Last bottle - not decanted but drunk over 2 hours. Immediately attractive nose of woody spicy redcurrants with definite cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Hints of strawberry. Fruit first on the palate, more black than red, even Morello cherries, then multilayered middle wrapped with firm but not harsh tannins and perfect acidic balance. Superb interesting wine, great VFM and cheered me through my second encounter with covid.
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Beau vin moins ample que mes autres expériences avec Geyserville. Plus aérien, fruit rouge et noir sans la richesse typique du Zinfandel. Léger sous-bois, acidité à point, dans une belle phase présentement.
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I think the wine is at is peak or passed it. Balanced wine with softened tannins. Still fruitiness on the palate. Maybe should have drunk 1 or 2 years earlier.
Nez cerises rouges, un peu de menthol. Texture veloutée, c’est sensuel, épicé, c’est puissant, moderne, mais savoureux et profond. Très beau vin, qui nous a fait chercher. Le temps lui a apporté une belle patine. 92 pts
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Saturday night with Auntie Ro and Braised Shortrib (Leafy West London): Been a bit of a Ridgey weekend so thought we'd try this with dinner. Enjoyed with some braised beef from the back of the freezer. Colour - garnet with still a hint of purple. On the nose - pretty muted to begin with, needed to sniff hard but some red fruits, a hint of spice. On the palate - some red fruits, redcurrant, very ripe strawberries but no jamminess. A lovely call with some weirdly refreshing acidity, gentle tannins and some spiciness from the oak. My most enjoyable bottle of this wine? Maybe so. No rush at all to drink up - this is going to keep going - but equally, it's giving a great deal of pleasure now.
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Zinchester: Well - here we go. What a wine. A Hegelian trio of Zins - the thesis of the 15 Buchignani, its antithesis the 11 Lytton, and now the synthesis. There was some question as to whether we’d open this and I’m very glad we did. So much going on - seeming more mature than the only-slightly-younger wine that preceded with, yet with nearly as much energy and zip as the 15. This was in a really good place. No rush to drink up but equally - not sure it can ever offer much more pleasure than this bottle did.
Bowl of dark room temperature berries on the nose, w/ tobacco leaves. Concentrated juicy elderberry, boysenberry, dried leaves that ebb and flow nicely. a great geyserville, tannins becoming resolved, still plenty of grip and acidity to match the concentrated dark fruit.Seems to have dropped some oak and sweetness, drinking tremendously. Fruit heavy, bracing acidity and well balanced. Terrific.
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Tasted over 2 hrs -saturated purple, minimal clearing -lovely ripe almost jammy berry with a prominent wet stone streak -barely med acidity, med/med+ weight somewhat unidimensional ripe sweet dark berry with nice minerality and some early mature elements and noticeable but not overwhelming heat mingling with the med tannins -excellent minerality, would drink sooner than later to enjoy the residual fruit while it can still absorb the heat
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Yum! These aged Zins from Ridge are always such a treat with an insane QPR. Decanted to remove considerable sediment. Lovely aromas of pipe tobacco, cinnamon, black raspberry, and even a hint of anise. Complex and compelling. Red berries on the palate with a streak of milk chocolate and some dry underbrush. Medium weight, plenty of acid for balance, and a medium-long drying finish. Well put-together bordering on elegant. Drink now or soon. Thanks, Ridge!
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Ridge Dinner 29 November - The Young Ones (Hawksmoor Guildhall): First of these i've drunk for a year or so - super coherent now, just fully integrated, starting to show secondary characteristics. If i didn't know how these develop I'd say "drink them now" but...they will go on for decades. The fruit is still there, super engaging, there is a backbone there but it's so easy (and enjoyable) to drink now. My, and the table's WOTN.
Some discussion about the correct pronunciation, I'm *pretty* sure it's guy-zerville...
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A blend of organically farmed Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Petite Sirah (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%) from the Geyserville vineyard in Alexander Valley. The harvest started on 18th of September and ended on 14th of October. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 8 days. Aged in American oak (10% new, 12% second and third use and 78% fourth and fifth use) for 12 months. 14,3% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Geyserville 2016, 2012, 2011 and 2010.
Dark, somewhat translucent and still surprisingly youthful deep garnet color. Very intense, concentrated and characterful nose with intense aromas of juicy blackcurrants and elderberries, some ripe black cherry, light succulent notes of dark plums, a little bit of savory wood spice, fragrant hints of garrigue, violets and elderflowers, a touch of licorice root and a sweet whiff of strawberry jam. Lots of everything going on here! The wine is ripe, juicy and surprisingly concentrated on the palate, yet it never comes across as weighty or clumsy but instead surprisingly light on its feet despite its full body. Intense flavors of ripe blueberries and soft dark plums, some boysenberry tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light sweet notes of black cherries, a hint of elderberry juice and a touch of savory wood. The wine has a wonderfully tactile yet silky texture and impressive structure, thanks to its bright, high acidity and quite ample, firm and grippy tannins. The finish is rich, quite grippy and rather intense with lengthy, complex flavors of ripe boysenberries and blackberries, some cherry marmalade, light blueberry tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of licorice root and a touch of sun-baked earth. The alcohol remains surprisingly well-hidden throughout.
This is easily one of the most impressive vintages of 2010's Geyserville - if not The Most Impressive - and although it has always been a wonderful wine, its brilliance really becomes obvious in a vertical tasting tasting. This vintage was easily the best of the Geyservilles we tasted and especially comparing to the relatively mature 2011 vintage, its remarkably youthful overall character was really accentuated. Furthermore, the wine has lost a great deal of the sweetest fruit and oak character, coming across as more savory and structure-driven old-world style, compared to how the wine tasted like 8 years ago, when it exhibited more ripe fruit notes and less integrated oak influence. This wine is definitely going in the right direction and I'd say that from the four vintages we had, this was the furthest away from from its optimal drinking window. Geyserville should start peaking at around 10 to 15 years of age, but this seemed like at least 10 years away from its apogee. Let this vintage wait, it really benefits from any further cellaring it can get. Terrific value at 40,30€.
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This bottle is lovely and seems to be still improving. Blackcurrant,violets and spices with an almost Christmas cake feel on the nose, soft long tannins with a hint of sweetness and a long finish.
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Fantastic bottle. Combination of some secondary flavors intermingled with the mixed blacks fruit made this a very well rounded wine. The age has improved things as I enjoyed this quite a bit more than my last bottle three years ago.
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This bottle showed much better - I'm a fan of mixed blacks just not the American oak and it seems like the dill notes are rolling back in favor of redwood shavings which I'm cool with.
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Inviting and complex nose with blackberries, wild raspberries, Sandalwood, leather, baking spices, vanilla and freshly ground coffee. 10 years and so vibrant and great acidity. Drinking perfect now, will hold a few more years. A brighter version IMO, not as dark in the fruit and lighter and more acidic. Great Geyserville
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The color is somewhere between cranberry and pomegranate along the rim, but the core is opaque. Cherry, rhubarb, truffle, molasses and coffee dominate the nose and segue almost seamlessly to the palate. Wow! This is a big wine with loads of extraction and depth. Grainy sediment dips with the last pour. 64% Zin., 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Boushet, 2% Mourvedre. 14.3% alc. With beef London Broil. 10.01.20. Recommended.
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A California classic. Deep garnet - a slight rusty brick showing at the edge. Stewed red fruits, porcini mushroom, dark chocolate, vanilla. Purchased directly from the winery last year this is drinking amazing right now and developing like a fine claret.
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A great zinfandel blend that has held up beautifully with good blue, black & red fruit depth, balanced integration of earthy spice, acidity, soft but present tannins and a really good finish.
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14.3% abv. Medium ruby, very expressive aromatics. On the palate, ripe plum, raspberry, blue fruit, sage and a lifting floral note on the finish. Plus depth and length. In a superb place that combines youthful vibrancy with emerging secondary flavors.Years of life remaining. Geyserville is a treasure.
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Nice to see you again there. After this long, kept this wonderful mix of caramel apple and slight oakiness. Tannins have soften quite a bit or as my wife would put it, this wine is smooth caramel. Yeah, it’s that good!
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This was very 'ok'. Showed a strong sense of 'Zin' but it just didn't say much else. Dense and structured. Not really closed. Just there. Stayed that way probably at least an hour. A decent wine but clearly you expect something better here. Maybe a decant would have helped. Mysterious.
Rich brick color w/caramel edges. Truffle, cinnamon, brown sugar scents balanced w/blackberry. Flavors of clove, spice, & cherry that linger in the finish with orange peel. Lovely bottle.
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Woodwinters Edinburgh Fine Wine Bash (Woodwinters Edinburgh): Wine of the night for me, given the price. Very dark garnet colour. Fragrant violet(?) nose. Blueberry and blackcurrant, sweet taste, a little tannin. Really easygoing and quite ravishing. A stalwart at the table described it, half jokingly, as pizza wine, and he was right - this would be a great pairing with the best pizza you can find (or make). 14.3% abv; Woodwinters, £52].
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Second Sunday Group: Ridge Geyserville Vertical (2008-2015) (R&D's): Double blind. Initially quite reticent and shy in terms of the bouquet. Showing more on the palate though- mixed red and dark fruit, raspberry; somewhat tannic. A bit of an outlier as it's brighter than the others in this lineup, and I like it for that reason. Berry and herbs with hints of chocolate. Raspberry and ripe cherry palate with a nice finish. 87-89 pts.
My #3, Domino's #8 Group #8, 80 pts
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A field blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Durif (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%), aged for 12-13 months in American oak barrels, of which 10% are new and 12% are once used. Bottled in Ferbruary 2012. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dark, somewhat translucent and still relatively youthful dark ruby color. Big, sweet-toned and slightly developed nose with rich aromas of boysenberries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dried brambles and other forest fruits, light floral tones, an attractive woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of wild strawberries. The wine is lively, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and somewhat developed on the palate with some nice sense of concentration and complex flavors of brambly blackberries and wizened dark furits, sweet Christmas spices, some peppery spice, a little bit of evolved raisiny fruit, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a meaty hint of umami and a sweet touch of prunes. The wine is enjoyably structured with its high acidity and firm, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is rich, long and moderately grippy with complex flavors of juicy dark fruits and wizened black cherries, some boysenberries, a little bit of meaty umami, light raisiny tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of savory wood spice. The bright acidity lends good freshness and persistence to the aftertaste.
A lovely, rich and vibrant California red that is slowly approaching its plateau of maturity. The wine is still relatively youthful in its style, so there is obviously still some way to go, but the developed, savory notes are slowly starting to emerge, lending lovely depth and complexity to the wine. Overall the wine seems to have lost some of its weight and ripe-fruited sweetness over the years, coming across as slightly lighter-weight in body. Most likely the wine will continue to improve at least a handful of years more and then keep good at least another decade. Consistently one of the most enjoyable Californian wines - it manages to show good sense of place without coming across as stereotypically "Californian" Zin. Great value at 40,30€.
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This bottle was drinking very nicely. Still lots of fruit, smooth, and with just enough acidity. Very enjoyable. Drink pretty soon, but probably good for a couple of years.
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A blend of 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro aged in American Oak for 13 months. This had a lot less fresh fruit compared to the 2017, also a lot more herbal, mint and eucalyptus notes, this was less lush, more straight, direct and serious compared to the Lytton Springs 2010.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Probably at or near peak. Beautiful wine, light/smooth tannins with a medium weight. Sweet blueberry, cherry and plum on the palate. Great pairing for smoked pork ribs with dry rub. I had this a year ago and only decanted for 90 minutes and rated it 4 points lower.
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Very good tannin integration. Quite sweet fruit. Balance, acidity, structure all here. Nice finish. Very good. Possible downside : but too much fruit and jam towards the end. Would buy again. Prefer the Cab.
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Tasted at The Wine Society's dinner, Berkshire, UK, with Ridge winemaker Eric Baugher introducing the wines. Served to accompany cheese course. Bright young garnet colour. Nose and palate showed minerality, aniseed, spice. Still young, despite 9 years since the vintage. Continued to open up in the glass for an hour (by which time I'd drunk it!). A delicious wine to finish our dinner.
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Slow ox’d for 60 mins, then drank over the next 2 hrs. This was truly excellent. Drinking at or near peak, I suspect. As usual, patience pays off big time with this bottling. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was the purity of the fruit, unencumbered by oak. Some very enjoyable hints of tertiaries (esp. tobacco and dry leaves). Wonderful acidity. Paired beautifully with braised pork shoulder.
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No visible sign of age. Nice enough nose. OK fruit, but nothing to suggest what it is. A bit of Ridge earthiness. Struck me as rather dull and lifeless. Maybe more air (it only got about 30 minutes) and/or age will help.
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This is a nice bottle of the 2010 Geyserville. Lovely dark berry fruit, bramble, mellow tannins, good acidity and a medium finish. It is delicious to drink; however, I would recommend enjoying these bottles sooner, rather than later.
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The wine is good, but the fruit seems to be fading, hence the lower score. It has nice dark red fruit, bramble and noticeable acidity. I think it is time to drink up this vintage.
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Been disappointed by Ridge zins the last few years, so my expectations were pretty low. Took to a party, so no detailed notes. In two brief tastes, however, I was favorably impressed. Yeah, it showed some funk and earthiness, but there was a beam of bright fruit that shone through. Still nothing to write home about, but there's at least some hope for the future. Should hold for a few more years, and it might even improve.
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A fairly classic example of a middle-aged Geyserville. Mostly resolved tannins with abundant red-berry fruit, some earthiness and tar, medium-weight with good terminal acidity. It went well with the lamb (but what red wine doesn't?) but clearly will continue to develop and evolve for another 5-10 years. Drink now if you like your Geyserville young and fruity, but hold if you yearn for the complexity of aged Geezer.
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Decanted and tasted, light fine sediment. Medium-deep youthful ruby; nose is aromatic, black cherry, fresh and slight minerals but also great depth and richness; palate is medium bodied, fresh medium acidity, slightly high alcohol (14.3%) but reasonably in check, again black cherry fruit but overall simple in its fruit; medium length. Balanced zinfandel, enjoyable, but overall simpler than expected for geyserville. 88 Over a few hours, this was generally best when first poured from the bottle after double decanting, and then it lost its intensity and flavor quickly in the glass. I really don't think this improved over the 5 years that I've held it. 87-
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This bottle drank well. Loads of fruit, with just some hints of spice to balance. Tannins are pretty smooth and has decent acidity to keep it from feeling too heavy. Drinking well now but should hold a few more years as well.
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Dark purple/red hues. Raspberry and bramble aromas. Black and blue fruits, herbs, medium-low acidity. On the first day, the wine was very energetic. I revisited it on day three and found the flavors, particularly on the finish, have rounded out and are less lively. Not worse, just different.
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This was outstanding. It was very nicely balanced, easy to drink, with a very flavorful fruit touch. I don’t think it has much more cellar life, maybe a couple of years, but not to 2021.
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Sweet nose of dried leaves, boysenberry, christmas spice, dusty trail, and a little bit of bourbon-y american oak and maybe some beef broth. Nice tense flavors, blackberry, black cherries, pepper, forest umami, raison and orange peel. plenty of juicy acidity. medium plus body, medium minus tannins. Long finish, with perfumed roses, black cherries and strawberries, along with darker fruit and wood shavings. grippy. I think this is entering maturity nicely, with some concentration and some earthy, lite woodsy dried fruit, savory, but still really bright. Lovely zin without the bombast of most cali zins, but by no means a new school light bodied zin either.
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Dark plum color. Very much an “earthy” nose. Light hit of candied fruit on entry. Then some sour hits. Then some bitterness. That makes for a very unusual experience. Surprising to me, but not altogether off-putting. Also interesting that this is, probably, the lightest bodied Ridge I’ve ever had. A good wine, but far from my favorite from this maker.
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The missus really enjoyed. Probably still needs some air. Deep hues. Lots of black and blue fruit with some red thrown in. Enjoyable, probably could be a bit more dry. Very nice finish.
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Intense wine. Upon opening, heat, wood, and dill came overpowered the dark fruit. Eventually fruit came through, but forest / herbal notes remained much stronger than I expected or have experienced in any other Zin I've had lately. Unfortunately it was gone after an hour, but I expect it would settle down with more air.
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Still blue rim, leafy blackcurrant minty nose - very cab sauv/franc like. Sweet bramble start becoming herbaceous and more complex with good balancing acidity at finish. May well evolve further but good to drink now.
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The nose was incredibly rich and dark with sweat tobacco, spiced plums and brown sugar up front, followed by hints of dusty dried florals and hard red candies. On the palate, I found silky, medium-weight textures with tart cherry, black berry and red licorice. It finished dry with a palate saturating mix of intensely concentrated fruit, yet dropped off a little sooner than expected.
I must say that this was an unexpected performance. In the end, I wanted more from the finish and the palate lacked a bit of depth.
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Drank and compared the 2010 Lytton Springs and Geyserville and the G was the clear winner today. Had more of everything, fruit, acidity, tannins etc. Better today but both are young and I´m not so sure it will be better in the long run, I wouldn´t be surprised I prefer LS five years from now when they have matured.
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this was very youthful seeming to me, with oak tannin dominating the structure, and dark berries dominating the fruit. great with bbq ribs, and a little less polished than the '10 Lytton
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Aroma: complex and aromatic with jammy berries, cedar, pine needles and lavender. Palate: beautifully mature yet still fruity with boysenberry, pencil shavings, mushrooms and cloves. Fairly acidic. Considerable mature tannins give structure and body. Very enjoyable now but will probably last for several more years.
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This represents the far end of the zin scale as a blend with only 64% zin and lots of other fun mixed blacks. It contrast the current push for pure , clean, zin bottling. I like both styles. Dark plum, blackberry, slightly oaky, with an almost Napa cabernet like vanilla note. Good complexity. Decent wine.
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Fruity, lots of dark berries and plum. High acidity balancing the fruit, medium tannin. A lovely wine, a fairly unusual blend, but very well made. Good with food and on its own.
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Really pretty fruit Forward nose. Lots or red and black fruit, most prominent was raspberry. Alcohol wasn't overbearing but was noticeable. By the 2nd glass I found still enjoyable but the overall fruitiness did start to wear on the palate. Not sure how this will age but if I had another is hold another 5 years just to see what it is at 10 years.
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Glass: Riedel Vinum Riesling From a half bottle. Clear, deep purple color. Intense youthful nose with lots of blackberries, raspberries and cassis, maybe a bit too artificial. Toffee, caramel. Dry, good acidity, which balances the high alc (14% abv). Fruit juice with alcohol… lots of blackberries, some spices. Quite intense and long, but also a bit alcoholic. Its my first Geyserville and I would assume it is way too young, but I don’t know what happens, when the fruitiness goes. Will it improve? Maybe not, because it is completely fruit driven…
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Burst of raspberry, blueberry, and dark cherry notes. Hints of oregano and herbs. Lovely lingering blueberry and slight acidity on the finish. Tannins fairly subdued.
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First bottle from our case. Amazingly drinkable, much further forward than usual for Geyserville. Lovely fruit but not much tannin for future development.
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Deep purple despite having thrown a substantial amount of light sediment (decanting required). Nice berry bouquet although not terribly complex. On the palate, lots of intense berry flavor associations--raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, as well as star anise and a dash of pepper. Well balanced with smooth tannins. Likely will improve for a few more years. Sadly, however, this was my last bottle.
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From a 375. Pop and pour over two nights with VinVac in between. Starts with red fruit that is juicy and on the edge of jammy. Mid palate is nice but not complex. OK finish.
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37th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2010s (R&D's): Dark crimson color. Red and purple fruit aromas with spice and plum underneath. Boysenberry, black raspberry and pepper flavors. Nice but finishes on the short side of the spectrum.
My #6, Domino's #4 Group #7, 53 pts (one 2nd place vote broke the tie with the last place wine)
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Knuste sorte bær, våt stein, einebær, harpiks, rått kjøtt, dyrepels og mokka. Veldig saftig anslag, med tett, moden frukt og en god del sødme. Spretten syre og finkornede, tilstedeværende tanniner. Følger opp nesen. Veldig god konsentrasjon. Kraftig, uten å bli for tung, men fruktsødmen sitter i, og gjør finishen syltetøyaktig. Best lett avkjølt, for når temperaturen øker viser den mer tørket frukt, sødme og alkohol. Ikke helt etter min smak, men sikkert knall til marinert, grillet kjøtt. 89p.
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Tasted at end of cold so receptors probably not in tip top condition. Hints of strawberry and bubblegum on a background of plum and cherry flavours on nose. The red stone fruit more prominent on the palate, ripe tannins with good balancing acidity. Enjoyable to drink on its own and good with food. Slightly underwhelmed but that may be my fault. At the moment 14/20 86 ish.
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Lots of fruit up front, some tartness, but then a smooth finish. This is too young - recommend holding another 3 years before checking in again. VERY GOOD.
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raisins drenched in brandy, plum, saddle leather, shoe polish, cherries. There is a distinct raisiny zinfandel nose including some early signs of maturity on the nose. On the palate, the freshness cuts through everything and the tannic traces and heat and oak are beginning to integrate. Very hard to tell what will come out in five plus years time. Right now it feels like its caught in the middle between fresh ripe fruit and aged complexity, without really showcasing either side too well.
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Drinking this wine feels like I'm scooping a mixture of fresh berries into my mouth and chomping on them - blackberries, raspberries, blackcurrant, what have you. Really juicy, and that's great fun, but it's missing some of the complexity and the structure that I like about its sibling, Lytton Springs. If secondary characters develop with time, it might become more interesting.
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Wine Session - Theme: Quirky Wines (Pine Close): It displayed a lot more complexity on the nose and palate. Lots of dark fruits, earthiness, and oak, but this was not a blockbuster wine. Medium bodied, and quite restrained in style. Tannins were quite elegant. My friend commented that it had a distinct "crayon" nose? I thought it tasted quite Spanish! Zinfandel dominant wine at 64%, blended with 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre). Now, that's an interesting blend? To most of us, this was the WOTN.
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Not-The-Usual-Grapes Wine Night (Pine Close): Slow-oxed in bottle for about 1 hour+. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla, spice, caramel, and crayons! Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol that is hardly felt, fine medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of strawberry jam, rich dark cherry juice, vanilla, caramel, peppery spice, leather. Long finish. Very good quality. Almost excellent balance. I would think maybe another 2 years and the vanilla oak should integrate in seamlessly. Lovely wine. This ain't no jammy fruit bomb. 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petit Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro.
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Opened with friends. Nose was explosive, and fresh on the palate with hints of pepper. This was the best red we opened all night, classic Ridge. Drink now or hold this for many years. Always a crowd pleaser. VERY GOOD.
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Intrigued by other reviewers comments I drank this at least a couple of years ahead of plan. I might have to find some more now as it is gorgeous! An unusual smell, but quite intoxicating (yes I could even detect something approximating blood as suggested by KUUMIES). Decanted but dove straight in rather than waiting - over the next 4 hours the taste and aroma remained fairly constant. Enjoy with a rare steak and a vampire movie.
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Wonderfully intense aromas of black fruit, girdled with almond milk, lead to a great thrust of blackcurrant on the palate. This is an exceptionally flavoursome wine, so much so that the 14% alcohol remains in balance and even delivers a sweetness to the hedonistic experience. The fruit is thick and mashed but vibrant and the tannins fine grained and supportive. This is skipping with life now and gives the impression that it will continue to do so for some time yet.
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Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Very good acidity and fruit. Less cool and a bit jammier than the Lytton Springs 2010 but very balanced and nice.
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0.375 liter bottle. Lively and bright dark red color, some transparency. A confident, adamant nose of dry, ripe dark fruit (think currants and cherries), herbs, blood, smoke and some prune. A bit scary nose even, at least if I didn't know what it is I'm smelling. This must be what they are enjoying on the Death Star. Rich and sturdy on the palate with sizeable, fine-grained tannins. While ripe, this is also quite savoury. The oak is definitely there, but it feels like the integration is going to be seamless with time. Despite being quite chewy and fleshy there is still freshness to this wine. Good grip, with a clean, mouthwatering finish. Some warmth. Interesting now, but I would really like to taste this in some ten years' time. Still, this is how big wine should be done.
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See 9/3/12 and 9/29/13 notes. Still young. Lots of berry, spice, and espresso. Excellent and interesting blend that is mostly (64%) Zin. Oak not completely integrated.
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Dark, wide, complete wine that is just an amazing, albeit young, wine. PS shining through today. Has a beautiful trajectory to look forward to. Like a warm kiss.
Very dark red with violet streaks. Not teeth staining. Nose is huge, balanced, fabulous and sports dark cherries, plum compote, cassis and herbs (anise and slight thyme). In the mouth, this has M tannins of a beautifully mature kind, M+ acids and generally performs like a round, welcoming kiss when you have newly fallen in love. Overshadowed my expectations. Two btls to go next one in 2016. At Le Message, Gumyouji (Yokohama).
Tasted from a half bottle. Ruby colour, not too thick. Nose showing lots of fresh fruits (bilberry and blackberry) and a flowery perfume. The fruits continue on the palate which is clean and refreshing, with the oak not that noticeable given how young it is. The flavours build into a gentle almost sweet spicy finish.
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From a 375. On pop and pour, this was not quite disjointed but more rough. Pouring through Vinturi, helped but still young and tight. Underneath there was an interesting burst of fruit which seemed dominated by the Petite. Even from the 375, it needs time or much air.
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Not much to add to 9/3/12 note. Very food-friendly, juicy, fruit-forward wine that demonstrates nice balance and interesting flavor profile. Paired well with BBQ ribs.
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Day 1 - Nose: Fully fruited. Some complexity (interest) due to grape blend. Palette - As above. Full bodied. Full alcohol (14.3%). But just too full fruited, too full bodied, too intense. Not enough finesse. This would suit a certain pundits taste.
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Ridge Geyserville 2010 Very full bodied. Interesting flavours due to multiple grapes. Multiple grapes adds abit of complexity. But still very primary. No finesse. Poor QPR at $50 from LCBO. 90
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Från start en lite jordig doft som öppnar upp med rena körsbärstoner. Smaken är ganska laddad med körsbär och björnbär. Gott och helt perfekt till den grillade hamburgaren. Frukten är långt ifrån nidbilden av zinfandel, frisk syra och spänstiga tanniner.
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Very pinkypurple colour. Soft, light and easily accessible nose. Some tannins, increasing after some air. A good correlation between nose and palate, and that's a real positive treat with this wine. Too often these two qualities diverge into the absurd.
Quite boring and easily likeable. 50+5+9+15+7 (86p)
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Wow. Unusual but fantastic. Strong on fruit, mainly apples. Hint of caramel. Almost drinks like an ice wine. Really curious to see how this will evolve.
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I am not really a Zin drinker. This bottle smelled to me like "paint thinner". The palate was ok though. Last time I drank Zinfandel was 20 years ago and I don't remember it smelling this artificial, so I guess this bottle was flawed even though the colleagues next to me insisted it has to smell like this...
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Tasted this at the winery and thought it was very good (90-91). Purchased a bottle and drank last night w/o decant. Really enjoyed on opening, zin component was in great harmony w/ the other varietals, managed to have dark fruit, red fruit, sweetness, w/ good acidic component keeping things in balance. Light tannins. This was what I remember from the winery.
However, over the next few hours I found that the wine devolved into a combination of over-ripe stewed fruits with a lemony/acid over-note. The mid-palate completely disappeared and the wine fell out of balance. Will sample on night two and update.
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Decanted about ½ hour. Pleasant nose of dark berries and some spice. Medium bodied, smooth and supple, delivering balanced dark fruit (brambles, blueberries) with a touch of oaky spice and firm,slightly dusty tannins on the finish. Very good. Drinking fairly well now but can certainly benefit from cellaring.
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A field blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Durif (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%), aged for 12-13 months in American oak barrels, of which 10% are new and 12% are once used.
Very dark, somewhat translucent Burgundy color. Quite ripe, almost jammy nose, yet exhibiting remarkable freshness. Aromas of mixed, dark brambly berries, kirsch, dried dark fruits, pencil shavings, even some aromatic cedar wood, a little bit of Christmas spice and a hint of dusty, sun-baked earth. Even though the nose is quite rich and very primary, it isn't overdone, screaming of extended hang-time or excessive oak, but instead revealing gently aromas of elegance and complexity. With some air the oak aromatics become more obvious and the fruit department has turned very Rhône like, something in the vein of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. On the palate the wine is round, full-bodied and suggesting notes of slightly jammy sweetness, but this sweetness is offset nicely by the surprisingly prominent acidity. Complex, layered flavors of sunny dark fruits, meatiness and some savory, woody and slightly cocoa oak, that really doesn't obfuscate, but lets the wine breathe. With some air, the wine starts to exhibit vibrant nuances of redcurrants, ripe blackberries, some allspice, a little smoke and a hint of mocha. The mouthfeel is quite rich and generous, showing also some power and weight, yet the wine feels remarkably balanced and harmonious, from the beginning to the end. The fine tannins are quite mellow, giving the palate some sense of firmness and hints of bitterness, instead of making the wine really grippy. The finish is somewhat bitter, but really long and complex with layered flavors of fresh plums, some vanilla, a little mocha and hints of ripe red fruits. The tannins become more pronounced in the aftertaste, but the alcohol (14,3%) remains completely hidden.
A really tremendous, complex Zinfandel blend showing remarkable freshness and balance that is very rare in Californian Zin-driven wines. Enormously attractive both with food and on its own. Even though the wine is quite big, ripe and sweet, it is so balanced, complex and well-defined I can't be but impressed. Shows a lot promise cellaring-wise. Highly recommended and worth its price at 40,30€.
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Very woody initially, which started to blow off after a couple hours in the bottle. Rich dark fruit favors give way to creamy vanilla oak with subtle tobacco and smoky notes. I can't see this holding up as well as other geyservilles. Alcohol was a bit off balance and tannins while present weren't terribly structural.
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Tight, powerful, nice fruit and a long finish. Much better than the bottle I opened last month, which in hind sight, could have been flawed. I would imagine this wine will benefit with some age.
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big rich mixed black fruit; very ripe but not past my pleasure point. Integrating woody/earth notes and some fine acidity on the finish; Polished for a zin.
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Most disappointing wine of the night. I'm usually a big fan of this bottling, but this vintage is jammy, viscous, with dark tired fruits and hints of vanilla. Lacking energy and verve.
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Powerful, exotic and classy. This amazing wine offers notes of sweet currants, blueberries, wild red berries as well as pepper, spiced beef, molasses, floral and fresh mineral mixed in. It's Caressing, silky and polished with a long pepper-tinged finish. Drink this now or watch it evolve over the next decade. The blend is composed of 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet amd 2% Mataro (Mourvedre). (Drink 2012-2022)
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An interesting blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignane (20%), Petite Sirah (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%), and Mataro (2%). Clear dark garnet with a purple tint. Nose of plum, black cherry, pepper, and vanilla. Medium palate of juicy, pure ripe blackberry, plum, cherry, and spice. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Mild tannins. A keeper. Very young now, but showing very well.
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Big fruit on the nose with chocolate and plum. The palate is very generous and delicious with blackberry, plum and cherry jams. Hints of cocoa powder linger in the structured finish. Powerful. Quite good but overall not my style.
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What a great, old fashioned zin. Loads of fresh, ripe berry, pepper, and a nice chewy mouthful of tannins. I think I liked this better than the 2009. Should age better than most Zion's, even better than most geyservilles.
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Tasted at Lytton Springs. Aromas of black pepper, blue fruit and wild earth. Juicy and ripe fruit on the palate with savory like leather and spice. Roundly structured and an ample finish. Very good.
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Really delicious. Opens with a smoky fruit nose. At first, this more remniscient of Chinon than California zinfandel. Great acidity. Classic zinfandel fruit starts to come out with lots of air.
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Surprisingly open and accessible at this early stage. Red-purple color. Pretty nose of blackberry and dark fruit and a spicy undertone. In the mouth, forward and almost jammy, with a blackberry cobbler sensibility almost but with more acidity and earth and spice notes than you would expect. Just a precocious, delicious youngster. But the back-end tannins flex and remind you that this will age and evolve, like a Ridge always does. A-
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Drank from a 375. Poured some into a large glass, took a sip and then let sit for a few hours. Had over about 4 hours. I think this might be the youngest Geyserville I have ever had. This is 64% Zin but I would have guessed more. Big ripe zin flavors with medium weight. The fruit really hits you in the face at this stage. To the edge but not to the point of tasting like raisons. Even all that fruit can not hide the tannins. This wine will move to the back of the cellar. See you in 10 years.
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Medium color. Medium weight. Lovely, bright blackberry and raspberry without the briary qualities that sometimes dominate Zinfandel. Already a pleasure to drink. Appealing balance and (lack of) weight.
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Medium plus purple color. Fruity black and purple nose. Tar and mineral and not all that brooding as the 09. Palate is the shy side of med(+) body. Medium (-) tannin, medium plus acid, medium plus ABV. Off the cork pull, not quite the most astounding Geyserville, i've had, but it sure goes nicely along side some Indian curry. This will require further investigation.
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The nose showed blackberry jam with cinnamon, pepper and hints of mint. On the palate, I found sour mixed berries, peppermint and minerals on a balanced and structured frame with refreshing acidity, which allowed this brooding Zinfandel to show well on this night. The finish was long with palate staining fruits that wrapped the senses and showed only a glimpse of the tannin that hides beneath.
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I've only had a handful of vintages of Geyserville, but this is near the top for me. Tremendous acidity, a light touch with the oak, detailed bright red fruit, understated tart plum, and some green herbs.
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Tasted from barrel sample. Interesting nose of blackberries and camphor with a touch of redwood shavings. Starts with a big hit of berry fruit, moving quickly to some green and woody flavors in the mid palate. Finishes with dusty puckery tannins. Clearly very young, but shows promise.
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12/21/2023 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Final bottle from the cellar. Consistent with previous notes, still beautiful
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12/9/2023 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle - not decanted but drunk over 2 hours. Immediately attractive nose of woody spicy redcurrants with definite cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Hints of strawberry. Fruit first on the palate, more black than red, even Morello cherries, then multilayered middle wrapped with firm but not harsh tannins and perfect acidic balance. Superb interesting wine, great VFM and cheered me through my second encounter with covid.
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10/16/2023 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 91 Points
Beau vin moins ample que mes autres expériences avec Geyserville. Plus aérien, fruit rouge et noir sans la richesse typique du Zinfandel. Léger sous-bois, acidité à point, dans une belle phase présentement.
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9/19/2023 - deadwax Likes this wine:
Starting to fade and dry out a little. Plan to drink the last one fairly soon.
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8/12/2023 - SamuSe Likes this wine: 87 Points
I think the wine is at is peak or passed it. Balanced wine with softened tannins. Still fruitiness on the palate. Maybe should have drunk 1 or 2 years earlier.
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3/23/2023 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez cerises rouges, un peu de menthol. Texture veloutée, c’est sensuel, épicé, c’est puissant, moderne, mais savoureux et profond. Très beau vin, qui nous a fait chercher. Le temps lui a apporté une belle patine. 92 pts
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11/27/2022 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Penultimate bottle - quite a raisiny nose with prunes and spices. Rich spicey palate. I think at its best or maybe a slight decline
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11/13/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Saturday night with Auntie Ro and Braised Shortrib (Leafy West London): Been a bit of a Ridgey weekend so thought we'd try this with dinner. Enjoyed with some braised beef from the back of the freezer. Colour - garnet with still a hint of purple. On the nose - pretty muted to begin with, needed to sniff hard but some red fruits, a hint of spice. On the palate - some red fruits, redcurrant, very ripe strawberries but no jamminess. A lovely call with some weirdly refreshing acidity, gentle tannins and some spiciness from the oak. My most enjoyable bottle of this wine? Maybe so. No rush at all to drink up - this is going to keep going - but equally, it's giving a great deal of pleasure now.
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9/4/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Zinchester: Well - here we go. What a wine. A Hegelian trio of Zins - the thesis of the 15 Buchignani, its antithesis the 11 Lytton, and now the synthesis. There was some question as to whether we’d open this and I’m very glad we did. So much going on - seeming more mature than the only-slightly-younger wine that preceded with, yet with nearly as much energy and zip as the 15. This was in a really good place. No rush to drink up but equally - not sure it can ever offer much more pleasure than this bottle did.
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4/8/2022 - Erik R. wrote:
Bowl of dark room temperature berries on the nose, w/ tobacco leaves. Concentrated juicy elderberry, boysenberry, dried leaves that ebb and flow nicely. a great geyserville, tannins becoming resolved, still plenty of grip and acidity to match the concentrated dark fruit.Seems to have dropped some oak and sweetness, drinking tremendously. Fruit heavy, bracing acidity and well balanced. Terrific.
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12/17/2021 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-saturated purple, minimal clearing
-lovely ripe almost jammy berry with a prominent wet stone streak
-barely med acidity, med/med+ weight somewhat unidimensional ripe sweet dark berry with nice minerality and some early mature elements and noticeable but not overwhelming heat mingling with the med tannins
-excellent minerality, would drink sooner than later to enjoy the residual fruit while it can still absorb the heat
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12/15/2021 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Yum! These aged Zins from Ridge are always such a treat with an insane QPR. Decanted to remove considerable sediment. Lovely aromas of pipe tobacco, cinnamon, black raspberry, and even a hint of anise. Complex and compelling. Red berries on the palate with a streak of milk chocolate and some dry underbrush. Medium weight, plenty of acid for balance, and a medium-long drying finish. Well put-together bordering on elegant. Drink now or soon. Thanks, Ridge!
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11/30/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Ridge Dinner 29 November - The Young Ones (Hawksmoor Guildhall): First of these i've drunk for a year or so - super coherent now, just fully integrated, starting to show secondary characteristics. If i didn't know how these develop I'd say "drink them now" but...they will go on for decades. The fruit is still there, super engaging, there is a backbone there but it's so easy (and enjoyable) to drink now. My, and the table's WOTN.
Some discussion about the correct pronunciation, I'm *pretty* sure it's guy-zerville...
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11/27/2021 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
A blend of organically farmed Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Petite Sirah (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%) from the Geyserville vineyard in Alexander Valley. The harvest started on 18th of September and ended on 14th of October. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 8 days. Aged in American oak (10% new, 12% second and third use and 78% fourth and fifth use) for 12 months. 14,3% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Geyserville 2016, 2012, 2011 and 2010.
Dark, somewhat translucent and still surprisingly youthful deep garnet color. Very intense, concentrated and characterful nose with intense aromas of juicy blackcurrants and elderberries, some ripe black cherry, light succulent notes of dark plums, a little bit of savory wood spice, fragrant hints of garrigue, violets and elderflowers, a touch of licorice root and a sweet whiff of strawberry jam. Lots of everything going on here! The wine is ripe, juicy and surprisingly concentrated on the palate, yet it never comes across as weighty or clumsy but instead surprisingly light on its feet despite its full body. Intense flavors of ripe blueberries and soft dark plums, some boysenberry tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light sweet notes of black cherries, a hint of elderberry juice and a touch of savory wood. The wine has a wonderfully tactile yet silky texture and impressive structure, thanks to its bright, high acidity and quite ample, firm and grippy tannins. The finish is rich, quite grippy and rather intense with lengthy, complex flavors of ripe boysenberries and blackberries, some cherry marmalade, light blueberry tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of licorice root and a touch of sun-baked earth. The alcohol remains surprisingly well-hidden throughout.
This is easily one of the most impressive vintages of 2010's Geyserville - if not The Most Impressive - and although it has always been a wonderful wine, its brilliance really becomes obvious in a vertical tasting tasting. This vintage was easily the best of the Geyservilles we tasted and especially comparing to the relatively mature 2011 vintage, its remarkably youthful overall character was really accentuated. Furthermore, the wine has lost a great deal of the sweetest fruit and oak character, coming across as more savory and structure-driven old-world style, compared to how the wine tasted like 8 years ago, when it exhibited more ripe fruit notes and less integrated oak influence. This wine is definitely going in the right direction and I'd say that from the four vintages we had, this was the furthest away from from its optimal drinking window. Geyserville should start peaking at around 10 to 15 years of age, but this seemed like at least 10 years away from its apogee. Let this vintage wait, it really benefits from any further cellaring it can get. Terrific value at 40,30€.
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11/3/2021 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle is lovely and seems to be still improving. Blackcurrant,violets and spices with an almost Christmas cake feel on the nose, soft long tannins with a hint of sweetness and a long finish.
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5/27/2021 - td1836 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic bottle. Combination of some secondary flavors intermingled with the mixed blacks fruit made this a very well rounded wine. The age has improved things as I enjoyed this quite a bit more than my last bottle three years ago.
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4/16/2021 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red fruits with hints of strawberry leaves and scent. scents continue on the palate to create an interesting mouthful. Fully ready
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3/1/2021 - brigcampbell wrote:
This bottle showed much better - I'm a fan of mixed blacks just not the American oak and it seems like the dill notes are rolling back in favor of redwood shavings which I'm cool with.
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2/27/2021 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Very consistent with previous bottle I consumerd Dec 2020. Outstanding Geyrserville - love it!
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12/24/2020 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Inviting and complex nose with blackberries, wild raspberries, Sandalwood, leather, baking spices, vanilla and freshly ground coffee. 10 years and so vibrant and great acidity. Drinking perfect now, will hold a few more years. A brighter version IMO, not as dark in the fruit and lighter and more acidic. Great Geyserville
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11/14/2020 - AndersAnd Likes this wine: 91 Points
Elegant, fin lukt, krydder
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10/1/2020 - timewithwine wrote:
The color is somewhere between cranberry and pomegranate along the rim, but the core is opaque. Cherry, rhubarb, truffle, molasses and coffee dominate the nose and segue almost seamlessly to the palate. Wow! This is a big wine with loads of extraction and depth. Grainy sediment dips with the last pour. 64% Zin., 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Boushet, 2% Mourvedre. 14.3% alc. With beef London Broil. 10.01.20. Recommended.
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8/24/2020 - seanucsb wrote: 92 Points
A California classic. Deep garnet - a slight rusty brick showing at the edge. Stewed red fruits, porcini mushroom, dark chocolate, vanilla. Purchased directly from the winery last year this is drinking amazing right now and developing like a fine claret.
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7/29/2020 - IAmVintage wrote: 93 Points
A great zinfandel blend that has held up beautifully with good blue, black & red fruit depth, balanced integration of earthy spice, acidity, soft but present tannins and a really good finish.
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7/7/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 96 Points
14.3% abv. Medium ruby, very expressive aromatics. On the palate, ripe plum, raspberry, blue fruit, sage and a lifting floral note on the finish. Plus depth and length. In a superb place that combines youthful vibrancy with emerging secondary flavors.Years of life remaining. Geyserville is a treasure.
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5/8/2020 - Twinkles wrote: 93 Points
Nice to see you again there. After this long, kept this wonderful mix of caramel apple and slight oakiness. Tannins have soften quite a bit or as my wife would put it, this wine is smooth caramel. Yeah, it’s that good!
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2/2/2020 - WetRock wrote:
This was very 'ok'. Showed a strong sense of 'Zin' but it just didn't say much else. Dense and structured. Not really closed. Just there. Stayed that way probably at least an hour. A decent wine but clearly you expect something better here. Maybe a decant would have helped. Mysterious.
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1/1/2020 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brought to Tania's for new years eve. This bottle drank very nicely, just had a small taste.
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12/20/2019 - leachriscellar wrote: 91 Points
Rich brick color w/caramel edges. Truffle, cinnamon, brown sugar scents balanced w/blackberry. Flavors of clove, spice, & cherry that linger in the finish with orange peel. Lovely bottle.
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12/6/2019 - scyrene Likes this wine: 90 Points
Woodwinters Edinburgh Fine Wine Bash (Woodwinters Edinburgh): Wine of the night for me, given the price. Very dark garnet colour. Fragrant violet(?) nose. Blueberry and blackcurrant, sweet taste, a little tannin. Really easygoing and quite ravishing. A stalwart at the table described it, half jokingly, as pizza wine, and he was right - this would be a great pairing with the best pizza you can find (or make). 14.3% abv; Woodwinters, £52].
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10/13/2019 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Second Sunday Group: Ridge Geyserville Vertical (2008-2015) (R&D's): Double blind. Initially quite reticent and shy in terms of the bouquet. Showing more on the palate though- mixed red and dark fruit, raspberry; somewhat tannic. A bit of an outlier as it's brighter than the others in this lineup, and I like it for that reason. Berry and herbs with hints of chocolate. Raspberry and ripe cherry palate with a nice finish. 87-89 pts.
My #3, Domino's #8
Group #8, 80 pts
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9/24/2019 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
A field blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Durif (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%), aged for 12-13 months in American oak barrels, of which 10% are new and 12% are once used. Bottled in Ferbruary 2012. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dark, somewhat translucent and still relatively youthful dark ruby color. Big, sweet-toned and slightly developed nose with rich aromas of boysenberries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dried brambles and other forest fruits, light floral tones, an attractive woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of wild strawberries. The wine is lively, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and somewhat developed on the palate with some nice sense of concentration and complex flavors of brambly blackberries and wizened dark furits, sweet Christmas spices, some peppery spice, a little bit of evolved raisiny fruit, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a meaty hint of umami and a sweet touch of prunes. The wine is enjoyably structured with its high acidity and firm, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is rich, long and moderately grippy with complex flavors of juicy dark fruits and wizened black cherries, some boysenberries, a little bit of meaty umami, light raisiny tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of savory wood spice. The bright acidity lends good freshness and persistence to the aftertaste.
A lovely, rich and vibrant California red that is slowly approaching its plateau of maturity. The wine is still relatively youthful in its style, so there is obviously still some way to go, but the developed, savory notes are slowly starting to emerge, lending lovely depth and complexity to the wine. Overall the wine seems to have lost some of its weight and ripe-fruited sweetness over the years, coming across as slightly lighter-weight in body. Most likely the wine will continue to improve at least a handful of years more and then keep good at least another decade. Consistently one of the most enjoyable Californian wines - it manages to show good sense of place without coming across as stereotypically "Californian" Zin. Great value at 40,30€.
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9/24/2019 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was drinking very nicely. Still lots of fruit, smooth, and with just enough acidity. Very enjoyable. Drink pretty soon, but probably good for a couple of years.
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7/21/2019 - CleverCorkage Likes this wine:
Prefer the 2014 vintage. I would consume the 2010 now or soon.
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6/28/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
A blend of 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro aged in American Oak for 13 months. This had a lot less fresh fruit compared to the 2017, also a lot more herbal, mint and eucalyptus notes, this was less lush, more straight, direct and serious compared to the Lytton Springs 2010.
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5/26/2019 - rgujral Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Probably at or near peak. Beautiful wine, light/smooth tannins with a medium weight. Sweet blueberry, cherry and plum on the palate. Great pairing for smoked pork ribs with dry rub. I had this a year ago and only decanted for 90 minutes and rated it 4 points lower.
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4/7/2019 - Macdog Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good tannin integration. Quite sweet fruit. Balance, acidity, structure all here. Nice finish. Very good. Possible downside : but too much fruit and jam towards the end. Would buy again. Prefer the Cab.
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4/1/2019 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted at The Wine Society's dinner, Berkshire, UK, with Ridge winemaker Eric Baugher introducing the wines. Served to accompany cheese course. Bright young garnet colour. Nose and palate showed minerality, aniseed, spice. Still young, despite 9 years since the vintage. Continued to open up in the glass for an hour (by which time I'd drunk it!). A delicious wine to finish our dinner.
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3/16/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow ox’d for 60 mins, then drank over the next 2 hrs. This was truly excellent. Drinking at or near peak, I suspect. As usual, patience pays off big time with this bottling. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was the purity of the fruit, unencumbered by oak. Some very enjoyable hints of tertiaries (esp. tobacco and dry leaves). Wonderful acidity. Paired beautifully with braised pork shoulder.
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2/16/2019 - Night Train wrote: 87 Points
No visible sign of age. Nice enough nose. OK fruit, but nothing to suggest what it is. A bit of Ridge earthiness. Struck me as rather dull and lifeless. Maybe more air (it only got about 30 minutes) and/or age will help.
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1/26/2019 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a nice bottle of the 2010 Geyserville. Lovely dark berry fruit, bramble, mellow tannins, good acidity and a medium finish. It is delicious to drink; however, I would recommend enjoying these bottles sooner, rather than later.
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1/8/2019 - JM_MadTown wrote: 87 Points
The wine is good, but the fruit seems to be fading, hence the lower score. It has nice dark red fruit, bramble and noticeable acidity. I think it is time to drink up this vintage.
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9/22/2018 - Night Train Likes this wine: 88 Points
Been disappointed by Ridge zins the last few years, so my expectations were pretty low. Took to a party, so no detailed notes. In two brief tastes, however, I was favorably impressed. Yeah, it showed some funk and earthiness, but there was a beam of bright fruit that shone through. Still nothing to write home about, but there's at least some hope for the future. Should hold for a few more years, and it might even improve.
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8/5/2018 - MLipton wrote:
A fairly classic example of a middle-aged Geyserville. Mostly resolved tannins with abundant red-berry fruit, some earthiness and tar, medium-weight with good terminal acidity. It went well with the lamb (but what red wine doesn't?) but clearly will continue to develop and evolve for another 5-10 years. Drink now if you like your Geyserville young and fruity, but hold if you yearn for the complexity of aged Geezer.
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7/12/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 87 Points
Decanted and tasted, light fine sediment. Medium-deep youthful ruby; nose is aromatic, black cherry, fresh and slight minerals but also great depth and richness; palate is medium bodied, fresh medium acidity, slightly high alcohol (14.3%) but reasonably in check, again black cherry fruit but overall simple in its fruit; medium length. Balanced zinfandel, enjoyable, but overall simpler than expected for geyserville. 88
Over a few hours, this was generally best when first poured from the bottle after double decanting, and then it lost its intensity and flavor quickly in the glass. I really don't think this improved over the 5 years that I've held it. 87-
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6/21/2018 - Zorg wrote: 89 Points
Nah, sour and grumpy. Not as good as the bottle I had two years ago.
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6/14/2018 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still seems young- deep purple with nice tannin and leather.
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4/26/2018 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle drank well. Loads of fruit, with just some hints of spice to balance. Tannins are pretty smooth and has decent acidity to keep it from feeling too heavy. Drinking well now but should hold a few more years as well.
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4/13/2018 - Shiaxonna wrote: 89 Points
Lots of power, vanilla and fruit. Immense power. Still very young and overwhelming. Wait at least 5-10 years.
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3/16/2018 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple/red hues. Raspberry and bramble aromas. Black and blue fruits, herbs, medium-low acidity. On the first day, the wine was very energetic. I revisited it on day three and found the flavors, particularly on the finish, have rounded out and are less lively. Not worse, just different.
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1/13/2018 - Vinomnivore wrote: 87 Points
Nice zin flavor but some stem/bramble quality. I don’t love this although it’s a classy, well made wine.
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12/16/2017 - ingar wrote:
Heidi&Aril. Midt i blinken for Heidi; dette er vel den beste vinen hun kan få.
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11/19/2017 - Osiris021 wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes.
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11/16/2017 - egaible Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really a superb wine. Grassy, with very soft tenants, the slightest barnyard in the nose. I wouldn’t wait to drink this anymore, it can’t get better
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10/12/2017 - ptm Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was outstanding. It was very nicely balanced, easy to drink, with a very flavorful fruit touch. I don’t think it has much more cellar life, maybe a couple of years, but not to 2021.
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9/17/2017 - goodvitis.com wrote: 88 Points
No formal notes, but this is a pretty bland, generic blend at this point. Not much complexity.
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5/25/2017 - Erik R. wrote:
Sweet nose of dried leaves, boysenberry, christmas spice, dusty trail, and a little bit of bourbon-y american oak and maybe some beef broth. Nice tense flavors, blackberry, black cherries, pepper, forest umami, raison and orange peel. plenty of juicy acidity. medium plus body, medium minus tannins. Long finish, with perfumed roses, black cherries and strawberries, along with darker fruit and wood shavings. grippy. I think this is entering maturity nicely, with some concentration and some earthy, lite woodsy dried fruit, savory, but still really bright. Lovely zin without the bombast of most cali zins, but by no means a new school light bodied zin either.
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3/14/2017 - EMark Likes this wine:
Dark plum color. Very much an “earthy” nose. Light hit of candied fruit on entry. Then some sour hits. Then some bitterness. That makes for a very unusual experience. Surprising to me, but not altogether off-putting. Also interesting that this is, probably, the lightest bodied Ridge I’ve ever had. A good wine, but far from my favorite from this maker.
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2/7/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
The missus really enjoyed. Probably still needs some air. Deep hues. Lots of black and blue fruit with some red thrown in. Enjoyable, probably could be a bit more dry. Very nice finish.
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11/30/2016 - td1836 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank with family, no notes taken. From memory, this was deep and complex, a great mix of fruit and herbs.
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11/13/2016 - Scamber wrote: 88 Points
Intense wine. Upon opening, heat, wood, and dill came overpowered the dark fruit. Eventually fruit came through, but forest / herbal notes remained much stronger than I expected or have experienced in any other Zin I've had lately. Unfortunately it was gone after an hour, but I expect it would settle down with more air.
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10/25/2016 - PSUSteve wrote:
From a 375. Consistent with my last note.
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10/17/2016 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still blue rim, leafy blackcurrant minty nose - very cab sauv/franc like. Sweet bramble start becoming herbaceous and more complex with good balancing acidity at finish. May well evolve further but good to drink now.
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9/19/2016 - bluedog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely.
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8/16/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 89 Points
The nose was incredibly rich and dark with sweat tobacco, spiced plums and brown sugar up front, followed by hints of dusty dried florals and hard red candies. On the palate, I found silky, medium-weight textures with tart cherry, black berry and red licorice. It finished dry with a palate saturating mix of intensely concentrated fruit, yet dropped off a little sooner than expected.
I must say that this was an unexpected performance. In the end, I wanted more from the finish and the palate lacked a bit of depth.
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8/12/2016 - Zorg wrote: 91 Points
Drank and compared the 2010 Lytton Springs and Geyserville and the G was the clear winner today. Had more of everything, fruit, acidity, tannins etc. Better today but both are young and I´m not so sure it will be better in the long run, I wouldn´t be surprised I prefer LS five years from now when they have matured.
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7/6/2016 - chcook Likes this wine:
this was very youthful seeming to me, with oak tannin dominating the structure, and dark berries dominating the fruit. great with bbq ribs, and a little less polished than the '10 Lytton
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6/25/2016 - kosinski wrote:
Aroma: complex and aromatic with jammy berries, cedar, pine needles and lavender.
Palate: beautifully mature yet still fruity with boysenberry, pencil shavings, mushrooms and cloves. Fairly acidic. Considerable mature tannins give structure and body. Very enjoyable now but will probably last for several more years.
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5/9/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
This represents the far end of the zin scale as a blend with only 64% zin and lots of other fun mixed blacks. It contrast the current push for pure , clean, zin bottling. I like both styles. Dark plum, blackberry, slightly oaky, with an almost Napa cabernet like vanilla note. Good complexity. Decent wine.
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4/13/2016 - Americana wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hrs. This is in its prime. Exquisite fruit on the palate, slight spice. Everything I love about Zinfandel. Strike while the iron's hot!
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2/20/2016 - Mike Dildine wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful rustic intensity. Should improve for at least another decade.
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2/3/2016 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruity, lots of dark berries and plum. High acidity balancing the fruit, medium tannin.
A lovely wine, a fairly unusual blend, but very well made. Good with food and on its own.
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1/1/2016 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
PnP from a 375. Similar to two months ago but more spice through the mid palate.
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12/27/2015 - ianwesley wrote:
Strange bottle; didn't seem ready for drinking, very tannic. Most unlike first bottle from case of 12
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12/12/2015 - TottenCellars wrote:
Really pretty fruit Forward nose. Lots or red and black fruit, most prominent was raspberry. Alcohol wasn't overbearing but was noticeable. By the 2nd glass I found still enjoyable but the overall fruitiness did start to wear on the palate. Not sure how this will age but if I had another is hold another 5 years just to see what it is at 10 years.
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12/4/2015 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 90 Points
Glass: Riedel Vinum Riesling
From a half bottle.
Clear, deep purple color. Intense youthful nose with lots of blackberries, raspberries and cassis, maybe a bit too artificial. Toffee, caramel.
Dry, good acidity, which balances the high alc (14% abv). Fruit juice with alcohol… lots of blackberries, some spices. Quite intense and long, but also a bit alcoholic. Its my first Geyserville and I would assume it is way too young, but I don’t know what happens, when the fruitiness goes. Will it improve? Maybe not, because it is completely fruit driven…
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11/28/2015 - rieslinghoarder Likes this wine: 90 Points
Burst of raspberry, blueberry, and dark cherry notes. Hints of oregano and herbs. Lovely lingering blueberry and slight acidity on the finish. Tannins fairly subdued.
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11/15/2015 - ianwesley Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle from our case. Amazingly drinkable, much further forward than usual for Geyserville. Lovely fruit but not much tannin for future development.
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11/14/2015 - winecat9 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful. WOTN at Zin Thing 2015.
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11/7/2015 - ProfBainbridge Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep purple despite having thrown a substantial amount of light sediment (decanting required). Nice berry bouquet although not terribly complex. On the palate, lots of intense berry flavor associations--raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, as well as star anise and a dash of pepper. Well balanced with smooth tannins. Likely will improve for a few more years. Sadly, however, this was my last bottle.
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10/9/2015 - PSUSteve wrote: 90 Points
From a 375. Pop and pour over two nights with VinVac in between. Starts with red fruit that is juicy and on the edge of jammy. Mid palate is nice but not complex. OK finish.
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7/19/2015 - jsherdc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful, balanced zin. Blueberry raspberry blend. 92/93
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5/24/2015 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
37th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2010s (R&D's): Dark crimson color. Red and purple fruit aromas with spice and plum underneath. Boysenberry, black raspberry and pepper flavors. Nice but finishes on the short side of the spectrum.
My #6, Domino's #4
Group #7, 53 pts (one 2nd place vote broke the tie with the last place wine)
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4/30/2015 - missionpk Likes this wine:
Really quite enjoyable. Ridge perfume, without being overbearing. Zin, without being big. Tasty in the best way.
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4/27/2015 - patsox wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, well-balanced and delicious, as is standard with Ridge.
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3/29/2015 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 89 Points
A standout for this producer. Details are hazy but it was a hit with all.
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3/7/2015 - loegaute wrote: 89 Points
Knuste sorte bær, våt stein, einebær, harpiks, rått kjøtt, dyrepels og mokka. Veldig saftig anslag, med tett, moden frukt og en god del sødme. Spretten syre og finkornede, tilstedeværende tanniner. Følger opp nesen. Veldig god konsentrasjon. Kraftig, uten å bli for tung, men fruktsødmen sitter i, og gjør finishen syltetøyaktig. Best lett avkjølt, for når temperaturen øker viser den mer tørket frukt, sødme og alkohol. Ikke helt etter min smak, men sikkert knall til marinert, grillet kjøtt. 89p.
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2/14/2015 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 86 Points
Tasted at end of cold so receptors probably not in tip top condition. Hints of strawberry and bubblegum on a background of plum and cherry flavours on nose. The red stone fruit more prominent on the palate, ripe tannins with good balancing acidity. Enjoyable to drink on its own and good with food. Slightly underwhelmed but that may be my fault. At the moment 14/20 86 ish.
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2/13/2015 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of fruit up front, some tartness, but then a smooth finish. This is too young - recommend holding another 3 years before checking in again. VERY GOOD.
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1/31/2015 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 86 Points
raisins drenched in brandy, plum, saddle leather, shoe polish, cherries. There is a distinct raisiny zinfandel nose including some early signs of maturity on the nose. On the palate, the freshness cuts through everything and the tannic traces and heat and oak are beginning to integrate. Very hard to tell what will come out in five plus years time. Right now it feels like its caught in the middle between fresh ripe fruit and aged complexity, without really showcasing either side too well.
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1/29/2015 - heythatslife wrote: 89 Points
Drinking this wine feels like I'm scooping a mixture of fresh berries into my mouth and chomping on them - blackberries, raspberries, blackcurrant, what have you. Really juicy, and that's great fun, but it's missing some of the complexity and the structure that I like about its sibling, Lytton Springs. If secondary characters develop with time, it might become more interesting.
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1/15/2015 - Davyd Chong Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Session - Theme: Quirky Wines (Pine Close): It displayed a lot more complexity on the nose and palate. Lots of dark fruits, earthiness, and oak, but this was not a blockbuster wine. Medium bodied, and quite restrained in style. Tannins were quite elegant. My friend commented that it had a distinct "crayon" nose? I thought it tasted quite Spanish! Zinfandel dominant wine at 64%, blended with 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre). Now, that's an interesting blend? To most of us, this was the WOTN.
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1/15/2015 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Not-The-Usual-Grapes Wine Night (Pine Close): Slow-oxed in bottle for about 1 hour+.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla, spice, caramel, and crayons! Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol that is hardly felt, fine medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of strawberry jam, rich dark cherry juice, vanilla, caramel, peppery spice, leather. Long finish.
Very good quality. Almost excellent balance. I would think maybe another 2 years and the vanilla oak should integrate in seamlessly. Lovely wine. This ain't no jammy fruit bomb.
64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petit Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 2% Mataro.
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1/2/2015 - Kesslerc14 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a great wine! The structure on this wine was phenomenal. A delicious palate of dark fruits, cherry and caramel. Delicious!
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12/31/2014 - Twinkles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this for New Year's Eve. Unbelievable wine. Still has that wonderful apple feel to it. Great turkey dinner, Phil you rock!
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11/30/2014 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened with friends. Nose was explosive, and fresh on the palate with hints of pepper. This was the best red we opened all night, classic Ridge. Drink now or hold this for many years. Always a crowd pleaser. VERY GOOD.
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11/10/2014 - suarezd wrote: 89 Points
Very good complex and balanced mix of red and blue berries, pomegranate, and fat.
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10/2/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
High toned, deep and luscious. Power and beauty. This great wine should only improve for many years.
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9/2/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
No decant.
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8/2/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
The best Zin I had, very elegant, alcohol and tannins very well integrated like a sweet syrup, chocolate, cooked raspberry, welldone
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7/5/2014 - SimonN Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intrigued by other reviewers comments I drank this at least a couple of years ahead of plan. I might have to find some more now as it is gorgeous! An unusual smell, but quite intoxicating (yes I could even detect something approximating blood as suggested by KUUMIES). Decanted but dove straight in rather than waiting - over the next 4 hours the taste and aroma remained fairly constant. Enjoy with a rare steak and a vampire movie.
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5/27/2014 - Sullivdd Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderfully intense aromas of black fruit, girdled with almond milk, lead to a great thrust of blackcurrant on the palate. This is an exceptionally flavoursome wine, so much so that the 14% alcohol remains in balance and even delivers a sweetness to the hedonistic experience. The fruit is thick and mashed but vibrant and the tannins fine grained and supportive. This is skipping with life now and gives the impression that it will continue to do so for some time yet.
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3/23/2014 - Bisty Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Very good acidity and fruit. Less cool and a bit jammier than the Lytton Springs 2010 but very balanced and nice.
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3/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels vertical: Bright red fruit, lots of acidity, lactic
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3/8/2014 - Borolo wrote: 90 Points
P&P and ready to drink, may hold several years but good now. Deep and dark fruits
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3/6/2014 - kuumies wrote:
0.375 liter bottle. Lively and bright dark red color, some transparency. A confident, adamant nose of dry, ripe dark fruit (think currants and cherries), herbs, blood, smoke and some prune. A bit scary nose even, at least if I didn't know what it is I'm smelling. This must be what they are enjoying on the Death Star. Rich and sturdy on the palate with sizeable, fine-grained tannins. While ripe, this is also quite savoury. The oak is definitely there, but it feels like the integration is going to be seamless with time. Despite being quite chewy and fleshy there is still freshness to this wine. Good grip, with a clean, mouthwatering finish. Some warmth. Interesting now, but I would really like to taste this in some ten years' time. Still, this is how big wine should be done.
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2/14/2014 - Twinkles wrote: 90 Points
Again, a unique zin. Really strong on the fruit, apples come to mind. Really curious on how this will evolve.
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2/1/2014 - Andre Brattland wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours, clearly to much. Richer and fruitier right after i opend the bottle. The aroma was fantastic the whole night. A very good wine.
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1/15/2014 - Wink Likes this wine: 90 Points
See 9/3/12 and 9/29/13 notes. Still young. Lots of berry, spice, and espresso. Excellent and interesting blend that is mostly (64%) Zin. Oak not completely integrated.
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1/14/2014 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Dark, wide, complete wine that is just an amazing, albeit young, wine. PS shining through today. Has a beautiful trajectory to look forward to. Like a warm kiss.
Very dark red with violet streaks. Not teeth staining.
Nose is huge, balanced, fabulous and sports dark cherries, plum compote, cassis and herbs (anise and slight thyme).
In the mouth, this has M tannins of a beautifully mature kind, M+ acids and generally performs like a round, welcoming kiss when you have newly fallen in love.
Overshadowed my expectations.
Two btls to go next one in 2016.
At Le Message, Gumyouji (Yokohama).
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12/27/2013 - RaggaMat wrote: 93 Points
Tasted from a half bottle. Ruby colour, not too thick. Nose showing lots of fresh fruits (bilberry and blackberry) and a flowery perfume. The fruits continue on the palate which is clean and refreshing, with the oak not that noticeable given how young it is. The flavours build into a gentle almost sweet spicy finish.
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11/27/2013 - unrelenting wrote: 88 Points
quite angular. hopefully, time will let it round out. Good weight but little delineation of flavors (for zin).
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10/23/2013 - PSUSteve wrote: 90 Points
From a 375. On pop and pour, this was not quite disjointed but more rough. Pouring through Vinturi, helped but still young and tight. Underneath there was an interesting burst of fruit which seemed dominated by the Petite. Even from the 375, it needs time or much air.
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9/29/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not much to add to 9/3/12 note. Very food-friendly, juicy, fruit-forward wine that demonstrates nice balance and interesting flavor profile. Paired well with BBQ ribs.
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9/13/2013 - Jhcwine Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Day 1 - Nose: Fully fruited. Some complexity (interest) due to grape blend.
Palette - As above. Full bodied. Full alcohol (14.3%).
But just too full fruited, too full bodied, too intense. Not enough finesse.
This would suit a certain pundits taste.
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9/3/2013 - Jhcwine wrote: 90 Points
Ridge Geyserville 2010
Very full bodied.
Interesting flavours due to multiple grapes.
Multiple grapes adds abit of complexity.
But still very primary. No finesse.
Poor QPR at $50 from LCBO.
90
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7/23/2013 - Carolus81 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Från start en lite jordig doft som öppnar upp med rena körsbärstoner. Smaken är ganska laddad med körsbär och björnbär. Gott och helt perfekt till den grillade hamburgaren. Frukten är långt ifrån nidbilden av zinfandel, frisk syra och spänstiga tanniner.
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7/15/2013 - mtcharles Likes this wine:
full, fruity. dense.
goes well with pizza.
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5/3/2013 - Shiaxonna wrote: 86 Points
Very pinkypurple colour. Soft, light and easily accessible nose. Some tannins, increasing after some air. A good correlation between nose and palate, and that's a real positive treat with this wine. Too often these two qualities diverge into the absurd.
Quite boring and easily likeable.
50+5+9+15+7 (86p)
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4/2/2013 - Twinkles wrote: 91 Points
Wow. Unusual but fantastic. Strong on fruit, mainly apples. Hint of caramel. Almost drinks like an ice wine. Really curious to see how this will evolve.
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3/26/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
I am not really a Zin drinker. This bottle smelled to me like "paint thinner". The palate was ok though. Last time I drank Zinfandel was 20 years ago and I don't remember it smelling this artificial, so I guess this bottle was flawed even though the colleagues next to me insisted it has to smell like this...
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3/21/2013 - Pufferfish22 wrote:
Very tannic, moderate finish. Effervescent nose. Nothing special.
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3/18/2013 - daniel.jay wrote:
Tasted this at the winery and thought it was very good (90-91). Purchased a bottle and drank last night w/o decant. Really enjoyed on opening, zin component was in great harmony w/ the other varietals, managed to have dark fruit, red fruit, sweetness, w/ good acidic component keeping things in balance. Light tannins. This was what I remember from the winery.
However, over the next few hours I found that the wine devolved into a combination of over-ripe stewed fruits with a lemony/acid over-note. The mid-palate completely disappeared and the wine fell out of balance. Will sample on night two and update.
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3/15/2013 - Henman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted about ½ hour. Pleasant nose of dark berries and some spice. Medium bodied, smooth and supple, delivering balanced dark fruit (brambles, blueberries) with a touch of oaky spice and firm,slightly dusty tannins on the finish. Very good. Drinking fairly well now but can certainly benefit from cellaring.
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3/8/2013 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
A field blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignan (20%), Durif (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%) and Mourvèdre (2%), aged for 12-13 months in American oak barrels, of which 10% are new and 12% are once used.
Very dark, somewhat translucent Burgundy color. Quite ripe, almost jammy nose, yet exhibiting remarkable freshness. Aromas of mixed, dark brambly berries, kirsch, dried dark fruits, pencil shavings, even some aromatic cedar wood, a little bit of Christmas spice and a hint of dusty, sun-baked earth. Even though the nose is quite rich and very primary, it isn't overdone, screaming of extended hang-time or excessive oak, but instead revealing gently aromas of elegance and complexity. With some air the oak aromatics become more obvious and the fruit department has turned very Rhône like, something in the vein of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. On the palate the wine is round, full-bodied and suggesting notes of slightly jammy sweetness, but this sweetness is offset nicely by the surprisingly prominent acidity. Complex, layered flavors of sunny dark fruits, meatiness and some savory, woody and slightly cocoa oak, that really doesn't obfuscate, but lets the wine breathe. With some air, the wine starts to exhibit vibrant nuances of redcurrants, ripe blackberries, some allspice, a little smoke and a hint of mocha. The mouthfeel is quite rich and generous, showing also some power and weight, yet the wine feels remarkably balanced and harmonious, from the beginning to the end. The fine tannins are quite mellow, giving the palate some sense of firmness and hints of bitterness, instead of making the wine really grippy. The finish is somewhat bitter, but really long and complex with layered flavors of fresh plums, some vanilla, a little mocha and hints of ripe red fruits. The tannins become more pronounced in the aftertaste, but the alcohol (14,3%) remains completely hidden.
A really tremendous, complex Zinfandel blend showing remarkable freshness and balance that is very rare in Californian Zin-driven wines. Enormously attractive both with food and on its own. Even though the wine is quite big, ripe and sweet, it is so balanced, complex and well-defined I can't be but impressed. Shows a lot promise cellaring-wise. Highly recommended and worth its price at 40,30€.
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2/28/2013 - firstgrowth wrote: 88 Points
Nice tasty spicy easy drinking wine.
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1/16/2013 - adspeert wrote:
Drank over the holidays. One of my favorite Zins. Have recently drank 2009 and 2010 vintages
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1/15/2013 - RobertJF wrote: 88 Points
Very woody initially, which started to blow off after a couple hours in the bottle. Rich dark fruit favors give way to creamy vanilla oak with subtle tobacco and smoky notes. I can't see this holding up as well as other geyservilles. Alcohol was a bit off balance and tannins while present weren't terribly structural.
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1/13/2013 - Griffin5416 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid Ridge. Nice medium bodied zin with a light finish. Not over the top. A zin you can drink with dinner. Buy again.
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12/29/2012 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
maroon in color. red fruit, oak, vanilla on the nose. blackberry, plum, pepper on the palate. short finish.
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12/20/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 89 Points
I hour decant.
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12/12/2012 - CaliRice wrote: 91 Points
Tight, powerful, nice fruit and a long finish. Much better than the bottle I opened last month, which in hind sight, could have been flawed. I would imagine this wine will benefit with some age.
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12/7/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Blackberry jam aromas with hints of cinnamon and cedar. Mushroomy flavors with a background note of red currant and a touch of wood.
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11/1/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 90 Points
Very nice but still very young. Probably still needs a few years to develop the
depth of flavors I normally find in the Geyserville.
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10/27/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
big rich mixed black fruit; very ripe but not past my pleasure point. Integrating woody/earth notes and some fine acidity on the finish; Polished for a zin.
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10/3/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Quite rasiny on the nose, yet with structure and acid on the back. Just opened. Powerful stuff.
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9/24/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 87 Points
Most disappointing wine of the night. I'm usually a big fan of this bottling, but this vintage is jammy, viscous, with dark tired fruits and hints of vanilla. Lacking energy and verve.
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9/17/2012 - wineguy1968 wrote: 92 Points
dark purple color, rich unique flavors...I liked it but need to spend more time with this wine...
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9/4/2012 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 93 Points
Powerful, exotic and classy. This amazing wine offers notes of sweet currants, blueberries, wild red berries as well as pepper, spiced beef, molasses, floral and fresh mineral mixed in. It's Caressing, silky and polished with a long pepper-tinged finish. Drink this now or watch it evolve over the next decade. The blend is composed of 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet amd 2% Mataro (Mourvedre). (Drink 2012-2022)
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9/3/2012 - Wink wrote: 90 Points
An interesting blend of Zinfandel (64%), Carignane (20%), Petite Sirah (12%), Alicante Bouschet (2%), and Mataro (2%). Clear dark garnet with a purple tint. Nose of plum, black cherry, pepper, and vanilla. Medium palate of juicy, pure ripe blackberry, plum, cherry, and spice. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Mild tannins. A keeper. Very young now, but showing very well.
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8/13/2012 - gripNsip wrote: 87 Points
Big fruit on the nose with chocolate and plum. The palate is very generous and delicious with blackberry, plum and cherry jams. Hints of cocoa powder linger in the structured finish. Powerful. Quite good but overall not my style.
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8/13/2012 - Silveradoup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing zin field blend, might be my favorite to date.
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7/16/2012 - twoamps wrote: 93 Points
What a great, old fashioned zin. Loads of fresh, ripe berry, pepper, and a nice chewy mouthful of tannins. I think I liked this better than the 2009. Should age better than most Zion's, even better than most geyservilles.
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7/15/2012 - MattMauldin wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at Lytton Springs. Aromas of black pepper, blue fruit and wild earth. Juicy and ripe fruit on the palate with savory like leather and spice. Roundly structured and an ample finish. Very good.
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7/5/2012 - topher2411 wrote: 92 Points
Really delicious. Opens with a smoky fruit nose. At first, this more remniscient of Chinon than California zinfandel. Great acidity. Classic zinfandel fruit starts to come out with lots of air.
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7/4/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
Surprisingly open and accessible at this early stage. Red-purple color. Pretty nose of blackberry and dark fruit and a spicy undertone. In the mouth, forward and almost jammy, with a blackberry cobbler sensibility almost but with more acidity and earth and spice notes than you would expect. Just a precocious, delicious youngster. But the back-end tannins flex and remind you that this will age and evolve, like a Ridge always does. A-
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6/21/2012 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
Drank from a 375. Poured some into a large glass, took a sip and then let sit for a few hours. Had over about 4 hours. I think this might be the youngest Geyserville I have ever had. This is 64% Zin but I would have guessed more. Big ripe zin flavors with medium weight. The fruit really hits you in the face at this stage. To the edge but not to the point of tasting like raisons. Even all that fruit can not hide the tannins. This wine will move to the back of the cellar. See you in 10 years.
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5/19/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium color. Medium weight. Lovely, bright blackberry and raspberry without the briary qualities that sometimes dominate Zinfandel. Already a pleasure to drink. Appealing balance and (lack of) weight.
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4/9/2012 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Medium plus purple color. Fruity black and purple nose. Tar and mineral and not all that brooding as the 09. Palate is the shy side of med(+) body. Medium (-) tannin, medium plus acid, medium plus ABV. Off the cork pull, not quite the most astounding Geyserville, i've had, but it sure goes nicely along side some Indian curry. This will require further investigation.
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4/2/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose showed blackberry jam with cinnamon, pepper and hints of mint. On the palate, I found sour mixed berries, peppermint and minerals on a balanced and structured frame with refreshing acidity, which allowed this brooding Zinfandel to show well on this night. The finish was long with palate staining fruits that wrapped the senses and showed only a glimpse of the tannin that hides beneath.
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3/31/2012 - Erik R. wrote: 93 Points
I've only had a handful of vintages of Geyserville, but this is near the top for me. Tremendous acidity, a light touch with the oak, detailed bright red fruit, understated tart plum, and some green herbs.
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2/3/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Tasted from barrel sample. Interesting nose of blackberries and camphor with a touch of redwood shavings. Starts with a big hit of berry fruit, moving quickly to some green and woody flavors in the mid palate. Finishes with dusty puckery tannins. Clearly very young, but shows promise.
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1/28/2012 - affordableCollector Likes this wine: 90 Points
clear, maroon in color. dark fruit, vanilla, pepper on the nose. cherry, plum, spice on the palate. medium tannins on the finish.
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