Ridge absolutely produces some of the best zinfandel! The balanced acidity, the smokey and spicey flavors and aromas, the mild tannins while providing a lasting finish. That about sums it up. This wine is drinking perfect NOW! Why wait...in my opinion, no more than 3 years (but this was my last bottle).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really in a great place. Tons of red fruit on the front palate and a satisfying smooth end with well integrated hints of oak as well. I think this will stay at this plateau for another year or two. Wish I had more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Dark crimson color. Blast of fruit and oak on the nose with ripe red cherry, raspberry jam, some vanilla and sweet baking spice notes. Similar flavors on the palate with lots of ripe, slightly jammy fruit but not baked or raisiny. Oak is definitely there as well. Medium acid and tannin. Comes across a little sweet on the finish. A very tasty end of night sipping wine and others would probably love this but a bit one note for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full bodies but not overpowering. Great paired with stuffed cod and cauliflower rice pilaf. Definately enjoyable now but could age a couple more years, probably.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a typically well made zin from Ridge. Well balanced, nice fruit, easy to enjoy. Drank over three nights - no great degradation or improvement over that time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little lighter representation from a Ridge Zin, but still enjoyable. The finish is a little shorter, the body a little lighter with a little less "smoke" flavors. Ridge is still one of my preferred Zinfandel suppliers and will stay that way. I would drink my bottles now and within a year or 2.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious wine. Full bodied blackberry and dark cherry flavor, soft tannins with balancing acid. Beautiful coloring with Crimson rim. 35 year vines in what is clearly a continuing well made wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With meatloaf, baked potato, salad. Medium-dark crimson, consistent color to the rim. Prototypical Zin nose, raspberry/blackberry. Good balance of acid/tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar to last year's note on this wine: this is a lighter, prettier vintage of the Boatman. Sweet American oak, tons of lively zin fruit, lovely balance, great acid, just a touch of VA for lift. A glass left out overnight was still very good the next morning. Quality stuff. Oak program on this is 100% air-dried American oak, 10% new, 35% 1-2 year-old, 55% neutral. Unlike a lot of Ridge zins, these vines are mature but not geriatric. Still, these 35-year-olds are producing some lovely fruit. 14.5%, $30. 90+
Brought to a dinner party. Double aerated into decanter and back into bottle about an hour before opening back up. Big and juicy with grape, blueberry and vanilla. Very tasty. Made sure I got a glass before it disappeared.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely one of the Zinfandel standouts from the 2018 Spring release (along with the Carmichael IMO). That being said, I think this would benefit from a few years in the cellar to work off some of the baby fat. Plush, dark fruits and baking spices. Moderate acid. This would be fun to follow over the next ten years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely let it open if you drink now. Dark fruit and a hint of toasted marshmallow on the nose, but then more red fruit flavor, vanilla and a hint of oak on the palate, med-long finish, nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Darker fruit on the nose, brambles, blackberry, and hints of ash. Similar on the palate, but doesn't feel as expressive as I hoped. Medium bodied. Obviously very good and well made but didn't excite me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lighter in fruit, tannin, and alcohol than the 2015, this achieves a great and all-too-rare feat for Zinfandel: it's pretty. Very well measured, delicious, my kind of thing. 14.5%, $30.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich and full bodied this wine is oozing with black and dark red fruits, tannins grow slowly along with a soft and elegant finish. 100% Zinfandel aged for 14 months in new and used American Oak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Showed a solid new oak note on the nose. Not overpowering but it's definitely there. This is solid but not the best vintage for this wine. Some bottle time might allow that oak to integrate a bit more as there is the build to leave this be for a time. Not a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very fresh and young fruit. Light tannin. More purple fruited than red. Showing a bit of wood. Not a lot in the way of complexity but there is a some classiness to this that you wouldn't get from most wineries doing Zin. This doesn't have that pushed and forced extracted fruit and VA tones. Still, this isn't really a top bottling for Ridge. Nice fruit but it just doesn't have the sort of depth or interest you want out of their bottles in this range. I love the way they highlight these old vineyards but sometimes not all the vineyards deserve a spotlight. This is pretty much ready to go and doesn't need to be layed down. While it will last I cannot see a reason to hold onto this more than 5-8 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich with deep blackberries and mulled spices. Some may find the oak obtrusive at this stage, but perhaps it will integrate with time. This is a fine zin, albeit with not quite the QPR as in the past given the price increase over the last couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/7/2024 - casjf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! Fabulous pairing with BBQ ribs. Flavors of dark cherry, plum, cinnamon
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2022 - Bcrair Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful age to drink this. Totally mellow, wonderful with prime rib-eye steak :-).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2022 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ridge absolutely produces some of the best zinfandel! The balanced acidity, the smokey and spicey flavors and aromas, the mild tannins while providing a lasting finish. That about sums it up. This wine is drinking perfect NOW! Why wait...in my opinion, no more than 3 years (but this was my last bottle).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2022 - snsharma Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really in a great place. Tons of red fruit on the front palate and a satisfying smooth end with well integrated hints of oak as well. I think this will stay at this plateau for another year or two. Wish I had more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2022 - Guarded by Griffs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking great. Lots of smooth fruit and dirt.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2022 - VinCrush Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious. But no problem with a couple more years until the next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2021 - Rich S wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Dark crimson color. Blast of fruit and oak on the nose with ripe red cherry, raspberry jam, some vanilla and sweet baking spice notes. Similar flavors on the palate with lots of ripe, slightly jammy fruit but not baked or raisiny. Oak is definitely there as well. Medium acid and tannin. Comes across a little sweet on the finish. A very tasty end of night sipping wine and others would probably love this but a bit one note for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2021 - Jeff Ferrante Likes this wine: 90 Points
Full bodies but not overpowering. Great paired with stuffed cod and cauliflower rice pilaf. Definately enjoyable now but could age a couple more years, probably.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
One of the missus' favorite Ridge zins. Drinks well, '16 was a good year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2021 - VinCA wrote:
This is a typically well made zin from Ridge. Well balanced, nice fruit, easy to enjoy. Drank over three nights - no great degradation or improvement over that time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pure zin, above average Ridge.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2021 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A little lighter representation from a Ridge Zin, but still enjoyable. The finish is a little shorter, the body a little lighter with a little less "smoke" flavors. Ridge is still one of my preferred Zinfandel suppliers and will stay that way. I would drink my bottles now and within a year or 2.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2021 - rbfleming wrote: 90 Points
Blackberries and leather
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2021 - Northville wine fan wrote: 92 Points
Delicious wine. Full bodied blackberry and dark cherry flavor, soft tannins with balancing acid. Beautiful coloring with Crimson rim. 35 year vines in what is clearly a continuing well made wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2020 - Cadby Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quintessential Ridge Zin. Furry yet balanced. Another success.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2020 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
With meatloaf, baked potato, salad.
Medium-dark crimson, consistent color to the rim.
Prototypical Zin nose, raspberry/blackberry. Good balance of acid/tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2020 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicely balanced, good black fruit without any jamminess. A tasty zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2020 - Benj wrote: 90 Points
Similar to last year's note on this wine: this is a lighter, prettier vintage of the Boatman. Sweet American oak, tons of lively zin fruit, lovely balance, great acid, just a touch of VA for lift. A glass left out overnight was still very good the next morning. Quality stuff. Oak program on this is 100% air-dried American oak, 10% new, 35% 1-2 year-old, 55% neutral. Unlike a lot of Ridge zins, these vines are mature but not geriatric. Still, these 35-year-olds are producing some lovely fruit. 14.5%, $30. 90+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
3/15/2020 - Jeff Ferrante Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hints of Apple and cherry. Slightly dry. Wonderful with baked haddock, spinach and cauliflower rice. My answer to Corona is to drink great wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2019 - Cha-Cha-Chung wrote: 87 Points
Mid-tier Ridge Zin. Ok fruit and structure. Not a standout at this tasting. Is it going through a closed period, or just not that complex?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2019 - DrBad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brought to a dinner party. Double aerated into decanter and back into bottle about an hour before opening back up. Big and juicy with grape, blueberry and vanilla. Very tasty. Made sure I got a glass before it disappeared.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2019 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely one of the Zinfandel standouts from the 2018 Spring release (along with the Carmichael IMO). That being said, I think this would benefit from a few years in the cellar to work off some of the baby fat. Plush, dark fruits and baking spices. Moderate acid. This would be fun to follow over the next ten years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2019 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definitely let it open if you drink now. Dark fruit and a hint of toasted marshmallow on the nose, but then more red fruit flavor, vanilla and a hint of oak on the palate, med-long finish, nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2019 - cmmatthews Likes this wine: 90 Points
Prominent vanilla on opening. Softens and then the fruit comes out. Long finish. I'd sit on it for a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2019 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 90 Points
Darker fruit on the nose, brambles, blackberry, and hints of ash. Similar on the palate, but doesn't feel as expressive as I hoped. Medium bodied. Obviously very good and well made but didn't excite me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2019 - Benj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lighter in fruit, tannin, and alcohol than the 2015, this achieves a great and all-too-rare feat for Zinfandel: it's pretty. Very well measured, delicious, my kind of thing. 14.5%, $30.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich and full bodied this wine is oozing with black and dark red fruits, tannins grow slowly along with a soft and elegant finish. 100% Zinfandel aged for 14 months in new and used American Oak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2019 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Up the PCH; 6/4/2019-6/16/2019 (Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Paso Robles, Napa, and Willamette): Tasted after the Blasi. Much better - more refined, subtle flavors, building complexity. Would seek out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2019 - thestuer Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very elegant zin, if there is such a thing. Low acid, soft tannins, and less frontal fruit assault on the tongue.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2019 - MRichman wrote:
Good soft zin. Has the usual Ridge profile, but a bit more red than black fruit. And soft. An early drinker. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2019 - BJsterkel wrote:
93 points from Wine & Spirits - see recipes online!
Www.Ridgewine/food-pairings
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2019 - WetRock wrote:
Showed a solid new oak note on the nose. Not overpowering but it's definitely there. This is solid but not the best vintage for this wine. Some bottle time might allow that oak to integrate a bit more as there is the build to leave this be for a time. Not a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2019 - rbfleming wrote: 89 Points
Dark color, dark fruits. Some astringency but not a lot of tannin or strong structure. Not bad, but not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2019 - WetRock wrote:
Very fresh and young fruit. Light tannin. More purple fruited than red. Showing a bit of wood. Not a lot in the way of complexity but there is a some classiness to this that you wouldn't get from most wineries doing Zin. This doesn't have that pushed and forced extracted fruit and VA tones. Still, this isn't really a top bottling for Ridge. Nice fruit but it just doesn't have the sort of depth or interest you want out of their bottles in this range. I love the way they highlight these old vineyards but sometimes not all the vineyards deserve a spotlight. This is pretty much ready to go and doesn't need to be layed down. While it will last I cannot see a reason to hold onto this more than 5-8 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2019 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich with deep blackberries and mulled spices. Some may find the oak obtrusive at this stage, but perhaps it will integrate with time. This is a fine zin, albeit with not quite the QPR as in the past given the price increase over the last couple of years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment