This is my first bottle of this vintage of Pagani and it was well worth the wait. A nearly opaque deep plum red in the glass. The nose is classic Zin with brown sugar, a hint of rhubarb, Zin funk, coffee, thyme, black pepper, and maybe a bit of mocha. They all come through distinctly on the palate, but what was surprising was the strawberry note on both the nose and palate. Strawberry is not usually an element I detect in Zin, but it was clearly present here and delightfully so. Excellent mouthfeel; well balanced. A blend of 80% Zin, 17% Alicante Boushet, and 3% Petite Sirah but no Mouvedre. A line of sediment from the neck down the back to the base and a ring around the neck. 14.8% alc. With the first chili of the year. 02.22.24. Recommended.
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Pop and pour. Immediate notes of raisin and oxidation. Not what I was looking for, so I recorked and opened a different bottle. Will revisit to see what's what.
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My highest scoring zin to date. This site is special. Intense concentration while still being decidedly medium bodied. Secondary and tertiary notes coming at you left and right here with just 9 years of bottle age. Structure here suggests there’s at least another 15 good years on this wine too, so no rush. I will be hunting down some old bottles of these. Beautiful, beautiful expression of Zinfandel. Just outstanding.
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In its prime drinking zone. Fully integrated rich “Draper Perfume” with the red fruits aging gracefully & judicious use of thoroughly air dried American oak . Classic flavors of Brown sugar, nutmeg/clove and a joyous explosive crescendo that just goes so well with the pecan wood smoked chicken . Easy going down.
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Medium ruby purple color; nose of cherries, blackberry and licorice. Moderate tannins; crisp acidity; Nice dark fruit flavors with long finish. Very smooth, drinking very well. Glad I have another bottle that I’ll drink within the next year or two.
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Bold mixed berries on the nose, with hints of dried herbs. Some alcohol showing. On the palate mostly brambly blackberries and blueberries, bold but not jammy, with a long, lingering finish. This strikes me as bolder and more fruit-forward than Lytton Springs and Geyserville, which are the other two Ridges I have experience with.
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I have been eyeing this bottle for a few weeks so decided it was time. It drank perfect. Not too young, not too old. Very pure, red fruits, not too light or heavy, firm structure. It drank solid over three days In the Goldilocks zone. Drink now although it can last a few years longer but no reason to wait.
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Decanted 1h. Tasting beautifully now; no reason to wait; no reason to rush.
Nose of spice, grilled (or hickory smoked) meat, orange zest, blackberry. On the palate tastes of dark chocolate, plum, blood orange. Nice cocoa and plenty more on the finish.
Great with food (meatballs); great to taste and brood with.
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Maybe close to perfect old-vines zinfandel field blend. Nice berry fruit on the front end. Soft and supple but still had some tannin backbone. The blend of zinfandel, alicante bouchet and petite sirah with 8+ years aging made this ready to drink.
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Decanted definitely became even better as opened up had with homemade Pizza plums red fruits slight licorice good acidity lingering finish on the palate. Not the best Ridge Zinfandel but definitely worth drinking.
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Med (+) ruby with a purple core. Med (+) to pronounced aromas of ripe red cherry, black cherry, black plum, mocha and sweet baking spices. The nose is developing. Dry, with ripe fruit, consistent with the nose. Med acidity and tannins with high alcohol (14.8%). Full-bodied, with med (+) to pronounced flavor intensity and length. 80% Zinfandel, 17% Alicante Bouschet and 3% Petit Sirah. Appealing, complex and relatively well balanced, it does not fit the fruit-bomb Zin stereotype. Drink through 2023.
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I loved this! I buy Geyserville and Lytton year each year but have not been guying other Zins fro Ridge. Inky ruby. Exotic nose. Vanilla, cherry compote and some spice box. Candied red fruit in the mouth with excellent acidity which for me is what sets this apart. . This was favorite Zinfandel of 2019 (I don't drink a ton of zin but get wines from ridge, Turley and Carlisle).
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Served with Stromboli and tater tots! Gorgeous ruby, bright and jewel like, a touch of purple. Nice fruit on the nose, plum, raisin, blackberry, with some blueberry in background. Palate: smooth at the front but the acid makes its presence known shortly, just right to give some body to the fruit.
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41st Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2014s (R&Ds): Double blind. Aromas of raspberry, pepper, brambleberry and a hint of blue fruit. Lush brambly red fruit on the palate. Adds a chocolate note as it sits, with briary spice and red berry fruit. Finishes with good length.
My #3, Domino's #8 Grp #8, 64 pts
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Zinfandel blend that has some interesting flavors. Spicy Zin up front, polished, then the other 20%(17% Alicante Bouchet & 3% Petite Sirah) that probably explains the finish. A slight twang at the end is baffling. If drunk blind, I'd be so lost as to what this is.
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This seems to be in a real funky, closed sort of stage right now. When opening it was a bit sullen. Certainly not anything closed to that forward fruit expression you expect from Pagani. On night two the fruit was still not showing much and there was a solid note of newish oak sticking up. Saved a glass for a third night and saw some ultra primary fruit. Like just bottled fruit. I'd keep my hands off any bottles for another year or two.
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Served with homemade sausage pizza. Look: opaque ruby consistent to the rim. Sniff: nice, raspberry with blueberry undertones, plums, raisin, and perhaps a floral touch. Taste: medium body, nice balance, decent acid. Really tasty.
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Deep garnet red. 1 hour decant through a powered aerator. Nose of tea, blackberries, blueberries and with notes of crushed black pepper and cigar. Taste is sweeter than the nose, medium dark fruit and not as complex. Good balance of tannins and acidity. Nice wine, but not special, particularly among other Zins at this price point.
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Tasted blind. A dull and simple wine, but I can’t deny its tastiness. Dark fruits and violets. Hints of cigar. Big oaky overtones, some coffee. Medium bodied. Light tannins, low acidity. Rating: 86.
Guess the wine. New World. Malbec perhaps? A few years old.
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Another one of my favorite producers as well as vinyards in Sonoma. Nice nose of raisiny blueberries. The acid has tamed and the wine is soft and elegant on the tongue. The finish is full flavored. EG #WineArchitect #Architectural Artistry
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No formal notes. Probably the best Pagani I've had across different producers and vintages back to '08, and one of the better Ridge I've had of late. Kudos to Dino and Team Ridge.
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My wife wanted Zin last night with dinner so we opened up a '14 Pagani Zinfandel, as I've never had them before. I recall the notes on one of various threads on Wine Berserkers, about it being a 'bigger', fruit-forward Zin, and that's why I picked some up, as I felt it would nicely compliment the Geyserville and Lytton Springs/Estate Zins I have. WOW is it brambly and hedonistic! It's JUST hedonistic enough - big and bold and brash and brambly - but not TOO much. It really walks the border, and, granted, it is young, but I don't see this aging gracefully, for decades, as it's a pleasurable, big Zin, the kind I used to enjoy years ago. I gassed half the bottle and plan to enjoy it later this week.
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2014 Ridge Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley). Medium deep purple. Out of Impitoyable, Tudor arches of tears. Nose has plenty of vivid high spiciness, like earth, clove and linseed oil, over full forward fruitiness. Full-bodied with minty fine tannins. Juicy finish, wonderful with Italian truffled sauced bread dishes. A fine example of the reason why Ridge is so loved by its fans. 80 percent Zinfandel, 17 percent Alicante Bouschet, and 3 percent Petite Sirah. Fine current drinkability but structured enough to hold another several years even for those who like 'em young; but not as firmly structured as many Ridge Zin-based wines. Wood treatment not on label.
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N: Closed/muted; potentially LOTS going on -- jam, CERTAINLY, but OTHER addt'l, tough to parse aromas
P: Med body; Almost swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) met by BALANCING, slightly puckery structure mid palate, this slowly, SEAMLESSLY, somewhat reeolving by the LONG, very, VERY slightly astringent finish. BEAUTIFULLY made in its style, this DESERVES celaring into '19, then drinking thru '21-'22 min. 93 pts WA, 92 Int'l Wine Report & Vinous, 91 & "Very Highly Recommended" CA Grapevine, and 90 WS. [This vendor's $33.95 is near the TOP of the pack.]
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Big Ridge zin. Big blue and black fruits, perfectly balanced wine. No heat or oak, just a really nice wine. I normally don't care for Pagani (I prefer Geyserville and Lytton Springs) but this year it's exceptional.
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The nose hits you right away with strong hints berries and vanilla and carries through to the first taste. Nice finish and will probably improve with another year or two in the bottle
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Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Vines from the early 1900's. There's 17% Alicante Bouschet in this which adds a bit more depth to the flavor. Bright black fruits. Some licorice. A bit of leather. Again a very nice wine that's just easy to drink now, but with years ahead of it.
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- Purple color with medium forming legs and aromas of cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish.
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Great Ridge Zyn, I love this producer, especially wines from this estate. Lots of dark fruits, pepper, spices, cacao, tasty palate, nice medium long off-dry finish. Very nice and enjoyable already.
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Extremely dense layered dark fruit on both nose and palate but also some spices, minerals, game and vanilla from oak. Example of fruit notes are ripe plums, cherries and blueberries. There is a good tannic backbone to the wine. This wine is dense and powerful but still avoids getting too heavy.
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Medium ruby colour. The nose shows medium+ intensity aromas of dark plums, prunes, cherries jam, liquorice and hints of nail varnish remover.
It is off-dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium silky tannins, a high warm alcohol and a medium+ body. It has pronounced intensity flavours and a long finish.
It is a very good quality wine. It has very concentrated flavours and a very persistent finish, and it shows the typicity of a Zinfandel through its dark and overripe fruit aromas. On the other hand the alcohol is a bit out of balance and it lacks some complexity.
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Deep purple. Ripe nose of plums, berries. On the palate very ripe fruit, jammy yet the flavors seemed muted and did not explode on the senses. Subdued tannins. Good, but short of great. Not sure how long this will last. Did not find the wine very interesting especially compared to the 2014 Geyerserville and the 2014 Lytton Springs, which were both spectacular. . Could the fruit for the Pagani have been over-ripe? It would be interesting to know when the fruit was harvested relative to the other Ridge Zins.
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Visit to Ridge (Ridge Vineyards): Compared to the Lytton, this is much more obviously Zin-ish with its sweet black/blue berry fruit. It shows more overt oak, too, and is rounder, riper, and more alcoholic. It's a friendly, easier wine, if ultimately less complex and interesting.
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At the Santa Cruz mountains winery. Pepper and mineral nose, lots of fruit, blackberry, restrained oak, tannins, and integrated acid, fair balance. Nice finish. My clear favorite of the zins we tasted today. Reminded me of a decent Côtes du Rhone flavor profile, although the French equivalent can probably be found for about half the price of the Ridge zin.
That being said, the top of the mountain where Ridge is located is a lovely place to picnic so we double decanted a bottle and enjoyed with an assortment of cheeses, salami, and fresh grapes. In this context, the wine showed extremely well, evolving smoothness; very easy to drink.
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Tasted at the winery...opaque garnet purple. Nose of ripe red fruit (almost sweet i.e. slight residual sugar, perhaps), smokey bacon and spice box. On the palate there is lots of black cherry, black plum and some kirsch on the finish. Better with a few more years on on it maybe a lot more. At this stage I thought this more enjoyable by a little than the Lytton Springs bottling of the same vintage, also tasted today.
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Aroma: floral and spicy with scents of rose hips, cherry blossom and almond. Palate: Rich and spicy with bright acidity. Flavors of cherry, pomegranate and plum. Quite tannic and structured with great potential. Needs 3-5 years of cellaring.
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14.8% abv. Dark ruby, moderate aromatics. Plums, cherries and spice on the palate, with a mellow tannic edge. Very deep and rich. Great now, but should develop well over the next several years.
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2/22/2024 - timewithwine Likes this wine:
This is my first bottle of this vintage of Pagani and it was well worth the wait. A nearly opaque deep plum red in the glass. The nose is classic Zin with brown sugar, a hint of rhubarb, Zin funk, coffee, thyme, black pepper, and maybe a bit of mocha. They all come through distinctly on the palate, but what was surprising was the strawberry note on both the nose and palate. Strawberry is not usually an element I detect in Zin, but it was clearly present here and delightfully so. Excellent mouthfeel; well balanced. A blend of 80% Zin, 17% Alicante Boushet, and 3% Petite Sirah but no Mouvedre. A line of sediment from the neck down the back to the base and a ring around the neck. 14.8% alc. With the first chili of the year. 02.22.24. Recommended.
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2/20/2024 - thelostverse wrote:
Pop and pour. Immediate notes of raisin and oxidation. Not what I was looking for, so I recorked and opened a different bottle. Will revisit to see what's what.
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2/7/2024 - Scott8586 wrote:
Drink soon, good for 10 years
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12/15/2023 - Bjweiss Likes this wine: 95 Points
My highest scoring zin to date. This site is special. Intense concentration while still being decidedly medium bodied. Secondary and tertiary notes coming at you left and right here with just 9 years of bottle age. Structure here suggests there’s at least another 15 good years on this wine too, so no rush. I will be hunting down some old bottles of these. Beautiful, beautiful expression of Zinfandel. Just outstanding.
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11/25/2023 - Zuke16 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aged well - wish I had some more. Mature red fruits, comingling well with some light oak, spices, brown sugar, leather. Integrated and smooth tannins.
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9/17/2023 - Thomas D Likes this wine: 92 Points
see previous note. nicely aged zinfandel with ckean fruit flavors and nicely balanced with smooth tannins
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7/20/2022 - LetItRide Likes this wine:
In its prime drinking zone.
Fully integrated rich “Draper Perfume” with the red fruits aging gracefully & judicious use of thoroughly air dried American oak . Classic flavors of Brown sugar, nutmeg/clove and a joyous explosive crescendo that just goes so well with the pecan wood smoked chicken . Easy going down.
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5/26/2022 - Thomas D Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium ruby purple color; nose of cherries, blackberry and licorice. Moderate tannins; crisp acidity; Nice dark fruit flavors with long finish. Very smooth, drinking very well. Glad I have another bottle that I’ll drink within the next year or two.
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4/9/2022 - Eatmypixels Likes this wine: 91 Points
Strong. Medium weight. Good. Pungent. Nice balance. Good. Buy again. Age well.
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2/17/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Bold mixed berries on the nose, with hints of dried herbs. Some alcohol showing. On the palate mostly brambly blackberries and blueberries, bold but not jammy, with a long, lingering finish. This strikes me as bolder and more fruit-forward than Lytton Springs and Geyserville, which are the other two Ridges I have experience with.
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12/18/2021 - wchrisw Likes this wine:
I have been eyeing this bottle for a few weeks so decided it was time. It drank perfect. Not too young, not too old. Very pure, red fruits, not too light or heavy, firm structure. It drank solid over three days In the Goldilocks zone. Drink now although it can last a few years longer but no reason to wait.
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12/17/2021 - soumamae Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 1h.
Tasting beautifully now; no reason to wait; no reason to rush.
Nose of spice, grilled (or hickory smoked) meat, orange zest, blackberry. On the palate tastes of dark chocolate, plum, blood orange. Nice cocoa and plenty more on the finish.
Great with food (meatballs); great to taste and brood with.
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12/16/2021 - jeffjohnsonjj@hotmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great after about 15 minutes and over 2 hours, then fading after three hours. Suggests time to drink up!
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7/22/2021 - sirwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Maybe close to perfect old-vines zinfandel field blend. Nice berry fruit on the front end. Soft and supple but still had some tannin backbone. The blend of zinfandel, alicante bouchet and petite sirah with 8+ years aging made this ready to drink.
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2/26/2021 - agillies Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted definitely became even better as opened up had with homemade Pizza plums red fruits slight licorice good acidity lingering finish on the palate. Not the best Ridge Zinfandel but definitely worth drinking.
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12/31/2020 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened and aerated, served with BBQ ribs. Delicious - ripe cherry, plum, baking spices, cocoa, nice acidity, well integrated, medium-long finish.
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8/17/2020 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
Med (+) ruby with a purple core. Med (+) to pronounced aromas of ripe red cherry, black cherry, black plum, mocha and sweet baking spices. The nose is developing. Dry, with ripe fruit, consistent with the nose. Med acidity and tannins with high alcohol (14.8%). Full-bodied, with med (+) to pronounced flavor intensity and length. 80% Zinfandel, 17% Alicante Bouschet and 3% Petit Sirah. Appealing, complex and relatively well balanced, it does not fit the fruit-bomb Zin stereotype. Drink through 2023.
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5/18/2020 - Coopcnr wrote: flawed
Cork taint.
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1/4/2020 - ppandian wrote: 88 Points
Drinking well...excellent.
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12/25/2019 - short and confused wrote: 94 Points
I loved this! I buy Geyserville and Lytton year each year but have not been guying other Zins fro Ridge. Inky ruby. Exotic nose. Vanilla, cherry compote and some spice box. Candied red fruit in the mouth with excellent acidity which for me is what sets this apart. . This was favorite Zinfandel of 2019 (I don't drink a ton of zin but get wines from ridge, Turley and Carlisle).
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11/15/2019 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with Stromboli and tater tots!
Gorgeous ruby, bright and jewel like, a touch of purple.
Nice fruit on the nose, plum, raisin, blackberry, with some blueberry in background.
Palate: smooth at the front but the acid makes its presence known shortly, just right to give some body to the fruit.
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9/14/2019 - ppandian wrote: 89 Points
Strawberry and cherries on the nose. Spicy, bramble, medium round tannins and well balanced! Excellent with grilled rack of lamb. Beautiful Zin.
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5/26/2019 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
41st Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2014s (R&Ds): Double blind. Aromas of raspberry, pepper, brambleberry and a hint of blue fruit. Lush brambly red fruit on the palate. Adds a chocolate note as it sits, with briary spice and red berry fruit. Finishes with good length.
My #3, Domino's #8
Grp #8, 64 pts
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2/17/2019 - Eatmypixels Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs more age. Need dirt. But so good now.
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2/13/2019 - Opus2010 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious
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1/17/2019 - JS199 wrote: 89 Points
Zinfandel blend that has some interesting flavors. Spicy Zin up front, polished, then the other 20%(17% Alicante Bouchet & 3% Petite Sirah) that probably explains the finish. A slight twang at the end is baffling. If drunk blind, I'd be so lost as to what this is.
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9/23/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth full bodied but semi-one dimensional wine.
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8/13/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine:
Sucked down by the missus. Full bodied wine with lots of purple fruit. Big and bold.
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6/2/2018 - ppandian wrote: 87 Points
Spicy, balanced, beautiful!
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6/1/2018 - WetRock wrote:
This seems to be in a real funky, closed sort of stage right now. When opening it was a bit sullen. Certainly not anything closed to that forward fruit expression you expect from Pagani. On night two the fruit was still not showing much and there was a solid note of newish oak sticking up. Saved a glass for a third night and saw some ultra primary fruit. Like just bottled fruit. I'd keep my hands off any bottles for another year or two.
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4/27/2018 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with homemade sausage pizza.
Look: opaque ruby consistent to the rim.
Sniff: nice, raspberry with blueberry undertones, plums, raisin, and perhaps a floral touch.
Taste: medium body, nice balance, decent acid. Really tasty.
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4/6/2018 - Zinful99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yum!
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3/24/2018 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Simply delicious. Wish I had cases of it to share with all my fiends for them to drink with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
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3/13/2018 - rakasome Likes this wine: 83 Points
OK as a table wine with something greasy. Not much going on here.
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1/7/2018 - RockyII Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep garnet red. 1 hour decant through a powered aerator. Nose of tea, blackberries, blueberries and with notes of crushed black pepper and cigar. Taste is sweeter than the nose, medium dark fruit and not as complex. Good balance of tannins and acidity. Nice wine, but not special, particularly among other Zins at this price point.
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1/3/2018 - rmalloy wrote: 86 Points
Tasted blind. A dull and simple wine, but I can’t deny its tastiness. Dark fruits and violets. Hints of cigar. Big oaky overtones, some coffee. Medium bodied. Light tannins, low acidity. Rating: 86.
Guess the wine. New World. Malbec perhaps? A few years old.
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12/2/2017 - rrNYC Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, juicy and elegant Zin. Very nice.
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9/17/2017 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another one of my favorite producers as well as vinyards in Sonoma. Nice nose of raisiny blueberries. The acid has tamed and the wine is soft and elegant on the tongue. The finish is full flavored. EG #WineArchitect #Architectural Artistry
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9/16/2017 - Renzloh wrote: 91 Points
Rich elegant zin.
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9/9/2017 - RichardZula Likes this wine:
Some Christmas spices, black tea leaves on the nose; very nice; plums; Perhaps worth ordering and shipping.
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6/10/2017 - alr6767 wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes. Probably the best Pagani I've had across different producers and vintages back to '08, and one of the better Ridge I've had of late. Kudos to Dino and Team Ridge.
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6/4/2017 - wine247365 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at their Lytton Springs tasting room and my wife and I preferred this over the other 5 Zins we tasted there.
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5/20/2017 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose and palate of blueberry compote; big tannins but well integrated; could definitely improve with age
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4/24/2017 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Juicy dark fruits.
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4/24/2017 - Todd French wrote:
My wife wanted Zin last night with dinner so we opened up a '14 Pagani Zinfandel, as I've never had them before. I recall the notes on one of various threads on Wine Berserkers, about it being a 'bigger', fruit-forward Zin, and that's why I picked some up, as I felt it would nicely compliment the Geyserville and Lytton Springs/Estate Zins I have. WOW is it brambly and hedonistic! It's JUST hedonistic enough - big and bold and brash and brambly - but not TOO much. It really walks the border, and, granted, it is young, but I don't see this aging gracefully, for decades, as it's a pleasurable, big Zin, the kind I used to enjoy years ago. I gassed half the bottle and plan to enjoy it later this week.
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4/23/2017 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very fruity and flavorful....nice finish. A bargain at $32.00. Ridge Vineyards never disappoints.
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4/17/2017 - sweetstuff wrote: 92 Points
2014 Ridge Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley). Medium deep purple. Out of Impitoyable, Tudor arches of tears. Nose has plenty of vivid high spiciness, like earth, clove and linseed oil, over full forward fruitiness. Full-bodied with minty fine tannins. Juicy finish, wonderful with Italian truffled sauced bread dishes. A fine example of the reason why Ridge is so loved by its fans. 80 percent Zinfandel, 17 percent Alicante Bouschet, and 3 percent Petite Sirah. Fine current drinkability but structured enough to hold another several years even for those who like 'em young; but not as firmly structured as many Ridge Zin-based wines. Wood treatment not on label.
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4/9/2017 - Cmainardi wrote: 91 Points
Big California fruit bomb. Crowd pleaser. Not as spicy as typical Pagani. Ridge rarely disappoints.
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4/8/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [Various Reds & a Sancere] for 4/7/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 80% Zinfandel, 17% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Petite Sirah; 14.8% ABV
N: Closed/muted; potentially LOTS going on -- jam, CERTAINLY, but OTHER addt'l, tough to parse aromas
P: Med body; Almost swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.) met by BALANCING, slightly puckery structure mid palate, this slowly, SEAMLESSLY, somewhat reeolving by the LONG, very, VERY slightly astringent finish. BEAUTIFULLY made in its style, this DESERVES celaring into '19, then drinking thru '21-'22 min. 93 pts WA, 92 Int'l Wine Report & Vinous, 91 & "Very Highly Recommended" CA Grapevine, and 90 WS. [This vendor's $33.95 is near the TOP of the pack.]
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3/12/2017 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big Ridge zin. Big blue and black fruits, perfectly balanced wine. No heat or oak, just a really nice wine. I normally don't care for Pagani (I prefer Geyserville and Lytton Springs) but this year it's exceptional.
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3/7/2017 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark dark fruits. Full mouth feel. Not spicy though like many zins.
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2/26/2017 - asplatt19 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose hits you right away with strong hints berries and vanilla and carries through to the first taste. Nice finish and will probably improve with another year or two in the bottle
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1/15/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Vines from the early 1900's. There's 17% Alicante Bouschet in this which adds a bit more depth to the flavor. Bright black fruits. Some licorice. A bit of leather. Again a very nice wine that's just easy to drink now, but with years ahead of it.
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1/12/2017 - VINO-LOVER wrote: 92 Points
- Purple color with medium forming legs and aromas of cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish.
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12/24/2016 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, dark fruits, juicy.
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12/11/2016 - greidy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great Ridge Zyn, I love this producer, especially wines from this estate.
Lots of dark fruits, pepper, spices, cacao, tasty palate, nice medium long off-dry finish. Very nice and enjoyable already.
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12/7/2016 - Ultimatewinekick_Andreas wrote: 91 Points
Extremely dense layered dark fruit on both nose and palate but also some spices, minerals, game and vanilla from oak. Example of fruit notes are ripe plums, cherries and blueberries. There is a good tannic backbone to the wine. This wine is dense and powerful but still avoids getting too heavy.
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12/4/2016 - Man in Black wrote:
Medium ruby colour. The nose shows medium+ intensity aromas of dark plums, prunes, cherries jam, liquorice and hints of nail varnish remover.
It is off-dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium silky tannins, a high warm alcohol and a medium+ body. It has pronounced intensity flavours and a long finish.
It is a very good quality wine. It has very concentrated flavours and a very persistent finish, and it shows the typicity of a Zinfandel through its dark and overripe fruit aromas. On the other hand the alcohol is a bit out of balance and it lacks some complexity.
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11/21/2016 - In vino potestus est Likes this wine: 87 Points
Deep purple. Ripe nose of plums, berries. On the palate very ripe fruit, jammy yet the flavors seemed muted and did not explode on the senses. Subdued tannins. Good, but short of great. Not sure how long this will last. Did not find the wine very interesting especially compared to the 2014 Geyerserville and the 2014 Lytton Springs, which were both spectacular. . Could the fruit for the Pagani have been over-ripe? It would be interesting to know when the fruit was harvested relative to the other Ridge Zins.
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11/9/2016 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple, rich wine. Dark fruit.
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10/21/2016 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Visit to Ridge (Ridge Vineyards): Compared to the Lytton, this is much more obviously Zin-ish with its sweet black/blue berry fruit. It shows more overt oak, too, and is rounder, riper, and more alcoholic. It's a friendly, easier wine, if ultimately less complex and interesting.
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10/1/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 91 Points
At the Santa Cruz mountains winery. Pepper and mineral nose, lots of fruit, blackberry, restrained oak, tannins, and integrated acid, fair balance. Nice finish. My clear favorite of the zins we tasted today. Reminded me of a decent Côtes du Rhone flavor profile, although the French equivalent can probably be found for about half the price of the Ridge zin.
That being said, the top of the mountain where Ridge is located is a lovely place to picnic so we double decanted a bottle and enjoyed with an assortment of cheeses, salami, and fresh grapes. In this context, the wine showed extremely well, evolving smoothness; very easy to drink.
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9/12/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at the winery...opaque garnet purple. Nose of ripe red fruit (almost sweet i.e. slight residual sugar, perhaps), smokey bacon and spice box. On the palate there is lots of black cherry, black plum and some kirsch on the finish. Better with a few more years on on it maybe a lot more. At this stage I thought this more enjoyable by a little than the Lytton Springs bottling of the same vintage, also tasted today.
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8/27/2016 - MRichman wrote:
Twilight on the Terrace at Ridge: Warm, bright with tar & tobacco. Smoky, orange peel and a long finish. Elegant, friendly. A bit young. Excellent.
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8/27/2016 - kosinski wrote:
Aroma: floral and spicy with scents of rose hips, cherry blossom and almond.
Palate: Rich and spicy with bright acidity. Flavors of cherry, pomegranate and plum. Quite tannic and structured with great potential. Needs 3-5 years of cellaring.
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8/24/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.8% abv. Dark ruby, moderate aromatics. Plums, cherries and spice on the palate, with a mellow tannic edge. Very deep and rich. Great now, but should develop well over the next several years.
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