2012 - boreddoughboy wrote: 89 Points
Heavy duty. Even better the second day.
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1/27/2012 - Dive Shark wrote: 95 Points
This was from a half bottle- we did not decant but it certainly could have used it. This really is in a gorgeous place right now. Still chewy tannins, but the dark cherry fruit pushes through cleanly. There is a slightly dusty component that compliments the acidity and eucalyptus very well. This seems to be incredibly balanced, at least from the half, but it has at least another 5 years that will allow it to soften and bring out more fruit.
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1/21/2012 - ny pete wrote:
extremely delicious and balanced
a rebuy at 32 a pop
point wise ... outstanding.
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1/8/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes. Currants, smoke, and herbs on the nose. Palate opened up over a few hours, with moderate concentration, fresh acidity, and typical dark currants and rock that is typical of SCM. Medium mocha finish. Coming together well, great for the price compared to napa.
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1/7/2012 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Better than a year ago, still young. Needs a couple more years. 91+
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1/1/2012 - boreddoughboy wrote: 91 Points
Thick and jammy with a smooth oak finish. I am really enjoying his wine now. It has come into its own. The tight tannins have mellowed and the alcohol is in good balance. Drink it if you have it.
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12/5/2011 - Dive Shark wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes before serving. It is extremely well balanced with the acid lifting the fruit flavors and tannins coating the whole palate for a long finish. Nose and flavors had dark cherry, brown sugar, very mild eucalypts and cocoa. Looking forward to a bit more bottle age and softening even more, but very enjoyable currently.
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12/5/2011 - UTPK wrote:
I thought this was a bit non-desript. Compared to the 2004 and 2005 this showed less grape identlty. Good depth and sweetness, but just a bit boring. Did not change during day two, which surprised me a bit. Probably just too young.
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10/20/2011 - krhaugh wrote: 88 Points
One of the better Ridge wines I have had recently. Deep taste of berries nice finish. Overall a good wine.
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10/13/2011 - leonardo_de_araujo wrote: 91 Points
Dried prunes, cassis, leather.
Great nose. Candied fruit.
Add some coffee and mint on the back palate. Sure needs some air.
Waiting for it to open a bit...
And waiting for the bloody steaks.
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10/11/2011 - Dokken wrote: 92 Points
Tobacco, black fruit and vanilla/coconut on nose. Fresh. Medium + body, tannins and acidity. Well balanced except that oak is evident on palate. Needs time to integrate.
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9/1/2011 - Martin Redmond wrote: 87 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Day Library Tasting: Dark garnet color with a low-key dark red fruit, and leather aromas. On the palate firm tannins, medium bodied, and fruity with black cherry, and slight herbal flavors. Medium finish. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.7% ABV
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7/5/2011 - PetterFromNorway wrote: 90 Points
Very good blend based on cab sav.
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5/25/2011 - boreddoughboy wrote: 87 Points
Stewed Fruit but way too much alcohol at this time, out of balance.
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5/20/2011 - gkrummel wrote:
Great wine. Could have aged a bit longer, but we put it through an aerator and decanted for an hour and it was fine.
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4/26/2011 - JesperR wrote: 89 Points
Very lovely right now given 1 hr decant. Smooth, sweet, ripe fruit. The sweetness made it an excellent match with filet of lamb. This will no doubt be better and more sophisticated in 3-4 yrs time, but it's very charming and hard to resist at the moment.
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3/31/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Lovely forward nose of cassis, black currants, and hint of smoke and cedar. Pure, concentrated, intense dark fruit on the palate, with chalkye tannins and a surprising degree of freshness. Berry and currants flavors carry through to the finish, where a little mocha comes through. Delivers for the price, though maybe not as much depth as could be expected. Still, I appreciate the balanced and restrained style. Drink or hold.
On night two this really opened up, with dark concentrated fruit, smoke, and lengthy finish of mocha. Now much more like a mini Montebello. Bumped a point.
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3/2/2011 - rschoemehl Likes this wine: 91 Points
nice ripe big fruit with enough tannin to back it up. smooth, well balanced and youthful.
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2/17/2011 - ejevers wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic. Nice ripe fruit held in check perfectly by great structure. Just delicious but with enough cut to pair nicely with the steaks we had it with. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on some more.
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2/11/2011 - vollis wrote: 89 Points
Nose: Clean - med plus intesity - developing - aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant), some red berries, leather and a hint of eucalyptus. Palate: Med plus acidity - Med plus tannins - Med plus body - Medium flavour intensity and Med plus length with a dry finish that in my opinion probably (and hopefully) will be less dominating in 4-5 years. Aromas of blackcurrant, leather, oak and some eucalyptys/herbs. This is a good wine that will develop further. The second half of the bottle tasted clearly better day 2 after opening, tannins, acidity and the dry aftertaste had settled a bit.
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1/28/2011 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Similar to previous note, but more accessible. Two hour decant. Still needs 2+ yrs.
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1/8/2011 - pkbackman wrote: 90 Points
I get not get the big tannins, or tightness that others are referencing. I also didn't get dark fruit. I got bright red raspberries all over the palate on this. And crisp acidity. Def a food wine. And quite a good one too.
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1/4/2011 - Lskoje wrote: 91 Points
Dyp blårød
Grønne urter, litt fat, solbær, moden frukt
God fylde, "varm", plomme, hint av solbær, gode tanniner, laang og tørr ettersmak, mye smak
Meget god 90-92
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12/27/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Even though I decanted this for several hours it was still wrapped up pretty tight. This has closed down quite a bit from a year ago. Classic Bordeaux variety secondary characters showing underneath the American oak. Lean mouthfeel right now. Leave it be.
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12/10/2010 - stiang wrote: 91 Points
Tanniner, fersk eik og primær frukt rett fra flasken. Etter 3 timer på karaffel var den vesentlig mykere og eiken hadde dempet seg. Veldig mørk kjerne, og solbæraktig mot kanten. Dufter flott av solbær, pen eik, kaffe. Meget bra lengde, nokså uttørkende. Dette kan bli veldig veldig bra om 3-4 år...
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12/1/2010 - davergny wrote: 86 Points
3/4 bottle open on day 2. Earthy, red berry, herbs on the nose. Restrained on the palate, maybe not really open, cranberries, wild strawberry, herbs, not much length or finish. Maybe needs time, but based on some tastes of monte bello cabs, this is the style, and it's just not for me, though I do appreciate the un-manipulated winemaking.
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11/22/2010 - superflybaker wrote: 90 Points
Really tight. Needs to open up for 2 -3 hours. Was definitely better on day 2. Lots of promise, but ultimately needs 3+ years on the shelf
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11/11/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Boy this was a tannin sucker right at opening. Put into a decanter for about an hours worth of air. Nice blood red color on the edges with a black core. Nice lush nose of red and blue fruits, some charcoal, leather, creme de cassis and maybe even some pencil shavings. Creamy raspberries, spice and a hint of oak. Medium body and pretty even all the way through. Decently tannic and drying still. Black and blue fruits, nice heavy dose of up front toasty oak with a decently long finish. This wine is pretty stacked with structure but still loaded with fruit. A bit of smoke, cigar box and more spice all rolled with red fruits. Just needs time and is painfully young.
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10/14/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting- Brief Notes (San Francisco Design Center): Excellent nose, fruit, tobacco, lovely finish. Now, after seeing the price, this wine is a screaming buy and definitely the best value wine of the tasting. A great classic california cab style that's not over the top, and hopefully won't need two decades to develop either.
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10/10/2010 - james_timothy wrote: 91 Points
A very elegant wine- restrained dark fruit over a wonderful bordeaux ground; a hint of spice, super savory, acidic enough to be a great food wine.
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10/4/2010 - VinoPKM wrote:
Still good as ever- left 1/2 the bottle for the next day and then life happened for 3 days and forgot about this wine- on 4th day it was gone. =( Wish I had just finished the bottle- but wanted to see what a day or so of Air did to it.
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9/24/2010 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 87 Points
Served blind, next to the 2005 Reserve de la Comtesse. Rubbery, reductive scent made it kind of difficult to get a read on it, though. This was definitely more diffuse and less structured than the claret, but didn't have any feature that gave it away as New World. (I toyed with something Italian, though.) Very surprising on the reveal and even more surprising on reading the description on the back label of how it was made - vinified in new American oak and then racked into more new American oak (along with some older barrels) - not a single person called out any oaky signatures here, much less of American oak, and I tasted none. And this is certainly restrained by the standards of what I'm accustomed to from Ridge.
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8/14/2010 - DRod wrote: 91 Points
Last time I had this wine I made coherent comments and rated it a 93. Well, maybe it didn't blow me away like it did 6 months ago, but it was still an excellent bottle of wine. Probably one of the best CA Bordeaux Blend values <$40.
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7/31/2010 - dyuhas wrote: 90 Points
Delicious wine with a long finish.
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6/29/2010 - vinodolphin wrote: 92 Points
Big Cherry and Black Pepper with distinct Tannins promising several years of life. We really liked this wine. I should have grabbed more at that price!
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6/28/2010 - MarkL wrote: 89 Points
very good, young, Bordeaux blend. Perhaps i'm being a bit mean with the points as it could do with a bit more time to tone down all that fruit.
Clear, Dark, Ruby,
Clean nose of black fruit, vanilla, and some mocha/coffee
Dry, high acidity. Good structure, full bodied. medium (ripe) tannins.
really looking forward to seeing how this wine will be in a few year.
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6/12/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: 90 Points
50+5+12+16+7
One of the nicest Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains in a while. It's a bit big, but extremely well balanced. This wine needs lots of time to round out the big, mouth-drying tannins. Great nose of blackberries, leather and plums. Full mouth-feel with a moderately long tannic finish.... Yum. I'd buy this again (and just did)
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6/8/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
dark currant, plum, mixed berry; medium body with some spice and oak; good balance
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6/1/2010 - gdenner wrote: 92 Points
Love this wine. After 20 min it popped. Wonderful bordeaux blend
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5/30/2010 - JS199 wrote: 90 Points
Similar to previous note.
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5/24/2010 - garambler wrote: 91 Points
I drank this with grilled Ribeye on 5/24/10. It had a pleasant bouquet of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, licorice, anise, spice, chocolate aromas. The palate was smooth, balanced and tasty with flavors that followed the nose. 90+
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4/25/2010 - Chasse_spleen wrote: 86 Points
Good fruity nose, with jammy cherries. Decent acidity, but hollowing out in mid-palate. And - horror - the aftertaste ends in a woody whimper. We had expected more.
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4/24/2010 - SAvino wrote: 89 Points
Very young but quite nice. Very good acidity and long finish. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nice fruit.
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4/11/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
with the jm boillot 2007 rully. really solid showing again. decanted for 1 hour, then into easy blackberry fruit. very approachable body. rainwater again is a big gun here.
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3/29/2010 - will2wine wrote: 90 Points
Bold black cherry and currant, white pepper and a touch of herbal spice round out this lovely, already-smooth red. Just a step behind the Monte Bello in complexity and concentration, and a much better value in this vintage.
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3/18/2010 - yhn wrote: 92 Points
Nose - peppery, cedary, boysenberry and black currant.
Peppery, very intense blackberry and black currant, smooth, tight, some green herbs, roasty, vanilla, dried herbs, touch of cedar, a bit bitter.
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3/16/2010 - D Brown wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple with a dark core. Ripe black fruits. Blackberry jam. Very pure. All in balance - alcohol, fruit, acidity. Some furry tannins at this age, but with a super silky elegant wine underneath. Still a baby, but very tempting to drink even now, with many years ahead of this Cab-Sav / Merlot led blend. Wonderful.
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3/7/2010 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
(56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot)
Nose - green peppercorn, black currant and cedar.
Smoky black currant, zest, berry, dusty/gritty tannin. Drink '15-'25
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3/4/2010 - VinoPKM wrote: 91 Points
Very nice CA bordeaux blend. Awesome QPR and love this wine and will buy more.
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3/1/2010 - lozatron wrote: 90 Points
Lovely wine - was expecting it to be even better though...
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2/21/2010 - JS199 wrote: 90 Points
Black fruits, jammy, acidic, young. Needs a couple years. 90+
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2/16/2010 - DRod wrote: 93 Points
Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): For me, WOTN at a Ridge wine tasting. Explosive nose of black fruit and a good touch of oak--just smells outright delicious. Ripe red perfume-y fruit on palate with good earth, smooth tannins, and just drinking extraordinarily well right now. Very good QPR and I will have to seek this out.
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1/25/2010 - dcb10 wrote:
Nose of plummy fruit with a touch of mint and chocolate. Very bordeaux in style, but richer California-style fruit to go with the firm tannins. Very good. Vacuum corked it overnight and the tannins had mellowed on second day. Not sure that made it better, but the fruit was certainly more evident. Went well with roast lamb.
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12/13/2009 - MBKDK wrote: 91 Points
Nose is quite opulent, fruity, rasberry, iron/mineral, a bit jammy.
Tastes fresh and fruity. Some oak,chocolate, cherries, bitterness, mineral, some acidity, nice and medium long aftertaste.
A very delicious and not too complicated wine.
A bit thin compared to the great cali cabs, but considering the price a good buy, would recommend it.
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12/6/2009 - BailliSacks wrote: 91 Points
Cherry. And vanilla on the nose. Structured palate. Concentrated, very Ridge.
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10/22/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Nice mineral expression this time. Chocolate noted plum expression. A terrific change of pace from the usually thick mocha raspberry Cali Bordeaux blends.
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10/10/2009 - unrelenting wrote: 90 Points
decant...I had to modify this tasting note after the bottle was open for a couple hours. Dominant Merlot undertones. chocolate and cassis nose with black/blueberries on the palate. Medium bodied and moderately tannic. An excellent value if you like the austere mountain style (that I do). Awesome with lamb - very good red meat wine.
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9/20/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Decanted an hour prior to consumption. Really showing it's abundant Merlot today with lots of smooth chocolate and plum. Big fruited yet still a bit austere. Nicely balanced. Good with air now and should go for many years, guessing a more medium term vintage for this bottle.
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8/1/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Changed a lot over a couple hours after a pop 'n pour. Luscious huge berry's and cassis initially. Tightens up over an hour to an austere expression. A couple hours in really comes together balancing nicely textured dark fruit with a mineral finish. This seems like it's going to need quite a few years in bottle but is very good. If it's this good the Monte Bello from 06 must be a knock out.
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6/28/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
stony blackberry and hints of chocolate on the nose. rainwater and light leather. after an hour roast coffee emerges. slight s****y b***s on the tongue. i don't know why i wrote down that note, but it obviously needed to be included. this wine is quite approachable tonight. very nice structure. i will be purchasing more of this vintage.
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