Last bottle. Similar notes as prior bottles but I picked up definite meaty note as in beef stew. This has become one of my favorite bottlings from the Ridge Zin line.
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Decanted off its sediment 45 minutes before serving. Slightly meaty, with blueberry, raspberry and white pepper. Bright red fruit carries the palate. Excellent.
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A little funky/weird on opening- chalked up to "bottle funk" as it blew off after an hour or so. Raspberry and briary red fruit with a slightly tart edge. I much preferred this in its youth. Good but not great.
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Deep dark cherry fruit and savory aroma, concentrated dark cherry and prune fruit flavors with light tannins, ending in a long, dry finish with a lightly dusty minerality. Tastes delicious and is very drinkable at this stage.
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Served with pork sirloin roast and roast potato/broccoli medley. Nice dark purple, appealing. Blackberry/prune, earth, a dark nose. Medium weight and mouth-feel, nice fruit. Drank very well.
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While my first two samplings of this bottling of Ridge Zin left me unimpressed, this current tipple did not at all. This was quite a surprise. But had I listened to TomHill all these years, I shouldn’t be surprised. Tom has said many-a-time, that these ATP originating wines usually come around in good time. Deep ruby from the rim the core. A core of black fruits seems to carry the profile. Compliments of Zin funk, coffee, toffee and a black pepper bite take you to the finish. The finish has plumped up; the mouthfeel is medium weight. A blend of 96% Zin, 2% Alicoante and 2% Petite Sirah. 14.7% alc. With grilled beef ribeyes. Recommended (and surprisingly so!)
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This stuff just keeps rolling along. Dark fruits including dark cherry with excellent balance and terrific finish. Excellent pairing with smoked brisket, especially the burnt ends.
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Served with hamburgers and cauliflower. PNP. Deep crimson with tine of brown at rim. Nose: dry cherry and some chocolate. Still closed at first taste. Palate: fruit, acid, pepper, medium weight. Good finish (initial taste moving toward cloves/allspice in middle. Fair amount of sediment. We would have done well to decant, both for air and sediment. Drinking well now. I don't think this is a long-haul wine.
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About a year has passed since I gullibly took the bait and purchased one of these wines. My first sampling left me unimpressed. It seemed appropriate to take another data point. The rim is a thinly colored garnet and the core isn’t a much deeper ruby ... of the cheaper sort. The nose lifts with coffee, a touch of Zin funk, but not much rhubarb at all. Other red berry aspects come to play on the nose as well. Some mid-plate aspects include clove, but really not much else. The finish is thin, but with some continuing aspects of clove joined by mocha. Nothing about this wine excites. While it is sufficiently well made, it lacks definiteness. 14.7% alc. With Pierce’s (pork) BBQ which makes everything alright. Recommended with reservations.
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cherry, huckleberry, pepper and chocolate. Sharp at first, chewy middle, then the tannins and pepper kick in. Pretty much what I'd expect from a young Ridge zin; a nice addition to the lineup.
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No notes taken. Deep ruby with purple notees. Impressive aromas of black fruit, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate. Dry, medium(-) acidity, medium(+) ripe tannin, high alcohol and medium-medium(+) body. Flavors of blueberries, black cherries, chocolats, nutmet, sweet spice, cinnamon. Full body, yet elegant and not overpowering. Great length with mineral focused chalky finish. Balanced, remarkably light-footed texture, elegant and sinewy. Probably the most tannic of the lot. Keep another 3-5 years and then decant and eat grilled meat.
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NICE Zin. Popped and poured tonight. A medium bodied slightly dusty purple in the glass. Nose of lilac, wildflowers, and blackberry jam. The palate is fruit forward but I would not call it jammy by far. The entry is sharply acidic with blackberry, cinnamon stick, hint of clove. The middle of this one is a little darker with a little bit of grit and plum. The finish is actually rather tannic. I was surprised at how much tannin is here, but it's quite a lot honestly. I think that this one is good to go now, but will hold until 2019/2020.
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Too young IMHO- big bright red fruit Zin with some acid. Well made but in need of 2-5 years of bottle age. Has good potential and a fun Zin. Sweet & spicy (is right on), but missing the acidic comment. Has the stuffing to be great... right now a good young Ridge Zin.
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Popped & poured. Notes of black cherry, raspberry, violets, rose petals and chocolate. Dark fruit, raspberry, blue fruit, cherry and mineral flavors on the palate. Good acidity and balance through the lengthy finish.
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I brought this along in case I ordered the ribs, which I did. Notes of chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, herbs, white pepper and vanilla. Brambly peppery fruit, boysenberry and black raspberry on the palate. Well-balanced and seamless across the palate ending with loads of fruit and good length. Love this stuff...six bottles may not have been enough. 92-93 pts.
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Courtesy of M/M TLV, popped and poured. Opens with black fruit notes, a subtle smoky quality and perfumed florals. What immediately jumps out is the balance this wine possesses; great fruit, structure and acid, with a melange of red and black fruit. As it opens in the glass there's boysenberry, black cherry, black raspberry, strawberry confit and chocolate notes. Terrific stuff.
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After whoring his way through the War of Northern Aggression, “Fight’n Joe” Hooker left the east and settled in Sonoma Valley along a creek that now bears his name. While this vineyard is one spot ole Joe didn’t plant his root, the vineyard took its name from the nearby riparian way. The rim is garnet, but the core moves quickly to ruby. This is not an inky wine at all, but translucent instead. The nose is all about the coffee, faint rhubarb, Zin funk, bing cherry, and other berry notes. Cloves round out the full compliment of scents thrown by this glass. The palate shows all of these elements. The wine, however, is warm; not hot, but decidedly warm. The profile is imprecise with clearly something less than distinct flavors. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied. The finish is all mocha and cloves. 14.7% alc. With lasagna (with everything homemade!). Recommended with reservations.
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Cherry fruit, less dark and deep than the geyserville; fresh acidic red fruit, tart cherry, food friendly; medium finish. Nice entry level food Zinfandel, well priced at about $35. 88-89
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14.7% abv. The label doesn't specify, but it's probably sourced from the Sonoma Valley's great historic Bedrock vineyard. The aromatics are somewhat muted at this point. The palate, however shows intensely focused blue-black fruit. Very deep and long. The track record for both the vineyard and the producer suggest that this will age well. A fascinating wine for me, glad I have a few more stashed away.
9/7/2023 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle. Similar notes as prior bottles but I picked up definite meaty note as in beef stew. This has become one of my favorite bottlings from the Ridge Zin line.
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7/5/2023 - A6Rover Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright and barely secondary at this point. Delicious.
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6/21/2021 - klezman wrote:
This was excellent. A nice take on the Bedrock vineyard. Zin-berry, earth, and a nice depth/soul. A bit of oak was noticeable. Years to go, I think.
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2/5/2020 - moxielady wrote: 92 Points
dark fruit and candy
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12/21/2019 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Decanted off its sediment 45 minutes before serving. Slightly meaty, with blueberry, raspberry and white pepper. Bright red fruit carries the palate. Excellent.
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6/7/2019 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
A little funky/weird on opening- chalked up to "bottle funk" as it blew off after an hour or so. Raspberry and briary red fruit with a slightly tart edge. I much preferred this in its youth. Good but not great.
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2/14/2019 - beerenauslese Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark cherry fruit and savory aroma, concentrated dark cherry and prune fruit flavors with light tannins, ending in a long, dry finish with a lightly dusty minerality. Tastes delicious and is very drinkable at this stage.
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1/21/2018 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with pork sirloin roast and roast potato/broccoli medley.
Nice dark purple, appealing.
Blackberry/prune, earth, a dark nose.
Medium weight and mouth-feel, nice fruit.
Drank very well.
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12/28/2017 - sw92130 wrote: 90 Points
drank along with a 2013 Geyserville.
This was not as harmonious as the Geyserville, which had a smoother finish.
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8/23/2017 - TheRhoneranger wrote: 88 Points
It was okay. Not as flavorful as I remember when we originally tasted.
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8/22/2017 - ChrisWagner Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice, just a bit too low key.
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2/18/2017 - timewithwine wrote:
While my first two samplings of this bottling of Ridge Zin left me unimpressed, this current tipple did not at all. This was quite a surprise. But had I listened to TomHill all these years, I shouldn’t be surprised. Tom has said many-a-time, that these ATP originating wines usually come around in good time. Deep ruby from the rim the core. A core of black fruits seems to carry the profile. Compliments of Zin funk, coffee, toffee and a black pepper bite take you to the finish. The finish has plumped up; the mouthfeel is medium weight. A blend of 96% Zin, 2% Alicoante and 2% Petite Sirah. 14.7% alc. With grilled beef ribeyes. Recommended (and surprisingly so!)
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2/5/2017 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
This stuff just keeps rolling along. Dark fruits including dark cherry with excellent balance and terrific finish. Excellent pairing with smoked brisket, especially the burnt ends.
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12/3/2016 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with hamburgers and cauliflower.
PNP.
Deep crimson with tine of brown at rim.
Nose: dry cherry and some chocolate. Still closed at first taste.
Palate: fruit, acid, pepper, medium weight. Good finish (initial taste moving toward cloves/allspice in middle.
Fair amount of sediment. We would have done well to decant, both for air and sediment.
Drinking well now. I don't think this is a long-haul wine.
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4/25/2016 - timewithwine wrote:
About a year has passed since I gullibly took the bait and purchased one of these wines. My first sampling left me unimpressed. It seemed appropriate to take another data point. The rim is a thinly colored garnet and the core isn’t a much deeper ruby ... of the cheaper sort. The nose lifts with coffee, a touch of Zin funk, but not much rhubarb at all. Other red berry aspects come to play on the nose as well. Some mid-plate aspects include clove, but really not much else. The finish is thin, but with some continuing aspects of clove joined by mocha. Nothing about this wine excites. While it is sufficiently well made, it lacks definiteness. 14.7% alc. With Pierce’s (pork) BBQ which makes everything alright. Recommended with reservations.
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4/5/2016 - twoamps Likes this wine: 90 Points
cherry, huckleberry, pepper and chocolate. Sharp at first, chewy middle, then the tannins and pepper kick in. Pretty much what I'd expect from a young Ridge zin; a nice addition to the lineup.
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3/7/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Opened by Allred. Deep purple color. Smoky red fruit with cassis and chocolate notes. Medium bodied and not overdone. Creamy texture. 91 points.
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3/5/2016 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Raspberry and bright red fruit. Cherry and raspberry on the palate- bright fruit. Love this Zin. 92+ pts.
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2/11/2016 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 91 Points
No notes taken. Deep ruby with purple notees. Impressive aromas of black fruit, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate. Dry, medium(-) acidity, medium(+) ripe tannin, high alcohol and medium-medium(+) body. Flavors of blueberries, black cherries, chocolats, nutmet, sweet spice, cinnamon. Full body, yet elegant and not overpowering. Great length with mineral focused chalky finish. Balanced, remarkably light-footed texture, elegant and sinewy. Probably the most tannic of the lot. Keep another 3-5 years and then decant and eat grilled meat.
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2/5/2016 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
As with previous notes, a great expression of an iconic vineyard.
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8/24/2015 - mflesh wrote: 92 Points
NICE Zin. Popped and poured tonight. A medium bodied slightly dusty purple in the glass. Nose of lilac, wildflowers, and blackberry jam. The palate is fruit forward but I would not call it jammy by far. The entry is sharply acidic with blackberry, cinnamon stick, hint of clove. The middle of this one is a little darker with a little bit of grit and plum. The finish is actually rather tannic. I was surprised at how much tannin is here, but it's quite a lot honestly. I think that this one is good to go now, but will hold until 2019/2020.
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8/14/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
Wine tasting in Healdsburg; 8/14/2015-8/15/2015: Tasty wine with lots of fruits (raspberry, boisenberry, currant) and some sweetness on the finish. Needs time. $32 retail
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8/8/2015 - VinoPKM wrote:
Too young IMHO- big bright red fruit Zin with some acid. Well made but in need of 2-5 years of bottle age. Has good potential and a fun Zin. Sweet & spicy (is right on), but missing the acidic comment. Has the stuffing to be great... right now a good young Ridge Zin.
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7/25/2015 - Lekfranc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet-spicy taste. Very easy to drink.
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6/25/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted with an '11 Carlisle Bedrock. A little more austere than the Carlisle, a hint of American Oak ... A delicious, fascinating wine.
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5/18/2015 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured. Notes of black cherry, raspberry, violets, rose petals and chocolate. Dark fruit, raspberry, blue fruit, cherry and mineral flavors on the palate. Good acidity and balance through the lengthy finish.
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5/10/2015 - petermpls Likes this wine:
Great early drinking Zinfandel! Paired well with tri-tip, beans, and ancho chile sauce.
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4/17/2015 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
I brought this along in case I ordered the ribs, which I did. Notes of chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, herbs, white pepper and vanilla. Brambly peppery fruit, boysenberry and black raspberry on the palate. Well-balanced and seamless across the palate ending with loads of fruit and good length. Love this stuff...six bottles may not have been enough. 92-93 pts.
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4/4/2015 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of M/M TLV, popped and poured. Opens with black fruit notes, a subtle smoky quality and perfumed florals. What immediately jumps out is the balance this wine possesses; great fruit, structure and acid, with a melange of red and black fruit. As it opens in the glass there's boysenberry, black cherry, black raspberry, strawberry confit and chocolate notes. Terrific stuff.
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3/22/2015 - timewithwine wrote:
After whoring his way through the War of Northern Aggression, “Fight’n Joe” Hooker left the east and settled in Sonoma Valley along a creek that now bears his name. While this vineyard is one spot ole Joe didn’t plant his root, the vineyard took its name from the nearby riparian way. The rim is garnet, but the core moves quickly to ruby. This is not an inky wine at all, but translucent instead. The nose is all about the coffee, faint rhubarb, Zin funk, bing cherry, and other berry notes. Cloves round out the full compliment of scents thrown by this glass. The palate shows all of these elements. The wine, however, is warm; not hot, but decidedly warm. The profile is imprecise with clearly something less than distinct flavors. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied. The finish is all mocha and cloves. 14.7% alc. With lasagna (with everything homemade!). Recommended with reservations.
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3/15/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Cherry fruit, less dark and deep than the geyserville; fresh acidic red fruit, tart cherry, food friendly; medium finish. Nice entry level food Zinfandel, well priced at about $35. 88-89
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3/6/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.7% abv. The label doesn't specify, but it's probably sourced from the Sonoma Valley's great historic Bedrock vineyard. The aromatics are somewhat muted at this point. The palate, however shows intensely focused blue-black fruit. Very deep and long. The track record for both the vineyard and the producer suggest that this will age well. A fascinating wine for me, glad I have a few more stashed away.
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