What a special wine. Popped and poured. The wine is lovely. Pretty nose of raspberry, violets, and tobacco. The wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced, showing red and black fruit, tobacco, red licorice and herbs.
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80% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignan, 2% Grenache, & 1% Alicante; "The old-vine Zin was fermented in small tanks, & the grapes held below the surface of the juice for slower, gentler extraction. The P.S. & Carignan were also in small fermentors, but with grapes floating & the juice pumped over. Naturally-occurring yeasts & malolactic bacteria, respectively, carried out the primary, &, within 2 wks, the secondary fermentation. To accentuate the vyd’s distinctive fruit, we limited the number of new barrels, aging most of the wine in 3 & 4-yr-old air-dried AM oak. After a total of 6 racks and more than a yr in small cooperage, we blind-tasted 1 last time & bottled without fining."
N: RIPE berries with notes of oranges (?), poss an earthiness? Lots goin' on, but tough for me to parse; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by a LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins, & ult, a PLEASANTNESS. For now & should make its 30th. 14.5% ABV; My EXC+.
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One of the highlights of a superb blind tasting of mostly 1990s era reds. Spicy, rich, very slight roasted tomato and eucalyptus notes. Modest tannic structure with a sweet, very complex finish. Many blind tasters thought this was a Brunello from a riper vintage!
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PnP enjoyed over a 2 hour dinner, this still offers good freshness notwithstanding it's also mature/in the zone. No sign of decline on the horizon, this full(-) body has class, a lovely weight and sauve lines that are a nice complement to the silky, pure red/black fruits. Oak is fully integrated, some tannins are there, but nicely resolved. Should/could go another 5 years or more - if this bottle is representative, that is, but it's also drinking really well now, so I don't see a reason to wait. A joy. recommended+
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Pour mon anniversaire, je décide de me gâter et d'ouvrir mon Ridge Lytton Springs 1994. D'un rouge rubis le nez est principalement sur des aromes de fraise et de cerise mais en général le nez est plutôt timide. En bouche, WHOAAA !!! C'est un vin de 23 ans ? Really ? Wow c'est d'une jeunesse incroyable, on dirait presque un vin de l'année ! Les tannins sont bien présents et l'acidité est tranchante, peut-être même trop. Aucune note terrecière, Le vin présente une bonne touche épicé suivi par des belles notes de fruits rouges. La finale est incroyablement longue 1 min+. C'est encore un bébé, l'acidité doit se calmer car c'est une bombe présentement. Avec mon expérience d'hier soir, je vais attendre encore quelques années avant d'ouvrir mon Geyserville 1995. Bref, J'ai surtout été impressionné par la jeunesse de ce vin. Il était délicieux mais un meilleur équilibre aurait été apprécié.
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Another fabulous old Zin from Ridge. The cork was tight and solid. No discoloring of the wine. Fruit still bright and sweet. Delicious! Too bad that I had to share it with five other people . . .
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This bottle represents one of the best life experiences of my life. And to match the occasion, it's probably one of the best bottles of Zinfandel I've ever had.
Blue fruits especially blueberry, blue flower particularly violet. Smooth, integrated, low acid, long lasting. Everything comes together into one whole.
Bursting blackberry out of the bottle. This still has some structure, decayed black fruit and power. The finish betrays the vintage as is a little smudgy and dominated by roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes. I've enjoyed fresher vintages more than this but there is undeniable pedigree.
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Ridge Zinfandels vertical: bad corks. much more evolved than the 1995, already shows very complex flavours. it still has fruit but also tobacco and balsamic notes, as a tiny bit of walnut/oxidation. still, I liked it very much, my second wine after the geyserville 1997.
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purchased on release, last bottle; crumbly cork, strained on decant through stainless mesh. pretty ruby/garnet, clear & bright despite the opening trauma; gorgeous, almost delicate aromas of blackberry & spice, pie dough, plum jam, black pepper, loam; med body, very supple & velvety; spice cake & bramble fruit cobbler, refined expression of the blend, with the petite sirah lending some firmness & peppery accents; held up & was very expressive with dinner but began to lose structure & crack up after about 1.5 hours in the decanter. delightful, certainly not dead, but probably near its last best days.
Simply ingenious and amazing wine. Brick red wine. Transparent. The nose is fresh as if it were bottled last week. Soaring red fruited aromatics with fresh floral notes. Medium bodied with amazing intensity at age 17. Layered fruit beginning with tart cherry and raspberry, moving slowly to brambly blackberry flavors. Plenty of backbone on this one. Acidity keeping things bright and fresh along with grainy tannins. Long persistent brooding finish.
Out of this world!
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from a magnum. Part of the b-day line up so no formal note, just some impressions. Still some youthful red fruit very faintly showing that zin side, this is more claret like now, yet not as evolved as 750 ml bottles i've had in the past. This was drinking really well and I loved the tar, faint red berries, forest notes, and the lingering finish. 91 Points
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Color was dark red. On the palate was a core of crushed blackberry, surrounded by medium tannins. A slightly crisp finish. This wine is not at all over the hill but at nearly 20 years old will it improve with further aging? I'm going to enjoy my remaining bottles and revel in the $14 I paid at a recent Christies auction as part of a mixed lot.
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This is my kind of zin -- good structure, not in-your-face...of course it's also 16 years old, and still drinking nicely. Black berry/cherry, smoke, pepper and spice flavors, nicely balanced. Not much life left, but still delicious.
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Enjoyed this bottle after all the food was gone. Opened up dramatically into its true Zin flavors after decanting and sitting for 30mins. The sugars and big fruit tastes are still fairly evident and continue to follow through as the wine passes over your tongue. Tannins are still there but lacking a little as should be with a wine of this age. Tough for me to judge as Zins just aren't my style but the big red and black fruits still remain and taste quite refined.
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Bricky, lighter colored. A pleasant, old wine nose with a lot of cedar. The palate is surprisingly fresh. The finish shows fading cherry fruit and wood tannin. Drink up fast.
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Still a very beautiful wine. Sadly consumed the last of the case that I purchased upon release. To me, very red fruit; raspberries? nicely balanced, still amazingly youthful, yet showing signs of maturity. Wish I had another case.
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bot directly from winery in 375...and opened same night. excellent....still youthful (although not as youthful as the 94 geyserville out of the 1.5)...plenty of fruit but also starting to take on older wine character.....balanced and not over the top.
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Dark ruby, almost apaque, purple tones, aromas of ultra ripe blackberry, sweet vanilla, prune, rich charred oak, slight green stemmy streak, caramel burnt sugar, b2+, a2+, t3, dark berry flavors, good tart finish, distinct & nice, d2, tart fruit, interesting but hot & one dimensional, bitter, lots of caramelly oak on nose, faint tart fruit behind, fine grained tannins mesh w/mouth-watering finish, decent, interesting
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2/26/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a special wine. Popped and poured. The wine is lovely. Pretty nose of raspberry, violets, and tobacco. The wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced, showing red and black fruit, tobacco, red licorice and herbs.
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5/10/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: In HONOR of 1 of the Group's Mentors (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): From the same bottle as BHRH below.
80% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignan, 2% Grenache, & 1% Alicante; "The old-vine Zin was fermented in small tanks, & the grapes held below the surface of the juice for slower, gentler extraction. The P.S. & Carignan were also in small fermentors, but with grapes floating & the juice pumped over. Naturally-occurring yeasts & malolactic bacteria, respectively, carried out the primary, &, within 2 wks, the secondary fermentation. To accentuate the vyd’s distinctive fruit, we limited the number of new barrels, aging most of the wine in 3 & 4-yr-old air-dried AM oak. After a total of 6 racks and more than a yr in small cooperage, we blind-tasted 1 last time & bottled without fining."
N: RIPE berries with notes of oranges (?), poss an earthiness? Lots goin' on, but tough for me to parse; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by a LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins, & ult, a PLEASANTNESS. For now & should make its 30th. 14.5% ABV; My EXC+.
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5/10/2019 - BHRH Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the highlights of a superb blind tasting of mostly 1990s era reds. Spicy, rich, very slight roasted tomato and eucalyptus notes. Modest tannic structure with a sweet, very complex finish. Many blind tasters thought this was a Brunello from a riper vintage!
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6/3/2018 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP enjoyed over a 2 hour dinner, this still offers good freshness notwithstanding it's also mature/in the zone. No sign of decline on the horizon, this full(-) body has class, a lovely weight and sauve lines that are a nice complement to the silky, pure red/black fruits. Oak is fully integrated, some tannins are there, but nicely resolved. Should/could go another 5 years or more - if this bottle is representative, that is, but it's also drinking really well now, so I don't see a reason to wait. A joy. recommended+
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6/6/2017 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 90 Points
Pour mon anniversaire, je décide de me gâter et d'ouvrir mon Ridge Lytton Springs 1994. D'un rouge rubis le nez est principalement sur des aromes de fraise et de cerise mais en général le nez est plutôt timide. En bouche, WHOAAA !!! C'est un vin de 23 ans ? Really ? Wow c'est d'une jeunesse incroyable, on dirait presque un vin de l'année ! Les tannins sont bien présents et l'acidité est tranchante, peut-être même trop. Aucune note terrecière, Le vin présente une bonne touche épicé suivi par des belles notes de fruits rouges. La finale est incroyablement longue 1 min+. C'est encore un bébé, l'acidité doit se calmer car c'est une bombe présentement. Avec mon expérience d'hier soir, je vais attendre encore quelques années avant d'ouvrir mon Geyserville 1995. Bref, J'ai surtout été impressionné par la jeunesse de ce vin. Il était délicieux mais un meilleur équilibre aurait été apprécié.
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1/31/2017 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another fabulous old Zin from Ridge. The cork was tight and solid. No discoloring of the wine. Fruit still bright and sweet. Delicious! Too bad that I had to share it with five other people . . .
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1/5/2017 - NarunP Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle represents one of the best life experiences of my life. And to match the occasion, it's probably one of the best bottles of Zinfandel I've ever had.
Blue fruits especially blueberry, blue flower particularly violet. Smooth, integrated, low acid, long lasting. Everything comes together into one whole.
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11/16/2015 - Mellers wrote:
Bursting blackberry out of the bottle. This still has some structure, decayed black fruit and power. The finish betrays the vintage as is a little smudgy and dominated by roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes. I've enjoyed fresher vintages more than this but there is undeniable pedigree.
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3/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels vertical: bad corks. much more evolved than the 1995, already shows very complex flavours. it still has fruit but also tobacco and balsamic notes, as a tiny bit of walnut/oxidation. still, I liked it very much, my second wine after the geyserville 1997.
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10/27/2013 - pkatz wrote: 86 Points
Starting to dry out - fruit receding.
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10/2/2013 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
purchased on release, last bottle; crumbly cork, strained on decant through stainless mesh. pretty ruby/garnet, clear & bright despite the opening trauma; gorgeous, almost delicate aromas of blackberry & spice, pie dough, plum jam, black pepper, loam; med body, very supple & velvety; spice cake & bramble fruit cobbler, refined expression of the blend, with the petite sirah lending some firmness & peppery accents; held up & was very expressive with dinner but began to lose structure & crack up after about 1.5 hours in the decanter. delightful, certainly not dead, but probably near its last best days.
grilled arugula pesto-marinated chicken thighs; broccoli rabe w/sherry-glazed white turnips & roasted espelette pepper; bacon fat-roasted sweet potatoes
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6/4/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
A touch carbonic on opening. Spicy dark berry, herbal, fresh acidity. A classic expression of Ridge.
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12/4/2011 - cweiss wrote:
Certainly still alive, with attractive fruit that had become a little muddied. Disappointing but perhaps I expected too much.
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10/3/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Simply ingenious and amazing wine. Brick red wine. Transparent. The nose is fresh as if it were bottled last week. Soaring red fruited aromatics with fresh floral notes. Medium bodied with amazing intensity at age 17. Layered fruit beginning with tart cherry and raspberry, moving slowly to brambly blackberry flavors. Plenty of backbone on this one. Acidity keeping things bright and fresh along with grainy tannins. Long persistent brooding finish.
Out of this world!
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4/17/2011 - cofidis2 wrote: 91 Points
from a magnum. Part of the b-day line up so no formal note, just some impressions. Still some youthful red fruit very faintly showing that zin side, this is more claret like now, yet not as evolved as 750 ml bottles i've had in the past. This was drinking really well and I loved the tar, faint red berries, forest notes, and the lingering finish.
91 Points
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2/25/2011 - CDH Likes this wine:
Color was dark red. On the palate was a core of crushed blackberry, surrounded by medium tannins. A slightly crisp finish. This wine is not at all over the hill but at nearly 20 years old will it improve with further aging? I'm going to enjoy my remaining bottles and revel in the $14 I paid at a recent Christies auction as part of a mixed lot.
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1/31/2011 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind.
Nose - deep,dark, rich, classic L.S., oregano, sweet wood, floral, licorice, leather.
Cedary blackberry, tobacco, smooth/dusty tannin, slight bitterness.
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11/9/2010 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
This is my kind of zin -- good structure, not in-your-face...of course it's also 16 years old, and still drinking nicely. Black berry/cherry, smoke, pepper and spice flavors, nicely balanced. Not much life left, but still delicious.
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5/26/2007 - jeffzanatta wrote:
Enjoyed this bottle after all the food was gone. Opened up dramatically into its true Zin flavors after decanting and sitting for 30mins. The sugars and big fruit tastes are still fairly evident and continue to follow through as the wine passes over your tongue. Tannins are still there but lacking a little as should be with a wine of this age. Tough for me to judge as Zins just aren't my style but the big red and black fruits still remain and taste quite refined.
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5/21/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Warm, sweet & round. Nicely mature. Fruit forward but classic.
B++
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3/16/2007 - bk wrote: 89 Points
Brick red. Cherry fruit, cedar, earth. Lovely, delicate wine but will deteriorate from here out.
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11/9/2006 - gregg g wrote:
17 vintages of Ridge Zinfandel, '67 & '78 Stony Hill & Dessert Wines (Campanile in Los Angeles, CA.): Wonderful nose of again spice, some leathery notes with raspberry. The fruit is deep and perfectly interwound with a solid structure, well balanced and long finish. Super wine and showing very well tonight.
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10/27/2005 - pgordon62 wrote: 88 Points
Bricky, lighter colored. A pleasant, old wine nose with a lot of cedar. The palate is surprisingly fresh. The finish shows fading cherry fruit and wood tannin. Drink up fast.
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9/24/2005 - JoeGr wrote:
Still a very beautiful wine. Sadly consumed the last of the case that I purchased upon release. To me, very red fruit; raspberries? nicely balanced, still amazingly youthful, yet showing signs of maturity. Wish I had another case.
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9/6/2005 - luko wrote:
bot directly from winery in 375...and opened same night. excellent....still youthful (although not as youthful as the 94 geyserville out of the 1.5)...plenty of fruit but also starting to take on older wine character.....balanced and not over the top.
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10/3/2003 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 82 Points
Dark ruby, almost apaque, purple tones, aromas of ultra ripe blackberry, sweet vanilla, prune, rich charred oak, slight green stemmy streak, caramel burnt sugar, b2+, a2+, t3, dark berry flavors, good tart finish, distinct & nice, d2, tart fruit, interesting but hot & one dimensional, bitter, lots of caramelly oak on nose, faint tart fruit behind, fine grained tannins mesh w/mouth-watering finish, decent, interesting
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8/17/2003 - twoamps wrote: 94 Points
clean fruit, nice long finish with mellow taninins. Old wine well stored at ridge; much better than things this old from our closet.
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12/1/2000 - twoamps wrote: 85 Points
soft, some cherry left.
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