Part of a Ridge night with my wine group at a NYC Steakhouse. We had in order, 2021 Ridge Grenache Blanc Adelaida Vineyard, 2020 Ridge Pinot Noir Corralitos Gali Vineyard, 2020 Ridge Merlot Estate, 2018 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, 2019 Ridge Zinfandel Boatman Graveyard, and a 375ml bottle of the 2009 Lytton Estate Viogner. We drank the wines in accending order of alcohol.
This was actually the 2020 vintage, I had ordered the 2019, entered into Cellartracker that way, and they sent me the 2020! So I'm going to skip a numerical rating, but this was a big hit with my group! A great nose and long finish.
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Beautiful, feminine, stylish, silky fruit. A bit of dark coffee, lots of tight fine oaky tannins. Chalky, teath coating. Black pepper. Lush but grippy fruit. Young, give this a few years in bottle.
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Stunning wine. Intense, concentrated crushed black plum, cassis, mint. Unapologetically New World character, but sooooo good -- needs at least another 3-5 years, and easily has a decade ahead. (Not blind)
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Sweet, liquorish-red fruit with a vein of minerality running through it. Vanilla oak. Grippy tannins and racy acidity. Finishes very dry and serious with notes of mineral and red fruit. Time will settle the tannins, or have with food if drinking now.
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Excellent. On the nose, very unique, earthy and leathery but not overly smoky, with cooked fruit aroma. On the palate it's very smooth, enveloping though not extremely concentrated.
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Drinks well, has fruit flavors, and is elegant but not over the top. Still too early to drink, but I have more bottles so opened it anyway. Will wait at least a year for the other.
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Nice bottle but less enjoyable than the ‘19 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at this stage.
Red fruited in character; the oak is less noticeable. Medium bodied and somewhat lacking in complexity. The fruit is somewhat muted at this stage. Moderate tannins; I would also have liked more acidity.
Will be earlier drinking than the equivalent ‘19 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, but still very primary, give this time.
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Ok, maybe just me, but that’s 3 of 3 red wines at the Ridge tasting room that lead with a tomato paste/umami nose. High tannin, acid, salinity. Tart plum. Big and still throwing elbows; needs time to relax and integrate. Probably a really good wine in here though. 91 today, potential for more.
Still quite tannic. Suggest 2028 for this.
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Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California): All plushy style of fruits, some spice, drinks well. More new oak than the average merlot apparently. Round and supple in style. 25% of the American Oak. To me this is still quite young and needs a lot more time, but it drinks alright.
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A very enjoyable Merlot in a lighter bodied style. Ruby and slightly translucent. Red fruit and vanilla on the nose. Fruit forward, layered, with a mouth watering acidic finish. Almost no detectable tannins - already very well integrated.
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I liked this but perhaps not to the same degree as other reviewers thus far. Maybe some upside with time if it further evolves/integrates. At this moment I thought it had good acidity and cherry flavors with a med finish and oak
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I am not sure I can find any fault with this, everything you can expect from a merlot blend, yet only 3 years young and very drinkable, clean finish, plenty of fruit with no kind of imbalance.
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Light to medium ruby. Aromas of blueberry, chocolate, dark cherry, oak. Deep fruit on the palate, significant acids and tannins, light to medium body, low alcohol, long finish. Excellent with grilled chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon, cilantro, and jalapeño.
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PNP in a hotel room (but good glasses!), this bottle could easily be mistaken for a young St Emilion. Plum, mocha, earth, spices, vanilla (seems like high quality, ? French barrels), hints of sous bois, almost funky and delivered in a really nice package of mellow tannins and acid. Huzzah! Now-2029.
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Day 1: PnP - Beautiful dark red-blue color. The nose is bright and precise with tiny berries (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) and a nice herbaceous quality. A bit of soy and dry aged meat. Also some dark spices. The palate is similar - very pretty, primary and young - small bright berries, some nice spice that probably comes from the oak. Medium bodied with nice elegance and crispness on the midpalate, good acid. Spicy with tiny berries on the finish. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16-16.5/20.
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5/11/2024 - SMHalps Likes this wine:
Part of a Ridge night with my wine group at a NYC Steakhouse. We had in order, 2021 Ridge Grenache Blanc Adelaida Vineyard, 2020 Ridge Pinot Noir Corralitos Gali Vineyard, 2020 Ridge Merlot Estate, 2018 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, 2019 Ridge Zinfandel Boatman Graveyard, and a 375ml bottle of the 2009 Lytton Estate Viogner. We drank the wines in accending order of alcohol.
This was actually the 2020 vintage, I had ordered the 2019, entered into Cellartracker that way, and they sent me the 2020! So I'm going to skip a numerical rating, but this was a big hit with my group! A great nose and long finish.
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10/9/2023 - MRichman wrote:
Beautiful, feminine, stylish, silky fruit. A bit of dark coffee, lots of tight fine oaky tannins. Chalky, teath coating. Black pepper. Lush but grippy fruit. Young, give this a few years in bottle.
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8/4/2023 - ras2006 Likes this wine:
a little heavy on tannins
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7/8/2023 - yaanik Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning wine. Intense, concentrated crushed black plum, cassis, mint. Unapologetically New World character, but sooooo good -- needs at least another 3-5 years, and easily has a decade ahead. (Not blind)
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6/28/2023 - JLCFan wrote: 91 Points
Mocha and wet pebble nose.
Sweet, liquorish-red fruit with a vein of minerality running through it. Vanilla oak. Grippy tannins and racy acidity. Finishes very dry and serious with notes of mineral and red fruit. Time will settle the tannins, or have with food if drinking now.
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6/19/2023 - maxos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. On the nose, very unique, earthy and leathery but not overly smoky, with cooked fruit aroma. On the palate it's very smooth, enveloping though not extremely concentrated.
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5/10/2023 - CavWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinks well, has fruit flavors, and is elegant but not over the top. Still too early to drink, but I have more bottles so opened it anyway. Will wait at least a year for the other.
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3/18/2023 - JLCFan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice bottle but less enjoyable than the ‘19 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at this stage.
Red fruited in character; the oak is less noticeable. Medium bodied and somewhat lacking in complexity. The fruit is somewhat muted at this stage. Moderate tannins; I would also have liked more acidity.
Will be earlier drinking than the equivalent ‘19 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, but still very primary, give this time.
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3/11/2023 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ok, maybe just me, but that’s 3 of 3 red wines at the Ridge tasting room that lead with a tomato paste/umami nose. High tannin, acid, salinity. Tart plum. Big and still throwing elbows; needs time to relax and integrate. Probably a really good wine in here though. 91 today, potential for more.
Still quite tannic. Suggest 2028 for this.
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2/8/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California): All plushy style of fruits, some spice, drinks well. More new oak than the average merlot apparently. Round and supple in style. 25% of the American Oak. To me this is still quite young and needs a lot more time, but it drinks alright.
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11/27/2022 - ethanwade Likes this wine:
My first time with Ridge’s Merlot and I’m impressed - this wine is really a testament to the agricultural and wine making talent at Ridge.
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9/28/2022 - jeremy_ross Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit cassis, soft texture.
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8/19/2022 - chairmanzian Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very enjoyable Merlot in a lighter bodied style. Ruby and slightly translucent. Red fruit and vanilla on the nose. Fruit forward, layered, with a mouth watering acidic finish. Almost no detectable tannins - already very well integrated.
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6/6/2022 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I liked this but perhaps not to the same degree as other reviewers thus far. Maybe some upside with time if it further evolves/integrates. At this moment I thought it had good acidity and cherry flavors with a med finish and oak
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4/15/2022 - hadukla Likes this wine: 97 Points
I am not sure I can find any fault with this, everything you can expect from a merlot blend, yet only 3 years young and very drinkable, clean finish, plenty of fruit with no kind of imbalance.
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4/10/2022 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light to medium ruby. Aromas of blueberry, chocolate, dark cherry, oak. Deep fruit on the palate, significant acids and tannins, light to medium body, low alcohol, long finish. Excellent with grilled chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon, cilantro, and jalapeño.
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4/8/2022 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
PNP in a hotel room (but good glasses!), this bottle could easily be mistaken for a young St Emilion. Plum, mocha, earth, spices, vanilla (seems like high quality, ? French barrels), hints of sous bois, almost funky and delivered in a really nice package of mellow tannins and acid. Huzzah! Now-2029.
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4/8/2022 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1: PnP - Beautiful dark red-blue color. The nose is bright and precise with tiny berries (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) and a nice herbaceous quality. A bit of soy and dry aged meat. Also some dark spices. The palate is similar - very pretty, primary and young - small bright berries, some nice spice that probably comes from the oak. Medium bodied with nice elegance and crispness on the midpalate, good acid. Spicy with tiny berries on the finish. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16-16.5/20.
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4/1/2022 - BrendanMcS wrote: 93 Points
Nose of purple fruit. Good fruity palate that follows through with more purple fruit. Really well balanced. Very enjoyable
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3/30/2022 - Red Ed wrote:
$54.00
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3/11/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): Drinking quite well even for such a young wine. Fruity and soft and round and very fine in structure. Red plum and a hint of vanilla. Vibrant. I’d age it but it’s a nice wine.
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