My first experience with this bottling - was very surprised at how the American oak stood out so much. I had served it blind and initially got a guess of Rioja, which was telling. Still lots of tannic structure here which bodes well for some more time in the cellar. Very tasty wine now though, richly fruited but with plenty of freshness to carry it along.
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Wow. For whatever reason, this bottle was much better than the earlier opened ones. Fresh, fruity, yet with complexity and well integrated. Maybe the drinking window starts only now?
Quite dark fruited. Really needed a couple hours air to show well as it had a distinct cedar and dill note initially. Coarse tannins but behind the nicely concentrated black fruits. Hints at the depth of Monte Bello but not on that level.
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A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): Drinking quite nicely. We buy the estate wine every year mostly because you have to if you want to buy the Monte Bello which we love. This was drinking pretty well though. Kind of a classic form of wine. On the young side but it is drinkable now. Still more of the fruits with spices. Enjoyable.
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PnP. Color is deep opaque ruby with some purple hues. On the nose: Plum , cinnamon, cassis and a bit of sour funk. On the palate: Plum, cassis , a hint of cinnamon , dark chocolate and graphite. Sensuous , elegant and smooth. Needs time to open up but clearly a very good wine. Tough day at work and needed this.
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Opened and decanted 1.5 hours ahead of roasted pork loin and potatoes with mixed salad. Dark purple-crimson color. The nose brings brett/funky notes that takes 3+ hours to resolve, but when it does spring violets, red roses, blackcurrant, and cinnamon baking spices emerge. The palate is medium-full, square, compact, and volatile, bringing a core of dark plums, blackberries, tart huckleberries, sour cherries, dark chocolate, coffee bean, and scattered eucalyptus notes into a lingering, juicy finish. This is still primary and will be best 2024-2032. Technical score: 93. Enjoyment score: 91.
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Tasted as part of a vertical (07, 14, 16, 18) Classic example of the Ridge Estate cab, as advertised a more approachable-in-youth monte bello. Balanced, dark fruit, light on the palate with a sense of comfort as it goes down.
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Nose black and blue tree fruit, herbs, tobacco, cedar, m+ intensity Palate cassis, coconut, mocha, forest floor, coffee, clove, m acid, m v fine tannin, m+ int F m
B y C .5 I y L .5
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Opened and decanted for 1 hour before serving. Great nose right from the start, dark chocolate, black cherry, cassis, tobacco and leather. After another hour of enjoyment, opened up even more. Excellent wine, Ridge never disappoints. 2014’s very approachable now
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Night 1 I opened this about an hour before serving but did not decant and it was good but somewhat closed and not showing a whole lot of personality. On day two it was totally different and very much open for business. Next time I will decant before serving.
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I don't drink a lot of California cab but this was really enjoyable. Ripe red fruit dominate but in balance with the oak, acid, and structure. Cedar and sweet tobacco round out the nose and palate.
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Fabulous. Drinking quite well. Ample red and black, especially cherry and blackberry, but quite complex. Cedar and tannin support the fruit in a long finish. Excellent QPR, perhaps peaking or still improving a bit for a few years. But, no doubt in great shape right now.
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (14%), Petit Verdot (6%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) from the Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains. The harvest started on 2nd of September and ended on 24th of September. Destemmed, fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 6 days. The wine was blended using 15 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 20 different ferments. Aged in American oak (70% new, 30% second and third use) for 19 months. 13,7% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Estate Cab 2014, 2011, 2009 and 2006.
Dense, concentrated and fully opaque purple-red color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels at first somewhat restrained and subtly funky, but opens up wonderfully to exhibit intense, sweetish aromas of ripe blackcurrants and juicy dark plums, some blueberry tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light lifted notes of ethery VA, a hint of cherries and a rustic, lambic-like touch of brett. The wine feels dense, concentrated and chewy on the palate with a rather full body and juicy flavors of ripe blackcurrants, sweet plummy fruit, some vanilla tones, light mocha notes of toasty oak spice, a little bit of meaty umami, a hint of juicy blueberry and a touch of extracted bitterness. The overall feel is quite firm and sinewy, thanks to the moderately high acidity and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is rich, savory and moderately grippy with long and quite complex flavors of ripe blackcurrants and blueberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of evolved meaty character, light sweet mocha oak tones, a hint of vanilla and a touch of savory wood spice.
A firm, balanced and quite complex Bordeaux blend that feels a bit polished and slightly more in the "new world" vein after a mini-vertical of Geyserville, which felt more "old world" in comparison. Even though the Zin-driven Geyserville feels more ripe and sweetly-fruited compared to this, the overall style here is more approachable with somewhat more polished fruit character and a not-overtly-pronounced yet still quite obvious new oak sheen. This is an enjoyable and well-made wine by all accounts, and it sports a quite impressive structure, but I wish it emphasized more of its savory and structured side and less its ripe, accessible fruit and sweet, toasty oak character. Perhaps some further aging could help a bit here? At least the wine came across as pretty youthful so I can see it aging gracefully for many more years. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 39,90€.
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75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Deep purple core. Dark garnet. Compact rim. Opaque.
Nose is expressive already with some air. Cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate, with some cedary spices.
Structured palate. Tannic still but approachable (unlike 2014 Monte Bello which is extremely unfriendly at the same stage of development). Medium plus acidity, medium plus body. Lots of concentrated dark fruits. Savory mushroom, smoky minerality. Finish is extremely long.
I love this wine. I am considering stop buying Monte Bello as this become approachable much earlier and less upfront investment for similar yield. But just like MB, the Estate Cab has plenty of Old World charm, may be with a tad more ripe fruit. The 2014 should be ready around its 10th anniversary with staying power to last over 2 decades with ease. Lovely juice. 91+
Out of 375 mL. Yes, there's a lot of American oak, but it's delicious oak! And I don't even like oak that much. There's also a lot of powerful ripe black fruit. The oak shows more on the nose, but doesn't stick out texturally. Somehow the vanilla/coconut/black fruit combo really works here.
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Drinking very well after a one hour double decant. Nice balance, oak notes integrated and fruit prominent. Great complement to a grilled steak on July 4th.
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From split- this only needs about 20 min in glass to open up, a pleasant wine with no rough edges and certainly a crowd pleaser. Lacks complexity and age worthiness, but that’s ok. This is in or near its prime and should drink well for another 5 years.
Prominent red and black fruits, cassis, vanilla. Short decant. Juicier than expected with rustic minerality and moderate tannins. Became more balanced with air time. Paired well with top sirloin steak. Holding remaining bottle for a couple more years.
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My first taste of a Ridge. Very unique nose of mint/eucalyptus and maybe some sage/clove. After 30 minutes of air the palate is really impressive. Sensual and precise and a long and complex finish. The fruit purity is one of a kind as well, blueberry and cassis mainly. More BDX oriented than Cali. Can't wait to try a Monte Bello!!
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Decanted 2 hours before drinking and followed over 4 more. I tend to prefer my reds with a little age. I don’t eat much meat and like the softness and complexity that time delivers. Based on my preference, this wine has a few years to go before it hits its drinking window.
This showed best after 6 hours. It’s a bit more rustic than I expected out of a cab dominant blend with abundant fruit and a spicy, savory mid-palate. The next afternoon, I had a tablespoon of wine in the bottom and figured I’d give it a try. Even better than the night before... and it was just left on the counter. I’ll wait another 3 years at least for the next... this shows a lot promise.
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Opened this a few hours before drinking. Paired with a steak. I really enjoy this style -> 13.7% and a nice mix of petit Verdot and cab franc in addition to the usual cab sauv and Merlot in this wine. Drinking great now but still noticeable tannins so I think it will go another 3-5yrs
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Upon opening it was super closed to the point of being undrinkable. We decanted it for 7 hours. It became a beautiful, strong but classy wine. Varietally correct Cab. Berry fruit and tannins in great balance. Some mint. I get why some call this a Baby Bello. It has some elements of its big brother but overall less complex. I didn't detect as much leather or eucalyptus as on typical MBs. Great wine and perhaps has 3-5 more years of life ahead of it before going into a decline. Paired great with grilled lamb lollipops
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Deep garnet liquid with wonderful acidic/tannic balance. Bright fruit, medium to full intensity with a finish that does not quite live up to its initial impression. But, on the whole, a very nice well-made wine that is drinking great.
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This was drinking soooo well right now - a 95+. I think 7-10 years is the perfect age for this wine. Is a big wine but not jammy or stewed. Tanins beautifully integrated. Classic blackberry, cassis and some clove. Complex and long.
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This jumps out of the glass with captivating aromas of cassis, blackberries, raspberries and cocoa, with some air green pepper emerge, something like mountain herbs, a bit mint / eucalyptus maybe, hints of vanilla as well. On the palate this is so sensual with beautiful tannins supporting rather than obstructing the fruit. Pure understated elegance here with exceptional freshness and good length. Better than the 14 Monte Bello at the moment, which is far from ready. This is - while still primary - very drinkable now. 18/20
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Out of 375mL. Could have used more air, I think. Ripe, dark black fruit, plenty of American oak on the nose but not overwhelming on the palate, sufficient concentration to absorb the oak and enough acidity to balance the extract. V. good.
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This "Baby 'Bello" is drinking so well right now after a few hour decant. Just a great balance between enough black fruits, drying tannins and acidity without going too far. Drink now with a decant or hold for several more years, you can't go wrong. Day 2 = Day 1
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Great and dry with tannins which mellowed after opening. Exact same blend from same vineyard as 2017 Monte Bello bit didnt open up nearly as well in side by side tastng
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Bought some of this because the 2014 Monte Bello seemed like a standout vintage at the barrel tasting but wanted to try a 2014 estate while I wait.
Decanted for 3 hrs. Still young but decided to open the first of the 2014s out of curiosity. The 2014 is comprised of 75% Cabernet, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cab Franc. Deep purple in color it’s still young but has a fresh bouquet of black fruit on the nose. Opened with a little raison as the petit Verdot is quite prominent. Over an hour or so it opened up to reveal a layered structure with blackberries, hickory, vanilla bean as the merlot balanced out the dryness of the cab. Paired well with a tritip.
On day two it was even better with some added chocolate notes. Over the next 5 years the tannins will resolve and it will round off the edges to become a very fine Bordeaux blend. Can’t wait to try its big brother the 2014 Monte Bello in a few years time.
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This is always a delicious wine. Dusty, chalky minerality leads the nose with cedar and spice leading to mere hints of dark fruit. Luscious on the palate where the fruit emerges in plum, cassis, blackberry and blueberry compote. Lush texture with elegantly integrated acidity and fine tannin. It has an exuberance on the palate with fruit dominating and a suggestion of dark cocoa on the finish.
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Same personality as the 2012 I had a few years ago. However, this vintage feels a bit more diluted and early-drinking than the outstanding 2012. A bit disappointed to be honest.
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Wow I was blown away by the quality here at the price a paid for it. It had all of the traits you would expect of a high quality cab. Although it is 75% cab, the merlot presence was unmistakable. It almost reminded me a bit of a st emilion. Ridge nailed it on this wine and I have to imagine 2014 Monte Bello is unbelievably good. It’s approachable now but 3+ more years of age would allow for a bit more integration of the tannins.
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This wine is in a great place right now. The nose was massive upon opening. Let open up in the glass. Medium+ acidity, tannins are well integrated and smooth, alcohol is under 14%, this is classic Ridge from the Monte Bello estate.
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Beautiful ruby color. Dark fruits, and typical cabernet profile with cassis and some chocolate. Trying this on the early side of the drinking window, and it was good, but will hold remaining bottle for 3-5 years, and I would expect improvement.
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Followed over 2 nights. Lovely dark fruit and smoke aromatics typical of Monte Bello—but man there’s a lot of dill and oak character! Dry oak tannins on the finish. Solid bones, but would hold this 3-5yrs and hope the oak inegrates. Nice fruit though.
Very nice expressive nose - reminds me of d‘alforno valpolicella - reductive nose but superble elegant pallet - realy nice - bit too much wood still bcs of youth - but will become a beaury
Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Rich, ripe, plummy, quite concentrated, slight baked black berry underpin, slight liquorice, there is also a slight herbaceous underpin oddly enough. Juicy, less overtly ripe on the palate but still has a blackberry jam quality. Feels a bit out of whack at the moment. Tannins are chalky and persistent but the fruit drops away a little. Hmm.
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So the best way I can describe this wine is that the nose and the palate put the vivid memory of a winery in my mind.
The wine is clear and purple with no rim variation. The extraction is medium and the tearing is heavy.
On the nose the intensity is powerful with developing candied red and blue fruit, old sprite, potting soil, dill, and vanilla. The palate is consistent with a cherry pie finish.
The tannins are medium, with medium minus acidity, medium plus alcohol, a full body, and round texture, with a long finish and medium plus complexity.
5+12+16+8=91
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1st ridge cab. Med body earthy perfumed nose, some bacon fat, rustic tannins, a little bitter finish. Interesting, very different from the usual Napa cabs I’m used to. I’d say if im objective I’m not enjoying this as much as I’d hoped, but this may be too young at this point based on what I’ve read about Ridge.
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The King is in the House (Cabernet) (Mike's house): A small pour at a tasting, from a bottle with unknown decant/treatment. This seemed to be a solid and straight-forward cabernet. It was balanced and non-offensive, and there wasn't a lot of character. I would think/hope this will gain complexity in the future and show better.
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Mike's Cabernet Event (Prior Lake, MN): More refined than many of the big cabs tasted tonight. Sour cherry, cigar, minerals, earth and mild oak. Decanted 2 hours. I am not sure this wine is going to benefit with aging. It is a solid Cabernet but not a wow of some past vintages. Drink now to 2022.
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This wine was incredibly tight upon opening...revealing only cedar on a dry lifeless palate. I dumped it in a decanter and vigorously aerated it several times over the course of three hours.
Finally the wine opened to reveal the dense cassis and sweet creamy vanilla with a herbal streak that I expect with Ridge Estate Cabs.
This is in a bad (closed) spot at the moment and needs lots of time.
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Decanted for 3 hours, it was still coiled up. That said, this is a beautiful, elegant, and delicious SCM cabernet. This wine's best years are still to come, hold on to your bottles for a couple of years.
Praelum - American Beauties (Praelum Wine Bistro): Medium purple. Lots of power, with intense cassis, blueberry, grass, rose, vanilla, while acidic, warm, and filling. A great, dark, peaty, long finish
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Excellent wine! Notes of cassis and red fruit. Youthful and bright but with balanced tannins. Drinking well now but will integrate more and will be terrific in 3-5 years.
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This was not showing well to me. Followed over 3 nights. Has the expected potential but right now is mostly cedar and dill notes. Has nice fruit underneath but hard to discern given strong oak influence. This bottling has shown to age well. No reason to panic just hold.
Points are if drinking now.
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Saturated ruby/purple. Dark ripe fruits, american oak coconut and cedar notes, with a slight herbal note. So balanced on the palate with a creamy mouthfeel, everything so well integrated, with a bead of acidity and fine tannins holding it all together. Such a unique flavor profile and old world approach with new world fruit. Interesting and Delicious.
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Dark saturated purple. Sweet dark black fruits on the nose. Concentrated yet fresh and lifted. That great balance between sweet and sour that I find a lot in Ridge Cabernets. Sensible alcohol 13.5%. delicious and just ready.
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Jammy nose that doesn’t disappoint in taste, blueberry and cedar, excellent drinkabilty. Can imagine with most any red meat or pork, but enjoyable on its own.
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Coravin pour. As with everything from Ridge, this is superb. Improved greatly with air over an hour. Huge on the nose and great fruit on the palate. Finish is dry but not grippy.
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Jólasmakk Eðalklúbbsins 2018 (Marbakkabraut 12): Mjög dökkt. Unglegur litur. Í nefi sólber, brómber, lakkrís. Síðan þegar lengra var komið þá bættist við leður, hnakkur, lanólín. flókin og flott lykt. Mjög flott jafnvægi. Í munni mátti svo finna papriku, eik, pipar, leður og myntu. Glæsilegt vín.
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Superb. Still young, needs about two hours of air before it starts to sing. Beautiful depth of flavor and mouthfeel. Moderate tannins. Paired with herb-crusted, roasted pork short ribs. Yum.
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Black purple in color. Rich dark berries and mocha on the nose. Blueberry, blackberry, plum fruit filled palate with chocolate and some mint. Excellent balance. Full bodied. Long finish. Rich and silky smooth. Very young, will probably improve further over next 5+ years.
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Decanted and followed over 4hrs. Shows a LOT of American oak with dill and coconut notes. Has terrific black fruit, quite well poised and polished. Needs some time to integrate. Shows typicity of Santa Cruz, quite good.
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Very nice. Approachable and in great balance. Dark fruits, smooth tannins, good acidity. Drinks very well now, looks to have the balance to age for a bit, and possibly improve, but darn tasty right now.
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double decant plus an hour enjoy ed with pasture raised beef excellent ripe cassis that for me did not cross the line into bombastic strong backbone of tannin gave it a medium long finish (91)
day 2: even better. Could not put my glass down and then it was empty! I have to agree with Gallani who felt it was 94 and one of the best values in Califonia cabernet.
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Blueberry, brambles and spices on nose. Great dark berry, vanilla with brambles and pepper on palate. Distinguished tannins but significant acidity. Drank with red wine sausage pizza, great pairing!
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Oak on nose was overpowering upon opening but soon dissipated. Inky color with nice legs. After reading notes I expected high acidity & tannins but found neither, just a smooth drinking CA cab.
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Purple color, this needs some air, blackberry and cassis scents, high acid, hints of cola, blueberry, tobacco and black cherry on the palate, lush, full and long, nice match with smoked beef brisket
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Drank over 2 nights. Did not improve on day 2. Wine was overwhelmed by acidity that I would not normally associate with a california cab. No clue whether this will improve or not, but it is not in balance now. I am normally a huge fan of this producer, hence my disappointment. I completely share Wineotim's view here, albeit not his score. Poor QPR.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blueberry, blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. Started while wine was too cold. Opened up nicely as it warmed.
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Rather rough initially but mellowed out after a while. Nose of dark berries, oak and slight hint of smoke. Medium acid and hard tannins. Still a decent wine and my first American cabernet sauvignon.
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Third bottle of this, still big on acid and intensity, but this time I found the acidity almost annoying, and tart. Trending down for me. Love the long and grippy finish. I've never tasted a vintage like this. I will move on to the '15 vintage, it has less Petite Verdot. Will see.
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Pure, currant fruit nose with bitter chocolate notes. Focused fruit palate with firm tannins and fresh acidity. Still young and coming together. Long, precise finish. 4.5/5
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deeply colored, purple rim. aromatically loads of lush, dark fruits, tons of bourbon-y American oak, some very much in the background herbal notes. on the palate high acid, an extremely lush and "sweet" midpalate, lots of tannins that are pretty firm and unintegrated, low to moderate alcohol. wine is balanced structurally,, but aromatically is dominated by American oak... good length, great intensity, not a ton of complexity yet. will definitely improve with age but is open and fleshy enough to drink now. i think people know what they are getting style wise with ridge wines... extremely well made wines that are not overripe but lush with a huge dose of American oak. not in my wheelhouse style wise at all but quality is undeniable.
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Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas but more ripe black fruit spectrum than the 2013 with touches of prune. It also smells broader and bolder and there is a little alcohol heat on the nose. Touch of spice. Juicy, jubey black fruits, again with touches of prune, tight but not drying tannins and spice. Long.
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Bær dominerer på lukt, solbær, litt blåbær. Hint av anis. Med luft dukker flere krydderdufter opp, pepper, rått kjøtt. En litt søt bærfrukt er også det som dominererer i munnen, men vinen har mer enn nok struktur til å hamle opp med frukten, så det blir aldri klissete. Dessuten en frisk syrlighet gjennom hele smakskurven. Sannsynligvis kjempebra med nok lagring - men den er allerede svært god. Sitter lenge i munnen også.
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PnP from a 375. This is a great bottle of wine. Integrated wood and some sweet purple fruit, pencil lead, cigar box, bbq sauce. Bright blackberry and cherry fruit and tasty. Long legs. Good medium weight. Finish leaves a little to be desired given everything up to that point. Loving these 2014 Cali Cabs (admittedly this has 25% Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot as well).
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Wine was dull upon opening but after couple of hours had many of the characters alluded to in previous reviews. It is vinified with both natural yeast and MLB which is a gutsy move these days; and it was pH adjusted and fined with egg whites. So from my perspective it’s going to evolve some interesting character; but needs cellar time to open up more.
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Wine is purple and daybright. Intense baking spices and blueberry on the nose, like a blueberry pie. A bit of sandalwood on nose as well. Taste is blueberry and dusty oak. Tannins are smooth and leave a long finish. Medium plus body and acidity.
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Inky purple in color, with dark fruit and cedar aromas. The palate offers a mix of wild berry, cedar, and cigar box notes, with touches of tobacco and road tar. Still tight with firm tannins, but the flavors are persistent on the long finish.
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Tasted at a local store. Dark purple fruit - dark currants, blackberry, dark cherry, and a little plum. Smooth mid-palate coupled with decent depth for the price point. Nice flavors of dark berries, some spice, oak, and a little mineral component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - in my opinion this vintage needs some more time for the fruit to soften/open-up which is no surprise in light of its youth and style. Apparently the bottle was open for a couple hours before serving. According to WS, best from 2020 to 2034 which I believe makes sense - although I'm sure a decent decant would have also helped at this stage. 75% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% petit verdot, 5% cabernet franc.
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Solid effort. Some complexity in the finish with slightly austere tannin, green herb, and plummy, blackish fruit. I was surprised to see this was aged in American Oak.
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Denne vinen som også har druer fra den berømte Monte Bello marken innehar 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% Petit Verdot og 5% Cabernet Franc. Hele klaser ble fermentert på lokal gjær og vinen har gjennomgått maloaktisk gjæring på ståltank før avslutning på eikefat der vinen hadde ytterligere 16 uker sammen med døde gjærceller. Vinen er modnet i 19 måneder på amerikanske eikefat derav 70% nye fat.
Rødlilla med mørkere kjerne og lysere kant preger vinens farge. Forførende, dog ikke for intens, med rød saftig fruktdreven nese med kirsebær, solbær, lett lær og noe kaffetoner.
Middels + konsentrert på paletten med saftige litt sødmefulle røde bær med fin syrlige nerve som fører vinen middels bredt rundt i munnen. Også noe jordlige toner og et snev av lyst røyket kjøtt. Det er en meget god vin dette, som trenger litt tid i kjelleren.
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Oak notes poke out a bit but this has a solid core of black cab fruit with typicity of the Santa Cruz mountains. Really enjoyed. Worth the price point but I wish it was a bit cheaper.
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The nose is a blend of old and new world. Cedar, dark fruits, somewhat earthy, cloves and hints of coconut. There's definitely some new American oak here, but it's not over the top and quite well managed. The palate reflects the nose with a beautiful ripe fruit, toasted notes, a green Cabernet note, balanced by a nice acidity for a Californian wine. Tannins are present but are starting to integrate. Though it was a bit tight after opening, it developed very nicely the second day. This is a great American wine for the money, which would really benefit from a few years of cellaring to tone down the oak and tannins a bit.
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Nice stuff. My first time having the regular Ridge Cabernet bottling and I am impressed. Incredibly balanced and smooth. The merlot adding accessibility. Just a joy to drink. No formal notes, this note is 5 days after consumption.
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The fruit here is much riper than I would expect from a Ridge estate Cabernet, and the oak is prominent. Purple fruits with cherry accents, sweet herbs, spice and tobacco showed on the nose. On the palate, it was silky in texture with concentrated black fruits, plum verging on prune with a sweet herbal mix. Brisk acidity and a bit of green tannin showed on the finish. I wanted more austerity here, but this vintage came across as very ripe. Considering the notes from other tasters here, I'll keep my mind open to tasting again.
Plum Market Luxury Fall Tasting (Chicago, IL): This tastes much more like cabernet than any of the Napa wines we had tonight. A touch of American oak, but really lightly so. There's some real green herbaceousness to this, as cabernet ought to have. Not too tannic, nor too earthy, nor too extracted, this is nice for drinking now, and as a way to protect yourself from picking at the Monte Bello.
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Tight, oaky...undrinkable the first night...marginally drinkable the second night after a 2 hr decant the first night and then back to the cellar overnight. will not be buying this again.
I got to give it 93 points. I like it because its not overly extracted and a huge fruit bomb. Its more like a bordeaux. Very very smooth especially for a 2014. Unreal for a 2014 actually. balanced, subtle, loads of oak and berries dance. not muted at all. I am shocked.
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This bottle not quite as complex. Curbing my enthusiasm for this wine a bit compared to my previous bottle. What distinguishes this wine to me is its intensity and focus. Huge acid, wow! Not for everybody but my palate likes it.
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Deep, inky purple. Double decanted. A quite primary but already complex nose suggests ripe black and blue fruits, smoky American oak, mint, grilled sage, and baked soil. Juicy and round on the palate, but balanced with nearly high acidity, fine tannins and a rather savory set of flavors.
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Tasted at a Ridge wine tasting at City Winery in Atlanta. Enjoyed this wine with an outstanding pairing of Mexican chocolate risotto with poached egg. What a treat! This is a new world style of a left bank Bordeaux blend. If you like that style then this wine has everything you want. Big black fruit with integrated tannins and a lovely finish. Truly good stuff.
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Pretty explosive notes of dark plum, cassis, graphite, sweet spices, also some sweet red berry fruit and some dark chocolate. It's pretty full-bodied, dense but not heavy and has good freshness with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin that is still present but good quality. Good length. This is really nice as always and I would be surprised if 2-3 years wouldn't help it to gain a little more elegance. For me year after year one of the best QPR Cabernet blends from California.
Darker fruits, loamy minerality, musky, a bit funky from native yeast fermentation--a bit of a distraction, could be bottle variation, but excellent structure, medium body with elegance. (Monte Bello vineyard fruit). At winery with Israel.
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This was tasty and my first time with this winery! This needs a bit more time for the tannins to settle down though and should be outstanding in a few more years!
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This is really young, but still so appealing to me. Dark violet, dry, ripe, tightly coiled black fruit, some graphite notes, not heavy, not oaky, tons of grip on the long finish. I have never tasted a vintage of this wine like this one. I really loved the '13 for its more broad and open style, but this is also a great wine. Lots of enthusiasm for this wine and my score reflects that.
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Dark ruby. Roadside blackberries, Hatch chilis, and Mexican chocolate on the nose. Deep core of pure sweet fruit, furry tannins, clear acid layers rising at the back to long ringing finsh. Young, raw, and exuberant; a wonderful wine. 50 + 17 + 17 + 9 = 93.
Not as complex as one would expect from Ridge. But may have been because of its youth. Cassis and pencil lead in the bouquet with currants, figs and herbal notes on the palate and finish. From a half bottle. Wanted to like it more. (��= Pass, as it sits in the glass today and at this price point)
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Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (Ridge Monte Bello, Cupertino): Highly aromatic, blackcurrant; palate is full bodied, youthful tannin, lovely mouthfeel, black fruit; medium-long finish. This is a great vintage of the estate Cabernet. Much better than its showing a month ago. 92-93.
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Vindredi (California Cabernet) (Bellevue, WA): Tasted blind. Sweet oak, smoke, and herbs on the nose. Red and black cherry fruit on the soft, lush, and elegant body. Lengthy finish, with soft tannins, balanced acidity, and hints of vanilla and sour cherry. Lovely.
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Decanted for five hours. Huge nose of fresh fruits and a little green on opening. Never gave up much. Very closed. Tart fruit. Sweet tannins. Needs several years.
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Clear very deep garnet with no rim browning. Heavily toasted oak, vanilla, black plum, chocolate. Medium to low acids, medium to low tannins. Twigs. Medium to long tannic finish. Tasting at winery.
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3/30/2024 - drmilkweed Likes this wine: 95 Points
Complex primary fruit and secondary components, well integrated silky tannins, exceptional
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2/10/2024 - Chimer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great colour and great density, still a baby, if opened now decant for at least 3 hours as tannins are powerful and need air. Full, rich Cabernet.
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2/5/2024 - putter520 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine is tasting fantastic
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2/3/2024 - putter520 wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine from a great producer.
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12/30/2023 - wirelesswine wrote: 91 Points
My first experience with this bottling - was very surprised at how the American oak stood out so much. I had served it blind and initially got a guess of Rioja, which was telling. Still lots of tannic structure here which bodes well for some more time in the cellar. Very tasty wine now though, richly fruited but with plenty of freshness to carry it along.
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12/27/2023 - WestfalenGG Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. For whatever reason, this bottle was much better than the earlier opened ones. Fresh, fruity, yet with complexity and well integrated. Maybe the drinking window starts only now?
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11/20/2023 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite dark fruited. Really needed a couple hours air to show well as it had a distinct cedar and dill note initially. Coarse tannins but behind the nicely concentrated black fruits. Hints at the depth of Monte Bello but not on that level.
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6/29/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): Drinking quite nicely. We buy the estate wine every year mostly because you have to if you want to buy the Monte Bello which we love. This was drinking pretty well though. Kind of a classic form of wine. On the young side but it is drinkable now. Still more of the fruits with spices. Enjoyable.
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6/14/2023 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Color is deep opaque ruby with some purple hues. On the nose: Plum , cinnamon, cassis and a bit of sour funk. On the palate: Plum, cassis , a hint of cinnamon , dark chocolate and graphite. Sensuous , elegant and smooth. Needs time to open up but clearly a very good wine. Tough day at work and needed this.
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12/21/2022 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and decanted 1.5 hours ahead of roasted pork loin and potatoes with mixed salad. Dark purple-crimson color. The nose brings brett/funky notes that takes 3+ hours to resolve, but when it does spring violets, red roses, blackcurrant, and cinnamon baking spices emerge. The palate is medium-full, square, compact, and volatile, bringing a core of dark plums, blackberries, tart huckleberries, sour cherries, dark chocolate, coffee bean, and scattered eucalyptus notes into a lingering, juicy finish. This is still primary and will be best 2024-2032. Technical score: 93. Enjoyment score: 91.
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8/10/2022 - BigTex22 Likes this wine:
Still drinking well!
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6/28/2022 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice cab and good QPR but nothing memorable.
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6/3/2022 - asheio wrote: 93 Points
Intense nose with blueberry and vanilla. Pure style with tons of fruit, seamless, a bit dry finish. Nice freshness. Very enjoyable.
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4/16/2022 - hadukla Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted as part of a vertical (07, 14, 16, 18) Classic example of the Ridge Estate cab, as advertised a more approachable-in-youth monte bello. Balanced, dark fruit, light on the palate with a sense of comfort as it goes down.
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4/6/2022 - preid wrote: 91 Points
Dark red color. Dark berries, blackberry, leather and pencil shavings. Balanced with some power. Medium length. Still a very young wine.
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3/6/2022 - RVC_Wine wrote: 90 Points
Nose black and blue tree fruit, herbs, tobacco, cedar, m+ intensity
Palate cassis, coconut, mocha, forest floor, coffee, clove, m acid, m v fine tannin, m+ int
F m
B y
C .5
I y
L .5
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3/5/2022 - cclearningwine wrote: 94 Points
Delicious. My type of cabernet. It's medium+ bodied, it's rich, and it's grippy in tanins. Tastes of dark cherry, cocoa, slight olive-ness. It's good.
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2/12/2022 - thoughtdujour wrote: 92 Points
Neutral, not overly extracted. Fresh
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1/29/2022 - AndrewDand Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and decanted for 1 hour before serving. Great nose right from the start, dark chocolate, black cherry, cassis, tobacco and leather. After another hour of enjoyment, opened up even more. Excellent wine, Ridge never disappoints. 2014’s very approachable now
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1/10/2022 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Night 1 I opened this about an hour before serving but did not decant and it was good but somewhat closed and not showing a whole lot of personality. On day two it was totally different and very much open for business. Next time I will decant before serving.
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12/29/2021 - Ianttuck Likes this wine: 92 Points
I don't drink a lot of California cab but this was really enjoyable. Ripe red fruit dominate but in balance with the oak, acid, and structure. Cedar and sweet tobacco round out the nose and palate.
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12/25/2021 - TC16 wrote: 91 Points
Drank this too young.
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12/18/2021 - drmilkweed Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulous. Drinking quite well. Ample red and black, especially cherry and blackberry, but quite complex. Cedar and tannin support the fruit in a long finish. Excellent QPR, perhaps peaking or still improving a bit for a few years. But, no doubt in great shape right now.
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11/27/2021 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (14%), Petit Verdot (6%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) from the Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains. The harvest started on 2nd of September and ended on 24th of September. Destemmed, fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 6 days. The wine was blended using 15 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 20 different ferments. Aged in American oak (70% new, 30% second and third use) for 19 months. 13,7% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Estate Cab 2014, 2011, 2009 and 2006.
Dense, concentrated and fully opaque purple-red color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels at first somewhat restrained and subtly funky, but opens up wonderfully to exhibit intense, sweetish aromas of ripe blackcurrants and juicy dark plums, some blueberry tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light lifted notes of ethery VA, a hint of cherries and a rustic, lambic-like touch of brett. The wine feels dense, concentrated and chewy on the palate with a rather full body and juicy flavors of ripe blackcurrants, sweet plummy fruit, some vanilla tones, light mocha notes of toasty oak spice, a little bit of meaty umami, a hint of juicy blueberry and a touch of extracted bitterness. The overall feel is quite firm and sinewy, thanks to the moderately high acidity and somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is rich, savory and moderately grippy with long and quite complex flavors of ripe blackcurrants and blueberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of evolved meaty character, light sweet mocha oak tones, a hint of vanilla and a touch of savory wood spice.
A firm, balanced and quite complex Bordeaux blend that feels a bit polished and slightly more in the "new world" vein after a mini-vertical of Geyserville, which felt more "old world" in comparison. Even though the Zin-driven Geyserville feels more ripe and sweetly-fruited compared to this, the overall style here is more approachable with somewhat more polished fruit character and a not-overtly-pronounced yet still quite obvious new oak sheen. This is an enjoyable and well-made wine by all accounts, and it sports a quite impressive structure, but I wish it emphasized more of its savory and structured side and less its ripe, accessible fruit and sweet, toasty oak character. Perhaps some further aging could help a bit here? At least the wine came across as pretty youthful so I can see it aging gracefully for many more years. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 39,90€.
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11/24/2021 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The real deal. Explosive nose, red fruit, well integrated. It’s too young though - I’d hold for another 3+ years.
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9/30/2021 - NarunP Likes this wine: 91 Points
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Deep purple core. Dark garnet. Compact rim. Opaque.
Nose is expressive already with some air. Cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate, with some cedary spices.
Structured palate. Tannic still but approachable (unlike 2014 Monte Bello which is extremely unfriendly at the same stage of development). Medium plus acidity, medium plus body. Lots of concentrated dark fruits. Savory mushroom, smoky minerality. Finish is extremely long.
I love this wine. I am considering stop buying Monte Bello as this become approachable much earlier and less upfront investment for similar yield. But just like MB, the Estate Cab has plenty of Old World charm, may be with a tad more ripe fruit. The 2014 should be ready around its 10th anniversary with staying power to last over 2 decades with ease. Lovely juice. 91+
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8/10/2021 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Out of 375 mL. Yes, there's a lot of American oak, but it's delicious oak! And I don't even like oak that much. There's also a lot of powerful ripe black fruit. The oak shows more on the nose, but doesn't stick out texturally. Somehow the vanilla/coconut/black fruit combo really works here.
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7/5/2021 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well after a one hour double decant. Nice balance, oak notes integrated and fruit prominent. Great complement to a grilled steak on July 4th.
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6/23/2021 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 91 Points
From split- this only needs about 20 min in glass to open up, a pleasant wine with no rough edges and certainly a crowd pleaser. Lacks complexity and age worthiness, but that’s ok.
This is in or near its prime and should drink well for another 5 years.
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6/16/2021 - mvande21 wrote: 92 Points
Prominent red and black fruits, cassis, vanilla. Short decant. Juicier than expected with rustic minerality and moderate tannins. Became more balanced with air time. Paired well with top sirloin steak. Holding remaining bottle for a couple more years.
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6/13/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as prior notes- I enjoy this wine! Showed even better on day 2.
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5/5/2021 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first taste of a Ridge. Very unique nose of mint/eucalyptus and maybe some sage/clove. After 30 minutes of air the palate is really impressive. Sensual and precise and a long and complex finish. The fruit purity is one of a kind as well, blueberry and cassis mainly. More BDX oriented than Cali. Can't wait to try a Monte Bello!!
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4/24/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had a bottle of this last week and really enjoyed it so opened another -> again very good / consistent notes.
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4/24/2021 - Timmyhage Likes this wine:
Decanted 2 hours before drinking and followed over 4 more. I tend to prefer my reds with a little age. I don’t eat much meat and like the softness and complexity that time delivers. Based on my preference, this wine has a few years to go before it hits its drinking window.
This showed best after 6 hours. It’s a bit more rustic than I expected out of a cab dominant blend with abundant fruit and a spicy, savory mid-palate. The next afternoon, I had a tablespoon of wine in the bottom and figured I’d give it a try. Even better than the night before... and it was just left on the counter. I’ll wait another 3 years at least for the next... this shows a lot promise.
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4/23/2021 - AAJR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent showing through two encounters. Bold & fruity nose. Great balance, dark fruit - very enjoyable
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4/17/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened this a few hours before drinking. Paired with a steak. I really enjoy this style -> 13.7% and a nice mix of petit Verdot and cab franc in addition to the usual cab sauv and Merlot in this wine. Drinking great now but still noticeable tannins so I think it will go another 3-5yrs
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4/11/2021 - rgujral Likes this wine: 92 Points
Upon opening it was super closed to the point of being undrinkable. We decanted it for 7 hours. It became a beautiful, strong but classy wine. Varietally correct Cab. Berry fruit and tannins in great balance. Some mint. I get why some call this a Baby Bello. It has some elements of its big brother but overall less complex. I didn't detect as much leather or eucalyptus as on typical MBs. Great wine and perhaps has 3-5 more years of life ahead of it before going into a decline. Paired great with grilled lamb lollipops
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4/6/2021 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet liquid with wonderful acidic/tannic balance. Bright fruit, medium to full intensity with a finish that does not quite live up to its initial impression. But, on the whole, a very nice well-made wine that is drinking great.
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4/5/2021 - DonDon Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was drinking soooo well right now - a 95+. I think 7-10 years is the perfect age for this wine. Is a big wine but not jammy or stewed. Tanins beautifully integrated. Classic blackberry, cassis and some clove. Complex and long.
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4/5/2021 - Cmainardi wrote: 93 Points
Deep red. Nose apparent with uncorking. Classic palate which was open after a one hour decant. Outstanding wine for the money.
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4/4/2021 - ploher wrote:
This jumps out of the glass with captivating aromas of cassis, blackberries, raspberries and cocoa, with some air green pepper emerge, something like mountain herbs, a bit mint / eucalyptus maybe, hints of vanilla as well. On the palate this is so sensual with beautiful tannins supporting rather than obstructing the fruit. Pure understated elegance here with exceptional freshness and good length. Better than the 14 Monte Bello at the moment, which is far from ready. This is - while still primary - very drinkable now. 18/20
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4/2/2021 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Out of 375mL. Could have used more air, I think. Ripe, dark black fruit, plenty of American oak on the nose but not overwhelming on the palate, sufficient concentration to absorb the oak and enough acidity to balance the extract. V. good.
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3/26/2021 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 90 Points
NFN quite red on the nose and palate. Great tannins and acidity. Long finish.
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3/5/2021 - dpolzien Likes this wine: 93 Points
This "Baby 'Bello" is drinking so well right now after a few hour decant. Just a great balance between enough black fruits, drying tannins and acidity without going too far. Drink now with a decant or hold for several more years, you can't go wrong. Day 2 = Day 1
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1/31/2021 - esw423 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2 hour decant. Paired with takeout steak and pizza from Mulherin’s. One of the best ~$50 cabs out there.
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 92 Points
blackberries, clove, baking spice, plum, boysenberry, cocoa, toasted oak, cassis and tobacco.
Super approachable mouthfeel, with rich layers of dark fruit, and tart acidity. Oak presence has is getting more balanced from the initial release.
poor man's MB.
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12/15/2020 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still developing. Not as tart as bottles from earlier in the year. Very dark purple color.
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12/10/2020 - ppandian wrote: 90 Points
Terrific! Velvety tannins, well integrated, notes of chocolate mousse, light cherries and plum. Fantastic QPR.
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11/28/2020 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black fruit, cedar, cassis, Smokey oak. A-
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11/27/2020 - Bbates wrote:
Not great 2nd night. Ok 1st night with 2 hours airing.
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11/27/2020 - Bbates wrote:
Not great 2nd night. Ok first night after 2 hours open.
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10/24/2020 - sdonahue Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great and dry with tannins which mellowed after opening. Exact same blend from same vineyard as 2017 Monte Bello bit didnt open up nearly as well in side by side tastng
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10/10/2020 - awever Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oktober 2020 in der Meatery in Hamburg, ein wunderbarer Napa mitten in der Fruchtphase, international und gleichzeitig unverwechselbar
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9/4/2020 - chatters wrote:
Tidied this up with a good friend, all vanilla oak and ripe fruit but with an acid to support. Still primary but lovely none the less.
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7/18/2020 - azscot wrote: 94 Points
Bought some of this because the 2014 Monte Bello seemed like a standout vintage at the barrel tasting but wanted to try a 2014 estate while I wait.
Decanted for 3 hrs. Still young but decided to open the first of the 2014s out of curiosity. The 2014 is comprised of 75% Cabernet, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cab Franc. Deep purple in color it’s still young but has a fresh bouquet of black fruit on the nose. Opened with a little raison as the petit Verdot is quite prominent. Over an hour or so it opened up to reveal a layered structure with blackberries, hickory, vanilla bean as the merlot balanced out the dryness of the cab. Paired well with a tritip.
On day two it was even better with some added chocolate notes. Over the next 5 years the tannins will resolve and it will round off the edges to become a very fine Bordeaux blend.
Can’t wait to try its big brother the 2014 Monte Bello in a few years time.
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7/8/2020 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is always a delicious wine. Dusty, chalky minerality leads the nose with cedar and spice leading to mere hints of dark fruit. Luscious on the palate where the fruit emerges in plum, cassis, blackberry and blueberry compote. Lush texture with elegantly integrated acidity and fine tannin. It has an exuberance on the palate with fruit dominating and a suggestion of dark cocoa on the finish.
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6/23/2020 - thoughtdujour wrote: 93 Points
Still a lot of life. After 45 minutes, it was beautiful. Angles were lessened. Lots of years left
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6/6/2020 - Dovberg wrote: 90 Points
Same personality as the 2012 I had a few years ago. However, this vintage feels a bit more diluted and early-drinking than the outstanding 2012. A bit disappointed to be honest.
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5/24/2020 - Pålla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Always great
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5/2/2020 - Margaux Bro wrote: 94 Points
Wow I was blown away by the quality here at the price a paid for it. It had all of the traits you would expect of a high quality cab. Although it is 75% cab, the merlot presence was unmistakable. It almost reminded me a bit of a st emilion. Ridge nailed it on this wine and I have to imagine 2014 Monte Bello is unbelievably good. It’s approachable now but 3+ more years of age would allow for a bit more integration of the tannins.
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3/28/2020 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is in a great place right now. The nose was massive upon opening. Let open up in the glass. Medium+ acidity, tannins are well integrated and smooth, alcohol is under 14%, this is classic Ridge from the Monte Bello estate.
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3/7/2020 - MaineMark wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful ruby color. Dark fruits, and typical cabernet profile with cassis and some chocolate. Trying this on the early side of the drinking window, and it was good, but will hold remaining bottle for 3-5 years, and I would expect improvement.
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2/10/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Followed over 2 nights. Lovely dark fruit and smoke aromatics typical of Monte Bello—but man there’s a lot of dill and oak character! Dry oak tannins on the finish. Solid bones, but would hold this 3-5yrs and hope the oak inegrates. Nice fruit though.
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2/10/2020 - JHSP Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice expressive nose - reminds me of d‘alforno valpolicella - reductive nose but superble elegant pallet - realy nice - bit too much wood still bcs of youth - but will become a beaury
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1/16/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Rich, ripe, plummy, quite concentrated, slight baked black berry underpin, slight liquorice, there is also a slight herbaceous underpin oddly enough. Juicy, less overtly ripe on the palate but still has a blackberry jam quality. Feels a bit out of whack at the moment. Tannins are chalky and persistent but the fruit drops away a little. Hmm.
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10/25/2019 - Delli Likes this wine: 91 Points
So the best way I can describe this wine is that the nose and the palate put the vivid memory of a winery in my mind.
The wine is clear and purple with no rim variation. The extraction is medium and the tearing is heavy.
On the nose the intensity is powerful with developing candied red and blue fruit, old sprite, potting soil, dill, and vanilla. The palate is consistent with a cherry pie finish.
The tannins are medium, with medium minus acidity, medium plus alcohol, a full body, and round texture, with a long finish and medium plus complexity.
5+12+16+8=91
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9/22/2019 - wineguy1968 wrote:
1st ridge cab. Med body earthy perfumed nose, some bacon fat, rustic tannins, a little bitter finish. Interesting, very different from the usual Napa cabs I’m used to. I’d say if im objective I’m not enjoying this as much as I’d hoped, but this may be too young at this point based on what I’ve read about Ridge.
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9/16/2019 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
The King is in the House (Cabernet) (Mike's house): A small pour at a tasting, from a bottle with unknown decant/treatment. This seemed to be a solid and straight-forward cabernet. It was balanced and non-offensive, and there wasn't a lot of character. I would think/hope this will gain complexity in the future and show better.
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9/14/2019 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 88 Points
The King is in the House -- Cabernet (Mike's House, Prior Lake MN): Small tasting pour.
Not our style of cab. A well-made wine, just not what I was looking for tonight.
tannic pull on the mouth. Enjoyed at first, then acidic. Tastes old world. 89, Wife - 88
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9/14/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Mike's Cabernet Event (Prior Lake, MN): More refined than many of the big cabs tasted tonight. Sour cherry, cigar, minerals, earth and mild oak. Decanted 2 hours. I am not sure this wine is going to benefit with aging. It is a solid Cabernet but not a wow of some past vintages. Drink now to 2022.
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9/5/2019 - poppacork Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine was incredibly tight upon opening...revealing only cedar on a dry lifeless palate. I dumped it in a decanter and vigorously aerated it several times over the course of three hours.
Finally the wine opened to reveal the dense cassis and sweet creamy vanilla with a herbal streak that I expect with Ridge Estate Cabs.
This is in a bad (closed) spot at the moment and needs lots of time.
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8/24/2019 - caldocane Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3 hours, it was still coiled up. That said, this is a beautiful, elegant, and delicious SCM cabernet. This wine's best years are still to come, hold on to your bottles for a couple of years.
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8/10/2019 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, ruby. Cassis, black berries. Believe it still has a lot of potential.
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7/11/2019 - walla_wallou Likes this wine: 92 Points
Too young, a lot of potential
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6/1/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 93 Points
Praelum - American Beauties (Praelum Wine Bistro): Medium purple. Lots of power, with intense cassis, blueberry, grass, rose, vanilla, while acidic, warm, and filling. A great, dark, peaty, long finish
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4/3/2019 - ppandian wrote: 89 Points
Excellent wine! Notes of cassis and red fruit. Youthful and bright but with balanced tannins. Drinking well now but will integrate more and will be terrific in 3-5 years.
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3/23/2019 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
This was not showing well to me. Followed over 3 nights. Has the expected potential but right now is mostly cedar and dill notes. Has nice fruit underneath but hard to discern given strong oak influence. This bottling has shown to age well. No reason to panic just hold.
Points are if drinking now.
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3/11/2019 - Eugenedinapoli Likes this wine:
Saturated ruby/purple. Dark ripe fruits, american oak coconut and cedar notes, with a slight herbal note. So balanced on the palate with a creamy mouthfeel, everything so well integrated, with a bead of acidity and fine tannins holding it all together. Such a unique flavor profile and old world approach with new world fruit. Interesting and Delicious.
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3/11/2019 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark saturated purple. Sweet dark black fruits on the nose. Concentrated yet fresh and lifted. That great balance between sweet and sour that I find a lot in Ridge Cabernets. Sensible alcohol 13.5%. delicious and just ready.
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2/23/2019 - Dough Boy wrote: 93 Points
Jammy nose that doesn’t disappoint in taste, blueberry and cedar, excellent drinkabilty. Can imagine with most any red meat or pork, but enjoyable on its own.
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2/11/2019 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium to full body. Dark cherry, vanilla bean, and a little toasty cedar. Long finish with well balanced acidity and moderate tannins.
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2/9/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Cabernet (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in Cabernet from around the world tasting. There is a lot here, but it is very backward and tannic today, providing little pleasure. Clearly New World as well. Good+ potential 2024 forward.
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12/31/2018 - esw423 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravin pour. As with everything from Ridge, this is superb. Improved greatly with air over an hour. Huge on the nose and great fruit on the palate. Finish is dry but not grippy.
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12/26/2018 - ppandian wrote: 88 Points
Good structure, notes of dark chocolate, licorice and blue berries. Will be better in years to come
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12/7/2018 - bitdrerik wrote: 94 Points
Jólasmakk Eðalklúbbsins 2018 (Marbakkabraut 12): Mjög dökkt. Unglegur litur. Í nefi sólber, brómber, lakkrís. Síðan þegar lengra var komið þá bættist við leður, hnakkur, lanólín. flókin og flott lykt. Mjög flott jafnvægi. Í munni mátti svo finna papriku, eik, pipar, leður og myntu. Glæsilegt vín.
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11/20/2018 - NAS Likes this wine: 94 Points
Superb. Still young, needs about two hours of air before it starts to sing. Beautiful depth of flavor and mouthfeel. Moderate tannins. Paired with herb-crusted, roasted pork short ribs. Yum.
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11/9/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Such a great wine for the price! See previous notes
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10/15/2018 - In vino potestus est Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black purple in color. Rich dark berries and mocha on the nose. Blueberry, blackberry, plum fruit filled palate with chocolate and some mint. Excellent balance. Full bodied. Long finish. Rich and silky smooth. Very young, will probably improve further over next 5+ years.
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9/30/2018 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and followed over 4hrs. Shows a LOT of American oak with dill and coconut notes. Has terrific black fruit, quite well poised and polished. Needs some time to integrate. Shows typicity of Santa Cruz, quite good.
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9/29/2018 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Approachable and in great balance. Dark fruits, smooth tannins, good acidity. Drinks very well now, looks to have the balance to age for a bit, and possibly improve, but darn tasty right now.
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8/30/2018 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine: 94 Points
double decant plus an hour
enjoy ed with pasture raised beef
excellent
ripe cassis that for me did not cross the line into bombastic
strong backbone of tannin gave it a medium long finish (91)
day 2: even better. Could not put my glass down and then it was empty!
I have to agree with Gallani who felt it was 94 and one of the best values in Califonia cabernet.
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8/29/2018 - ralstenm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blueberry, brambles and spices on nose. Great dark berry, vanilla with brambles and pepper on palate. Distinguished tannins but significant acidity. Drank with red wine sausage pizza, great pairing!
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8/25/2018 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oak on nose was overpowering upon opening but soon dissipated. Inky color with nice legs. After reading notes I expected high acidity & tannins but found neither, just a smooth drinking CA cab.
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7/7/2018 - whits wrote: 91 Points
Purple color, this needs some air, blackberry and cassis scents, high acid, hints of cola, blueberry, tobacco and black cherry on the palate, lush, full and long, nice match with smoked beef brisket
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7/4/2018 - hondius Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Drank over 2 nights. Did not improve on day 2. Wine was overwhelmed by acidity that I would not normally associate with a california cab. No clue whether this will improve or not, but it is not in balance now. I am normally a huge fan of this producer, hence my disappointment. I completely share Wineotim's view here, albeit not his score. Poor QPR.
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6/8/2018 - Clogston Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blueberry, blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. Started while wine was too cold. Opened up nicely as it warmed.
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5/22/2018 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Tasting (Gordon's): Dark red. Drying tannins followed by lush fruit. Nice finish.
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5/10/2018 - Kevin Cheng wrote: 89 Points
Rather rough initially but mellowed out after a while. Nose of dark berries, oak and slight hint of smoke. Medium acid and hard tannins. Still a decent wine and my first American cabernet sauvignon.
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5/6/2018 - wineotim wrote: 92 Points
Third bottle of this, still big on acid and intensity, but this time I found the acidity almost annoying, and tart. Trending down for me. Love the long and grippy finish. I've never tasted a vintage like this. I will move on to the '15 vintage, it has less Petite Verdot. Will see.
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4/28/2018 - Javachip Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brief note, tasted at wine bar with friends. Outstanding, approachable now. Fresh black fruit, structured tannins, balanced acidity.
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4/17/2018 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pure, currant fruit nose with bitter chocolate notes. Focused fruit palate with firm tannins and fresh acidity. Still young and coming together. Long, precise finish.
4.5/5
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4/17/2018 - markjanes wrote: 90 Points
deeply colored, purple rim. aromatically loads of lush, dark fruits, tons of bourbon-y American oak, some very much in the background herbal notes. on the palate high acid, an extremely lush and "sweet" midpalate, lots of tannins that are pretty firm and unintegrated, low to moderate alcohol. wine is balanced structurally,, but aromatically is dominated by American oak... good length, great intensity, not a ton of complexity yet. will definitely improve with age but is open and fleshy enough to drink now. i think people know what they are getting style wise with ridge wines... extremely well made wines that are not overripe but lush with a huge dose of American oak. not in my wheelhouse style wise at all but quality is undeniable.
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4/8/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas but more ripe black fruit spectrum than the 2013 with touches of prune. It also smells broader and bolder and there is a little alcohol heat on the nose. Touch of spice. Juicy, jubey black fruits, again with touches of prune, tight but not drying tannins and spice. Long.
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3/30/2018 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Bær dominerer på lukt, solbær, litt blåbær. Hint av anis. Med luft dukker flere krydderdufter opp, pepper, rått kjøtt. En litt søt bærfrukt er også det som dominererer i munnen, men vinen har mer enn nok struktur til å hamle opp med frukten, så det blir aldri klissete. Dessuten en frisk syrlighet gjennom hele smakskurven. Sannsynligvis kjempebra med nok lagring - men den er allerede svært god. Sitter lenge i munnen også.
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3/25/2018 - Omar Khayyam wrote:
Tasting the November 3, 2017 new releases (små partier) at Systembolaget (Stockholm): Luxurious Cabernet! some volatile acids on the nose. Dense fruit, good freshness, structure, spicy, a little unripe blueberries but there's potential for sure. store for a long time. (84-85 now, but with potential around 89-92)
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3/24/2018 - wino from way back Likes this wine:
March 2018; I like it, but seems it might be better with a bit more time in the bottle.
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3/18/2018 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP from a 375. This is a great bottle of wine. Integrated wood and some sweet purple fruit, pencil lead, cigar box, bbq sauce. Bright blackberry and cherry fruit and tasty. Long legs. Good medium weight. Finish leaves a little to be desired given everything up to that point. Loving these 2014 Cali Cabs (admittedly this has 25% Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot as well).
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3/16/2018 - mlfrancoeur Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine was dull upon opening but after couple of hours had many of the characters alluded to in previous reviews. It is vinified with both natural yeast and MLB which is a gutsy move these days; and it was pH adjusted and fined with egg whites. So from my perspective it’s going to evolve some interesting character; but needs cellar time to open up more.
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3/15/2018 - AWBryce wrote:
Green nose, dark berries, vanilla. Spicy, firm grippy tannin, medium finish.
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3/10/2018 - Grantmanon wrote: 91 Points
Wine is purple and daybright. Intense baking spices and blueberry on the nose, like a blueberry pie. A bit of sandalwood on nose as well. Taste is blueberry and dusty oak. Tannins are smooth and leave a long finish. Medium plus body and acidity.
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2/11/2018 - scott davis wrote: 93 Points
Inky purple in color, with dark fruit and cedar aromas. The palate offers a mix of wild berry, cedar, and cigar box notes, with touches of tobacco and road tar. Still tight with firm tannins, but the flavors are persistent on the long finish.
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2/3/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at a local store. Dark purple fruit - dark currants, blackberry, dark cherry, and a little plum. Smooth mid-palate coupled with decent depth for the price point. Nice flavors of dark berries, some spice, oak, and a little mineral component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - in my opinion this vintage needs some more time for the fruit to soften/open-up which is no surprise in light of its youth and style. Apparently the bottle was open for a couple hours before serving. According to WS, best from 2020 to 2034 which I believe makes sense - although I'm sure a decent decant would have also helped at this stage. 75% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% petit verdot, 5% cabernet franc.
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1/31/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid effort. Some complexity in the finish with slightly austere tannin, green herb, and plummy, blackish fruit. I was surprised to see this was aged in American Oak.
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1/21/2018 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice cab....presents a nice lushness but stops short of being sweet and jammy...I really enjoyed it
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1/14/2018 - Andre Brattland wrote: 92 Points
Denne vinen som også har druer fra den berømte Monte Bello marken innehar 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% Petit Verdot og 5% Cabernet Franc. Hele klaser ble fermentert på lokal gjær og vinen har gjennomgått maloaktisk gjæring på ståltank før avslutning på eikefat der vinen hadde ytterligere 16 uker sammen med døde gjærceller. Vinen er modnet i 19 måneder på amerikanske eikefat derav 70% nye fat.
Rødlilla med mørkere kjerne og lysere kant preger vinens farge. Forførende, dog ikke for intens, med rød saftig fruktdreven nese med kirsebær, solbær, lett lær og noe kaffetoner.
Middels + konsentrert på paletten med saftige litt sødmefulle røde bær med fin syrlige nerve som fører vinen middels bredt rundt i munnen. Også noe jordlige toner og et snev av lyst røyket kjøtt. Det er en meget god vin dette, som trenger litt tid i kjelleren.
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1/12/2018 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black fruit, hints of plum, tobacco, spice, herbal notes hints of chocolate, smokey oak. A-/A
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1/6/2018 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oak notes poke out a bit but this has a solid core of black cab fruit with typicity of the Santa Cruz mountains. Really enjoyed. Worth the price point but I wish it was a bit cheaper.
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12/2/2017 - frenchiecagowine Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose is a blend of old and new world. Cedar, dark fruits, somewhat earthy, cloves and hints of coconut. There's definitely some new American oak here, but it's not over the top and quite well managed. The palate reflects the nose with a beautiful ripe fruit, toasted notes, a green Cabernet note, balanced by a nice acidity for a Californian wine. Tannins are present but are starting to integrate. Though it was a bit tight after opening, it developed very nicely the second day. This is a great American wine for the money, which would really benefit from a few years of cellaring to tone down the oak and tannins a bit.
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11/22/2017 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Nice stuff. My first time having the regular Ridge Cabernet bottling and I am impressed. Incredibly balanced and smooth. The merlot adding accessibility. Just a joy to drink. No formal notes, this note is 5 days after consumption.
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11/11/2017 - Eric Guido wrote: 88 Points
The fruit here is much riper than I would expect from a Ridge estate Cabernet, and the oak is prominent. Purple fruits with cherry accents, sweet herbs, spice and tobacco showed on the nose. On the palate, it was silky in texture with concentrated black fruits, plum verging on prune with a sweet herbal mix. Brisk acidity and a bit of green tannin showed on the finish. I wanted more austerity here, but this vintage came across as very ripe. Considering the notes from other tasters here, I'll keep my mind open to tasting again.
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10/26/2017 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Plum Market Luxury Fall Tasting (Chicago, IL): This tastes much more like cabernet than any of the Napa wines we had tonight. A touch of American oak, but really lightly so. There's some real green herbaceousness to this, as cabernet ought to have. Not too tannic, nor too earthy, nor too extracted, this is nice for drinking now, and as a way to protect yourself from picking at the Monte Bello.
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10/22/2017 - WestUAg wrote: 90 Points
Tight, oaky...undrinkable the first night...marginally drinkable the second night after a 2 hr decant the first night and then back to the cellar overnight. will not be buying this again.
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10/21/2017 - Amishdesai93 Likes this wine:
balanced - very. smooth. some cherry and a light wood/earthy taste. very drinkable.
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10/19/2017 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
I got to give it 93 points. I like it because its not overly extracted and a huge fruit bomb. Its more like a bordeaux. Very very smooth especially for a 2014. Unreal for a 2014 actually. balanced, subtle, loads of oak and berries dance. not muted at all. I am shocked.
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10/18/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle not quite as complex. Curbing my enthusiasm for this wine a bit compared to my previous bottle. What distinguishes this wine to me is its intensity and focus. Huge acid, wow! Not for everybody but my palate likes it.
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10/9/2017 - despore wrote: 91 Points
Still far too young, very promising. Give it a few and could be 92+.
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10/8/2017 - cos65 wrote:
Dense, young,
Grapey, with a creme de cacao finish which detracts a bit for me
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10/6/2017 - wino_tim wrote: 92 Points
Deep, inky purple. Double decanted. A quite primary but already complex nose suggests ripe black and blue fruits, smoky American oak, mint, grilled sage, and baked soil. Juicy and round on the palate, but balanced with nearly high acidity, fine tannins and a rather savory set of flavors.
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9/23/2017 - Bodyfxr wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at a Ridge wine tasting at City Winery in Atlanta. Enjoyed this wine with an outstanding pairing of Mexican chocolate risotto with poached egg. What a treat! This is a new world style of a left bank Bordeaux blend. If you like that style then this wine has everything you want. Big black fruit with integrated tannins and a lovely finish. Truly good stuff.
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9/6/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty explosive notes of dark plum, cassis, graphite, sweet spices, also some sweet red berry fruit and some dark chocolate. It's pretty full-bodied, dense but not heavy and has good freshness with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin that is still present but good quality. Good length. This is really nice as always and I would be surprised if 2-3 years wouldn't help it to gain a little more elegance. For me year after year one of the best QPR Cabernet blends from California.
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8/6/2017 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
California Vacation (Sonoma, SF, Monterey); 8/5/2017-8/12/2017: Tasted at winery. Brighter plum fruit and cherry, graphite, and spice, with some floral notes that give this a nice lightness. Nice structure with some powdery tannins.
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7/25/2017 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Darker fruits, loamy minerality, musky, a bit funky from native yeast fermentation--a bit of a distraction, could be bottle variation, but excellent structure, medium body with elegance. (Monte Bello vineyard fruit). At winery with Israel.
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6/30/2017 - Colorado3G Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was tasty and my first time with this winery! This needs a bit more time for the tannins to settle down though and should be outstanding in a few more years!
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6/15/2017 - Renzloh wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous, earthy, almost a beet-like bouquet. Dark fruit, beautiful.
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5/30/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is really young, but still so appealing to me. Dark violet, dry, ripe, tightly coiled black fruit, some graphite notes, not heavy, not oaky, tons of grip on the long finish. I have never tasted a vintage of this wine like this one. I really loved the '13 for its more broad and open style, but this is also a great wine. Lots of enthusiasm for this wine and my score reflects that.
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5/26/2017 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby. Roadside blackberries, Hatch chilis, and Mexican chocolate on the nose. Deep core of pure sweet fruit, furry tannins, clear acid layers rising at the back to long ringing finsh. Young, raw, and exuberant; a wonderful wine. 50 + 17 + 17 + 9 = 93.
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5/20/2017 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep, inky colour; nose of cassis and vanilla; huge tannins that definitely make this age worthy
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5/20/2017 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
Not as complex as one would expect from Ridge. But may have been because of its youth. Cassis and pencil lead in the bouquet with currants, figs and herbal notes on the palate and finish. From a half bottle. Wanted to like it more. (��= Pass, as it sits in the glass today and at this price point)
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5/14/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (Ridge Monte Bello, Cupertino): Highly aromatic, blackcurrant; palate is full bodied, youthful tannin, lovely mouthfeel, black fruit; medium-long finish. This is a great vintage of the estate Cabernet. Much better than its showing a month ago. 92-93.
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5/12/2017 - dpolivy wrote:
Vindredi (California Cabernet) (Bellevue, WA): Tasted blind. Sweet oak, smoke, and herbs on the nose. Red and black cherry fruit on the soft, lush, and elegant body. Lengthy finish, with soft tannins, balanced acidity, and hints of vanilla and sour cherry. Lovely.
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4/29/2017 - hawkeye54 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for five hours. Huge nose of fresh fruits and a little green on opening. Never gave up much. Very closed. Tart fruit. Sweet tannins. Needs several years.
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4/29/2017 - winetastingnote Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big wine, nowhere near ready to drink. Well structured, dark fruit, quite tannic.
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4/23/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (Ridge Monte Bello, Cupertino): Deep black fruits on the nose, aromatics are a tad limited compared to the merlot; full bodied, tons of black fruits, balanced medium acid; medium finish. 88-90
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4/13/2017 - iamvinhamese wrote:
Bland. Need more time
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4/1/2017 - CJM wrote: 90 Points
Clear very deep garnet with no rim browning. Heavily toasted oak, vanilla, black plum, chocolate. Medium to low acids, medium to low tannins. Twigs. Medium to long tannic finish. Tasting at winery.
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