Lovely, generous, plums, earth, slight herbaceous underpin, a little leather, touch of vanilla...generous and rich on the palate, grippy tannins support, fruit slightly dried out here but all travel long. Nice.
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Was worried this was old in the tooth and past it’s best. Cork fell apart on pulling - was glamping so poured though a piece of kitch towel into vase (decanter )! Needn’t of worried - was truly sublime - faint woodland aromas but smooth and refined drinking - lingering palate - truly sensational ! Wish I had another bottle…
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This has a clean-cut tannic bite to it and pure 'gobbsely-fruit' to serve.
I dare say I expected more than a cute cool-fruited wine with Cali-vibes and goody-two-shoes-whatever. This is simply a pizza wine with some small upside. Not long. Not complex.
Beautiful tannic structure, though. Without it, this would barely be 81p…
Didn't cut it through tonight's paté… *sigh*
I first fell in love with Ridge in the late 1900-eds, as it was an amazing $20 wine. That was some less gray-haired years back, and it was great! This wine is still great! However, it's still a $25 wine, with a $65 price tag.
I get it: capitalizing on your well built brand name. Well, it only catches those late to the party AND they'll always be looking for the next party…
Tonight, I decided to stop purchasing Ridge wines. There are so many other amazing districts, wine makers and deals available… I mean: if you still count under 200 regions on CT, keeeep exploring!
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Very nice and well worth the wait. Smooth, balanced, very long finish. Complex flavors. Just a slight bitter edge. Starting to develop tertiary flavors.
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The blend is 58% Zin and 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah and 2% Mourvèdre. Abundant plum, Zin funk, rhubarb, Draper perfume, walnuts and coffee, all finished with a wave of mocha. With the tannins fully resolved the mouthfeel is silky smooth; simply a delightful mouthfeel. Heavy shadow of sediment all along the back as it lay in the cellar and two thirds the way around the neck as well. Decidedly better than the Pagani 06 pulled for finishing dinner; not that the Pagani was bad, but the Geezer was that much better. 14.6% alc. With balsamic marinated grilled pork chops. 11.05.22. Recommended, leaning to Highly Recommended.
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Decanted and tasted, the label shows this was bottled in January, 2009, according to CT it was purchased in October, 2009. This well cellared bottle has aged nicely, excellent balance, currants, plum, blackberries, spice, toasty oak, fully integrated.
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14.4% abv. dark ruby clear to the edges, very aromatic. Ripe plum, bramble, blueberry, wet stone and mint. Excellent depth and length, great complexity and energy. Geyserville at its peak. Frankly, this wine took a long time to finally come around, but is there now. Drink or hold - a strong, sound, very tasty and complete wine.
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Continues to show as a very weak vintage for Geyserville. This is showing so very little, with a low-intensity nose of red fruit without any of the bramble or perfume I’d expect and muddled red fruit on the palate. A disappointing bottle of which no one even finished a first glass.
I’m convinced that all of us (including the big name experts) who had serious reservations about this wine from the beginning figured that Ridge knew better than we did. But not this time.
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This vintage, as the 2009, are on their way down. They did develop nicely through the course of the evening and of the five wines my opinions of this and the 2009, which was better, changed through the night. Still has good fruit but it's starting to fade.
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The first sip made me think maybe over the hill (maybe from the sediment that ended up in the glass), but after half an hour of air was awesome. Still plenty of tannins left from the petite syrah. So good.
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Still quite dark. Showing early maturity on the palate. It's also showing the darker varieties more so than the Zin. It's also a little bit jumbled right now as another taster notes. Still quite a powerful wine given it's age. There is also still a brooding character I noticed with my last go. Certainly no harm in waiting a bit longer on this one. Less Zinny and more Rhoney than most.
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Gone quickly affording me only a sip. This has settled, integrating some of the elbows and unintegrated elements I remember from a few years ago. Not remarkable but nice.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Wow might have hit this on its exact peak. Nice garnet color. Nose of blueberry and chocolate. Perfect balance of fruit - still has some bright red raspberry flavors and subdued cough syrup notes (in a good way) with notes of chocolate along with pepper. Perfectly balanced tannins and acidity - a nicely harmonious 14yo wine. Drink it if you have it.
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Put the waiter's corkscrew in, and it glided in the cork with so little effort made me think the worse. This happened a couple of weeks ago with a 2012 Duckhorn cab, cork rot. Pulled the cork out with ease, wine bleed through about .25", then bent it and broke it in half with no effort. So I do what would seem to be weird to everyone. I use a drip coffee setup with high-grade non-bleached coffee filters. It works great pure wine with no grit, which seems to be the norm for older Ridge wine. I poured a dram and was surprised, not like a 5 yr old Geyserville but still pretty good. It beats the 11' Duckhorn three palms cab that I had the other day. I am 1\3rd into the bottle and slowly coming back to life. I know this is a ramble, but I am a Ridge fanboy. I have 09' Geyserville at the storage locker that I will be taking home. Now I have to make an appt. to access the locker, damn you covid!!!
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So this was worth aging. CT says can go to 2017 but EB says the longevity is assured over next 10-12 years (from Jan 2009). I don't think it's lost anything and would agree the wine is sensuous with opulent fruit. Drinking really well.
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Happier with this bottle than I've been with others in the last six years, but the overt ripeness of the vintage is still a hurdle I'm having to jump over.
no sign of bricking at all and a lovely bouquet but it was quite hollowed out and empty on first taste - it did improve somewhat in the glass but only for a very short window - not rated
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Popped and poured. Lovely nose of creamy black cherry balanced by Coca-Cola and cloves. Tons of red cherries in the mouth. It's evident this wine was a bruiser in its youth but at age 13 it's aging gracefully with the red fruit set-off against some grilled bread and charcoal on a very long finish. Lots of Petit Sirah and Carignane in this blend and the complexity shows. Excellent pairing with roasted chicken thighs with tomato and garlic. Drink now or hold for a year or two more.
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W beef potroast. Great dish and great combo. This is the best Geyserville we have had for many years. Great fresh color, great Zin nose and on palate just a wonderful balanced wine with fruit, tannins, acidity and length. Yummy!! This will not get better. Just a super bottle which will bring me back to Geyserville.
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Needs some air to wake up, then; raspberries, cherries and some sort of baked goods like cinnamon muffin, eucalyptus and pine trees on the back end. Great nose! Exceptional balance on the nose, very delicate and lively. This is an excellent Geyserville where the nose and the mid palate stands out. With a longer finish I would have rated it even higher. Again an example of the longevity of these wines from Ridge. This was my last bottle and for my preference it was in its prime
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Starting to break into some of our aged Ridge Geyservilles and this one did not disappoint. Decanted for 30 minutes. Impressively complex nose of tart raspberry, rhubarb, creamy root beer, and some green/brown resin. Got more intense with air after the one hour mark. Lovely in the mouth with creamy raspberry with that same resinous medium-long finish. Nicely balanced with just enough edginess and leftover grip to keep things interesting. Not sure this will evolve any more but will likely keep in this place for another year or two. Another fine bottle of Ridge. Bravo!
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Mit etwas Luft entwickelt sich ein Bouquet von Johannisbeere und Heidelbeere, unterlegt von Räucherspeck und vegetabilen Aromen, v.a. Kümmel und Dill; süßlich-aromatisch am Gaumen, nicht mehr ganz so vollmundig wie vor 7 Jahren, trotzdemn saft- und kraftvoll
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Destroyed the cork getting out then broke the funnel while decanting. Wine is a contact sport. Color looks like an d Bordeaux. Aromas are ripe Raspberry and Chambord. Sweet fruit which I enjoy with a helping of oak which I do not. Dill is very present. Would be a very nice bottle but I guess I'm just not an American oak guy.
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Still drinking very well, not too much of anything (alcohol, fruit) but not faded. It's been this way for a couple of years and likely at least a couple more.
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First bottle in a while, and my expectations were low, but this certainly exceeded them. Little on the nose except muted fruit and some oaky spice, but the palate delivered much better than previous bottles. Silky palate of blackberry, currant, vanilla, and leather; lots of sweetness from fruit and spice. Very well structured, with medium tannin that coat the mouth and medium-high acid that lasts through the finish. The oak is still a bit overt and unintegrated, but nowhere near as distracting as I remember it being. This wine right now is all about natural sweetness and structure. Medium finish. Not a blockbuster, and never will be, but this bottle is much better than I expected and gives me some hope for the remaining bottles over the next year or two. Drink now or do whatever because who knows?
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From the core to the rim, the color is a brilliant plum purple. On the initial pull of the cork molasses, rhubarb, cola and citrus notes pour out. As the air mixes with the wine, it expands as does the range of flavors as crushed red betties, allspice, then coffee and eventually dusty rose all take the spotlight. With the initial pour, the wine shows tight, but as it opens, it takes on more floral elements. With some coaxing, this wine is hitting its stride with no signs of fading anytime soon. Some slight sediment. 14.4% alc. With beef Bourgogne. Recommended.
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This remains a relatively weak vintage for Geyserville. High toned, slightly dusty palate, with some unintegrated oak and a general lack of complexity to the fruit. Dried (perhaps a bit overripe) red and black fruit.
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A bit disappointing for the Geyserville pedigree. Aromatics are more roasted than I'd prefer and there is a bit of heat. Good richness with a medley of black and blue fruits on the palate. Again just a bit roasted. Oak isn't yet full absorbed.
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Opened up nicely after 30+mins. Showing ripe round tannins that linger on the finish. Rich cedar and mahogany, Rhône style dried fruit, hint of pepper and clove.
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Opened too soon. The fruit is still fleshy and concentrated. This could be a long term wine. Wish I had another one to check in on in another 10 years. Some interesting things going on in here. The lowish portion of Zin in this one could make for a different kind of wine down the road than in more Zin abundant years. Rest or decant heartily.
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Just piling on here, but another great Ridge Geyserville... At first, this seems sweet and even big, but my palate quickly calibrates and the acids and nuance and balance become clear. This isn't an ordinary Geezer, having only 58% zinfandel, and this shows as the profile is more rustic in flavor (not tannin) and feral than normal. I love it. There's all these savory, spicy notes with plenty of garrigue, clove, carob. Layers of extract and flavor here. Still on the young, vigorous side, but definitely drinking great now. I had the 07 on release and I thought it was a special Geryserville, but it then shut down and was inexpressive and kinda dull, but that stage is gone and the glory is back. 92-93 pts.
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Checking in on another bottle after two years, and sadly, this is not showing great promise. Ripe berry and blackcurrant on a fairly earthy frame, with a bit of wood spice, chewy tannin, and medium acid. Medium-plus body, but the fruit seems overripe and perhaps slightly compote-like, with a bit of an alcoholic heat. A strange beast; I'm not sure what to make of it. I doubt that it will age gracefully from here (I say this with some sadness as I have at least a case and a half remaining).
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Cedar notes that dominated upon opening went away after some decanting. Over 3-4 hours of decanting, tasted flabby with lots of kirsch notes on the palate. This is not going to develop further and appears to be going downhill. Drink up.
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I get the feeling that most of the people posting tasting notes on this wine are much more familiar with it than I am - I think I last drank Geyserville 20+ years ago but retained fond memories. Coming to this without any preconceptions I would agree with many commenters that it exhibits some alcoholic heat and slightly stewed fruit but coming back on the second night it tastes nicely evolved, mature but not old, a little Italianate (Supertuscan?). Only medium length but very nice all the same.
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{14.4%, cork} It's rustic and musty and dusty, as though the Carignan has taken over the whole show. At first I feared TCA, then brett. In the end, it's just fading a bit, and showing off the weaker points of the blend I think. A bit feral, a touch volatile, with low but gently coarse tannins, oddly confected but aging fruit, still medium/full weight, and a medium length but weirdly confected finish. Definitely time to drink.
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Appears to be at its peak, if not slightly over the hill; unlikely to improve further even if can sustain few more years of cellaring. The berry notes on the palate are mature, tannins are fully integrated, secondary notes are present but not particularly complex. Benefited from an hour of decanting. I seem to prefer Lytton Springs over Geyserville. 14.4% alc bites, btw.
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Somewhat of a sour nose. Quite light hit of berry fruit on the tip of the tongue. Tannins are diminished to a chalky sensation. Very delightful on the rear palate. It seems like an integrated, mature wine experience in that area—very smooth. Sourness detected on the nose seems to have dissipated with just a few minutes of air.
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Decanted for 2 hours & served. Drank over the next 4 hours during which it kept improving. Still a tight wine with some similarities to a good Cab blend. Medium to heavy weight. Rich mouth feel. Plum & berry flavors with some liquorice.
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This is one of my least favorite Geyservilles ever; low acid, sweet and not a lot of structure. Huckleberry flavors but not much spice. A bit plodding.
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From 375ml... Spicy, rich, mentholated bouquet. Dark fruit, a bit of coffee and lots of licorice and brambly fruit. The brightness has come back from a few years in hiding, but as delicious as this is now, I think it needs more time as the finish it a bit bitter still and the fruit chunky. Give this another 4-5 years, and I bet the Geryserville class will have arrived.
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If drinking now, I'd decant. It needed a good bit of time to get fleshed out. Initially, the oak character was a bit forward/out of place. It was eventually enveloped in the juicy savory fruit.
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At the insistence of my wife, I opened this with Memphis-style BBQ ribs, smothered collards and corn bread (I was militating for a Trimbach Gewurz, but that was overruled). Initially, a huge whack of new oak, but after that blew off what was left was a plummy, still-young Zin blend that had just enough acidity to keep it from tasting jammy. In my 35 years of tasting Geyservilles, this is far from my favorite rendition, yet by the end of the evening it had slimmed down and firmed up into something rather appealing. I'll give my other bottle another 3-5 years and see where it takes me.
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Drank with family with bbq beef brisket and garlic roasted vegetables and it was great with dark fruit, a little spice and bramble and slightly hefty alcohol but not over the top. This has come together nicely as Geyserville does.
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Aroma: somewhat alcoholic with notes of leather, cedar and pomegranate. Palate: tart plum with pencil shavings. Develops a warm spicy note on the finish. Light body and bright acidity. Good food wine. Drink now.
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Drinking beautifully. Still some berry fruit with interesting spice and great structure. Great with a slow roasted pork shoulder with star anise. I am a long time fan of the Ridge style and this was just reinforcement.
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58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro. 14.4% abv. Opened Sept. 30th. Viscous. I find some prune and plum on the palate along with spice (pepper.) Smooth and concentrated texture. Layered wine. Where in the past I have been more drawn to the Lytton Springs wines than to Geyserville wines--with a Lytton Springs in the 80's being an epiphany wine for me--I have really liked both the 2006 and 2007 Geyservilles. I prefer this over the Lytton Springs from the same vintage. .
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I've been drinking about one bottle every 6 months of the 07 Geyserville the past 4 years. It just continues to improve. Excellent dark red fruits and bramble spice, structure and acidity shine, integration and texture seem better than prior bottles. Drink and enjoy the fruit.
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Blackberry and black fruit, more herbal than Draper bramble. Medium acid and nice approachable tannin. Some port-like notes. Very nice, but not up to the 07 hype. Very good.
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Agree with the note posted by Spoochman. Initially tasted (and purchased this bottle) at their Lytton Springs Road tasting room back in 2010. This has softened and come together beautifully. Still shows plenty of ripe, delicious raspberry and black cherry fruit. Hints of bramble and spice add a zesty touch to the long, smooth finish. Refined and delicious, this is an outstanding Ridge Geyserville at its peak. 50+5+12+17+7=91
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A couple of years on from my last bottle, this is showing some evolution. There is still plenty of dense black fruit, but it is a little more subdued and the wine has generally rounded and smoothed out a little. It is all very nicely integrated with plenty of life left.
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Been tasting about a bottle a year. Recent bottles have shown quite tart and sharp, causing concern about aging potential. This one returns to form showing more weight and fruit and a seamless texture. Very nice.
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An evening with friends and a lot of wine (Chris and Renee's Home): Always a solid wine. This is a bit riper than most vintages but still excellent. The nose has black and red raspberries and a mineral note. Very nice texture. Some said they got raisins, but I did not get that. It is ripe. On the palate, it is drinking well. Shows no sign of age. Very enjoyable Geyserville that I think makes excellent old bones.
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This bottle was a step up from the one tasted 4/14. Nice structure, good balance between the spicy fruit and earthy notes. Tannins appear intergrated and this bottle was ready for action.
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Impenetrable ruby/purple. Black plums, dark chocolate, chargrilled meats, rhubarb, molasses. Thick and unctuous but also with underlying minerality. Very rich and ripe yet not heavy. (90 Good wine)
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7 Deadly Zins…well, 8 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Red plums and red currant, herbaceous green notes - almost stalky - slight leather notes. Smells 'sour'. Spicy with slight spirituous notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of red plums and red currant, chalky tannin, spice joins on the long finish. Hmm
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NobleRottersSydney - Reds; no Shiraz or Cab (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 14.4%} (Graeme) Rich liquorice, plums and blackberry. Showing a little age; the medium-high dusty tannins are quite prominent but balanced with a medium/full body. It’s predictably hearty and rich in flavour but not crudely so. Ridge is rarely disappointing and this is in line with tradition. Will keep happily.
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Decanted & tasted, black cherry , rich, ripe, porty flavors of licorice and anise. A decent effort, but not as good as the last bottle I tasted, don't recall the port characteristics that this bottled displayed.
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First night wasn't impressive. PnP, and had late at night. 24h passed in the fridge and we revisited. Spice (cinnamon, clove), fruit (strawberry and blueberry), and the oak (chocolate, licorice) shone through. Finishes with good acidity to keep it refreshing. The wine was a bit hot on the finish.
Drink or hold. 14.5% abv
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Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Blueish colour. Sour juice (cherry) tones on the nose. On the palate tastes very hot jammy albeit with high acidity (added?). In a very sour mood right now.
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Black with a deep ruby rim. No detailed TN taken but a lovely mix of pungent dark berry compote and minerality. Full bodied on the palate with a long finish.
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medium plus intensity aromas of sour morello and black cherries, a green note that is herbaceous and a little off putting, slight plums and vanilla and toast. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, light, fine textured tannin and flavours of cherries, herbs and plum. Medium plus alcohol doesn't intrude. I think I prefer the Lytton Springs.
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This is a full-bodied but elegant Zinfandel which has an intense purple colour with a nose of blueberries, blackberries and spice. In the mouth it offers a decent balance of rich, succulent fruit and good acidity. Really enjoyable and it will continue to drink well over the next four to five years.
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Nicely aromatic and it still has a deep red color although the rim is starting to show an amber color. Notes of bramble, blackberries, dark fruits (the wine is very fruity) saddle leather, with a long finish. The acidity and tannins seem to be in balance. Very tasty (that's a technical term).
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This is a nice easy drinking wine with soft, dark fruit that is very easy to drink. Not much complexity and more like a mellow fruit bomb that pairs nicely with baby back ribs.
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Clear, very little sediment (but one actual vineyard bug). Medium red, no tawny at all. Blackberry and oak and coffee. Nice dark fruit, mellow tannins. A little peppery spice left, but very little. Good acid; not too much, yet, but heading that way, towards too sharp. Drinking well, but it's certainly time to start breaking out the corkscrew.
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Totally enjoyed this zin-- dark fruit, spicy, smooth, still tasting a little young/tart. Almost always reliable, Ridge never seems to disappoint. Most enjoyed this bottle-- it's held nicely.
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On the nose there is oak and spice. Lots of juicy fruit concentration (black berries) that is well balanced with acidity. Tannins are prevalent, but not coarse. This is a well made wine. I don't see it being one to age a long time, but it is drinking extremely well now. It's lacking a bit in complexity and a long transition across the palate. However, for the price I find it very satisfying. The 14.4% alcohol was well integrated. I liked it more on the second day after some of the oak dissipated.
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I love CT - based on the negative comments below, I panicked and pulled one of my bottles worried I might have waited too long... what a happy surprise! Because this blend is so diverse (58% Zin, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mourvedre) it can throw you for a loop. It's the Carignane & Petite Sirah in particular that really give this wine it's character. I now understand the "grapey" impressions (coming from the Carignane) and the dark berry tones (coming from the Petite Sirah). The tannins are mildly granular, giving it a light chewy mouth feel. Because I have such an affinity for Zin's (Ridge especially) I can be considered biased. But I'm really happy with this wine right now. It went great with a Rosemary marinated Tri-Tip & roasted veggies. Enjoy!
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The evolution of this wine has been disappointing. There is still very strong acidic and tannic structure, with a bit of heat. And the structure is dominating the fruit, making the wine fairly austere overall. I'm gonna sit on my one remaining bottle for at least 2-3 years in the hopes that the tannins soften. But I fear that the fruit is going to lose this battle, and this might get worse with time instead of better. The 2009 is much richer.
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delicious The wine looks Crimson colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, and Red Currant. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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Nice wine. Seems a little hot and pruny but quaffable with some dark berries still good. Far from the best I've had from Ridge. I would say drink up now
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The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The very enticing nose has brambly berries, cherry, black pepper, licorice, warm baking spices, charred meat, forest floor, and a touch of vanilla. This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity. The palate has nice up front fruit and spice with more spice, licorice, and meaty elements coming in on the back end. The finish is long with spice laden fruit slowly giving way to more earthy elements that seem to linger forever. This still seems to be on the young side but is still very enjoyable.
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Great garnet red color. Nose has ripe blackberries, exotic wood, anise, vanilla and dried herbs. Complex and aromatic nose. Quite clear that there is Zinfandel in this "Field blend" from Ridge combined with other varietals. Taste follows the nose and shows some of the delicate typical "Geyserville flavors". Smooth tannins and great structure. Drinking wonderful right now but will keep. Blackberries and blueberries combined with exotic wood on the finish. A great bottle from one of my favorite vineyards in the world.
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Needed something to go with Santa Fe style green-chili burgers, and this was perfect. PnP'd, the wine showed immediate notes of brambly plum and leather. A bit heavy, lacked the tang of a young zinfandel and was padded with chocolate notes. Enjoyed it immensely, but wonder if this has the stuffing to become a geezer.
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My impressions are much different from many of the other reviews. I usually hold Geyservilles forever but found this young wine to be alive, fruity, and vibrant on the palate. A delicious sweetness of fruit so present made this, for me, one to drink early. Decanted one hour.
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I wasn't feeling this. The nose was nice but it had a very tart taste and just wasn't very interesting. A little better on day 2. Not nearly as good as the bottle I had a couple years ago.
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The wine arrived from the post office, and I immediately, and with no thought to bottle shock or letting the wine calm down, popped the cork and decanted. Needless to say it was a disappointing experience and a lesson in patience.
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Tart red fruit and a bit out of balance now. Fruit seems to have receeded from earlier tastings, leaving more prominant acidity and tanins. Much prefer the 09 at this stage.
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much better than the previous bottle. seemed darker and much more explosive on the palate. was a good start to the night and went well with a variety of appetizers.
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PNP, this has intergrated nicely since the last time I tasted 3/11, loads of dark fruit, quite rich, with hints of vanilla, anise, chocolate and nicely balanced. Drinking well now and for several more years.
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Decanted for an hour, although this did not seem to change the wine very much relative to a taste at opening. Overall, this is an elegant wine with good acidic and tannic structure -- what I expect from Ridge but not most other CA Zin producers. This is not at all a syrupy fruit bomb like some CA Zins -- in fact, I think the fruit could use a touch more richness. But the brambly red fruit is there and there are nice nuances of spices on the finish. Paired well with salmon burgers from the grill. This is drinking pretty well now, but I think it will smooth out further and I will probably hold off on my other two bottles for a couple years or more. Looking forward to the '09s I have in the cellar, which sound like they have a bit more richness to the fruit.
UPDATE, 10/26/12: Had poured off half a bottle to a 375, and drank that today, 6 days later. The wine was a bit smoother and the fruit more open and fleshy. So I think this bodes well for further cellaring. 91+ now
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This was decanted for about an hour. The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The wonderful and fully open nose has brambly berries, freshly cracked black peppercorns, licorice, baking spices, black cherries, with hints of underbrush, vanilla, grilled meat, and just a touch of earthiness. This has medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. The finish is fairly long with nice fruit giving way fairly quickly to the more savory elements. There is a touch of excess oak peeking through towards the end, but it should better integrate with a bit more cellar time. An outstanding Geyserville that will drink nicely through the end of the decade.
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34th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2007s (Rich & Dana's): Purplish crimson color. Spice, herb, cherry and red fruit notes emerge from the glass. White pepper and cherry qualities with air. Shows some lovely red fruit on the palate, as well as cherries, plum and black fruit, with a lengthy finish. Nice. 90+ pts.
My #5 Group #4, 51 pts
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Pop & pour - nose is a bit "grapey". Prominent flavor of cherry liqueur (almost port like). Considering how dense and concentrated Ridge zins can be, this is surprisingly open and easy to drink. Day 2 is better... Day 3 is best. Give this wine plenty of aeration.
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Decanted about an hour. Deep ruby to maroon color. Brambly berries, licorice, black pepper, baking spices, vanilla, underbrush, some earthiness, and cherry on the open and inviting nose. Medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Spicy, peppery, berries coat the palate with some oak and earthiness providing extra depth. Fairly long finish, but it seems a bit clipped by the tannins and acidity. Tastes very good now but needs some additional cellar time. Showing great potential, one of the better Geyservilles in several years.
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Tasted over two days. First night, a pop and pour, and it was harsh and disjointed. Corked and put aside (on counter) and it had smoothed and become drinkable on night two, but still not terribly interesting or complex. Fairly enjoyable, if light for a Cali Zin, but just not much there, there. Somewhat flat and one dimensional.
Ridge turns out imminently drinkable, and rarely offensive, wine, but perhaps my tastes have turned, because I just don't find myself actually truly enjoying, or looking forward to, anything from their vineyards anymore. Not bad at all, just ho hum.
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Popped and poured. This is a great example of what cellaring can do with a wine. When I had this wine in 2010, it was good, but now it is far more integrated and the tannins have softened considerably. Definitely my favorite Ridge Zin blend and 2007 is a great year for Ridge. Flavors consisted of cherries and earthiness with some black pepper. Finish not very long, but it was able to stand on it's own and complimented the ravioli and Italian sausage we had for dinner tonight.
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Deep ruby color. Blackberries, black pepper, licorice, cherries, forest floor, spicy oak, and a bit of vanilla on the very pleasing nose. Medium body with solid tannins and very nice acidity. Spicy, peppery berries on the palate with some earthiness and a dollop of toasty oak. Fairly long finish which again shows a bit of excess oak. Very tasty, but calls for some additional cellar time for the oak to finish integrating.
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This was much better the second day. The first day when I gazed upon the deep ruby color I was salivating but when It hit the palate it seemed out of sorts. The next day it showed off its concentrated layers of dark fruits, pepper and a trace of dirt.
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Initial funkiness blew off after about a half-hour. leaving a wine that steadily built in body, depth and extract over the next 3-4 hours. I would say it is a bit much right now, hopefully this will be one of those Geyservilles that will extra years in the cellar. The parts are all there, as well as the tannin, so I will let my remaining bottles lie for a few years.
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Decanted for 4 hours beforehand. We had this with Christmas dinner - roast turkey with all the trimmings. It has a big, inviting, brambly nose and then a real filling mouthful of more brambles and a long, slightly peppery and slightly port like finish. There are plenty of people who will hate this wine and find it too overt, but everyone at the table, wine enthusiasts and occasional drinkers alike, thought this was really good.
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This bottle was very hot and it was decanted over 4 hours. Did not hold up well against a Pagani and York Creek, which weren't overly impressive anyway. Just trying to get through the rest of my Ridge collection. Very disappointing in these Zins after 4 years of laying down and anticipating some great wines.
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Popped and poured. Nose was fantastic with deep zin aromas. First glass was deep, rich, almost "Welchs" in the front, a thin mid-palate and a heavy oak, bitter, cigar box finish. Very disjointed. The last glass out of the bottle 2 hours later it all came together. The over powered sweet in the front and oak blew off and the wine became fully integrated. Hold or decant.
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I'm shocked, even stupefied by just how much I disliked this bottle of wine. Two other people had glasses from it and didn't think it was as bad as I did, but I tried it over two nights and did everything I could think of to get it to open up. Ate some of my favorite "sure thing" salami to give it the best chance of presenting well... all to no avail. Used a Vinturi both nights and let the glass sit open the second night, and still all it managed to do was "barely serviceable".
It's really, really disjointed; the tannins from the Petite Sirah seems to be sticking out like a sore thumb. The berry flavors are muted. Maybe it's just a bad bottle, but I'm not going to bother finding out; the other bottles will go up for sale in the near future.
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This was significantly better than an earlier bottle I tried. Decanted 1.5 hours. Medium dark purple, full bodied but balanced, I would have guessed there was more syrah than zinfandel. Dark plum and cherries, moderate tannins, it only needs more spice or pepper to take it to the next level. All-American, in a good way. It is drinking well now, but will easily last 10 more years.
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Wow. Big fresh fruit with a little spice. Hmm.. as the night went on it seemed to close down and become a little disjointed. I tired of it quickly. 92 to start and 85 later.
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??? Magenta. Very open knit aromas of root vegetables and dark berries. Rich dark berry liquer but linear and fairly deliniated on the palate. Thought this would be a bit more subtle but really whacks you in the face, almost overwhelmingly so. Not to say this is not enjoyable but it is definitely in need of some time to relax. Very "rooty".
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Cough syrup came to mind a little which is not a good sign. It was better the second night. Maybe it was tainted. Wait at least a year to drink the next.
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Tasty enough, but seems a bit shut down. A lot of texture and stuffing which should reward age. Laying down my remaining bottles for several years in the hopes a more interesting and complex wine emerges.
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Corked! I was seriously disappointed in these few bottles purchased and so, very concerned about this winery, which for decades has been THE most respected name in Zin... I for one, will think twice before lifting one of their wines off the shelf, from this day forward.
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Cherry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and leather on the nose. Lots of raspberry, black pepper, and a tannic kick at the end. Perhaps a bit young yet?
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Ruby/garnet in color. nice nose of mostly red fruits. Dry and one dimensional on the palate to my taste. not a bad wine, but wouldn't hold up in competition with other wines, and not as good as i remember a previous vintage. my wife, however, really liked this one and that brought it up a couple of points. decent with food, but rather boring by itself.
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Good but not as great as memory serves. Balanced berry & black licorice notes. Have had better wines in recent times. Time to drink or perhaps past peak?
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PnP at restaurant and ate with peppercorn filet. A little too much oak and heat for my taste. Could have probably benefited from decanting and some more time to breathe.
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Medium-dark ruby red. The nose has raspberry, a little chocolate, and some stemmy aromas. The fruit is nice, balance is good. Overall, a little generic. A perfectly good steakhouse type wine.
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Decanted 1hr, evolved over the 2+ hrs it took to drink, initially quite hot, with air I started to pick up blackberry liqueur, some black licorice, hints of dark chocolate, certainly tannic. IMHO this needs of at least a couple of years in the bottle, as the last glass was much better than the first. 89++
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Powerful nose of briary berries & plums. Dense, balanced and focused, if not complex. A pleasure now, and probably no hurry, although not likely to improve.
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Yeasty, jammy aromas. Lighter red fruit flavors: more cherry than raspberry. Softening tannins that still offer grip and structure. Some spicy and woody notes in the finish to add complexity. Ready to drink now but should continue to develop.
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Approx. 30 min. decant ... This is a restrained Ridge. Smooth but not soft, with a good acid balance and dry finish, this is a food-friendly wine that doesn't scream Zin. (Fruit there, but not at forefront.) Very, very solid but not spectacular.
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I hate to flip-flop on you and I'd refrain if I hadn't had three more bottles since my last notes; which are collectively reflected, herein. Contrary to my bottle in September, these were real funky - two, I popped & poured; the other, vinturied and then decanted for nearly 3hrs. and although the flavors improved slightly over that time, there was still something off about it. Same great color; same nice/typical aromatics but early on, it was all tart fruit and sour acidity, with prominent tannis that were neither smooth or integrated. I therefore, have to conclude that the bottle in September was an aberration (as 1 of the three was purchased from the same source and at the same time as the September bottle and the other 2, elsewhere). The high-end of average awarded simply because of the marked improvement throughout the 3hr. air-time. If all popped & poured, my score would be in the low 70's. Bummer!..particularly because I've got yet another bottle remaining.
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This is a return to form after those unexpressive 2006s. Black fruit nose. Fresh red fruit and jam on the palate, some herbs. Flavour spectrum probably reflects proportions of zinfandel and carignan. Silky feel, no baby fat and certainly with proper structure for several years of aging. medium length finish
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Needs bottle age or long Decant. Aerated into decanter and drank right away and this wine was very tight and nothing there. With double aeration and 30 minutes in decanter, wine came together - although I was dissapointed given the producer. One dimensional (raspberry, red fruits) on nose & palate. Good acidic structure (great with grilled chicken), medium body, short+ finish. Would not buy again given price point. 85-87 range. [Edit] Better on night two but not above 88 for me. More balanced on night two and tannins were very well integrated and more complexity. I'd sit on this one. Still think poor QPR but nothing wrong with the wine.
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From half bottle. On open this was an 85 but decanted through a vinturi aerator helps open up the wine. Young and tannic but also not integrated and seems out of sync. Woudla advice to wait.
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From mag, at first a bit too Zin like. Over the top red fruits and blueberry. After 30-40 minutes of air the supporting grapes really come out though and it mellows very nicely. Not overtly oaky, but well put together. Ready to drink now.
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Inky, juicy and well put-together, this is a classic Ridge field blend. As is typical of Ridge, the fruit has a somewhat dried/cooked character compared to most zins, though this could be explained by the Petite Sirah and other blending grapes. That said, the fruit is deep and fragrant, and it is balanced nicely by a bit of earthy spice, honest acidity and rock-solid tannins.
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December Zinfandel Tasting (Scott & Todd's): I'm getting a little raisin/prune thing on day 2 that I did not notice yesterday, especially on the nose. The vacu-vin stopper was not properly sealed so it might have gotten too much air. The non-Zin components are harmonious and in nice balance but I don't think this is the best rendition of Geyserville, at least not right now. At some level, I crave more high-toned Zin fruit. The bass clef has been handled with deft and sophistication, but the melody is a little pedestrian. Overall I think I prefer to hold the 07 Lytton Springs than drink the 07 Geyserville. 89-90
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Medium dark purple with a full nose, but lacks the full bodied spice and pepper I look for in a Zinfandel. Good, but not very particulary complex or interesting. 14.4% alchohol.
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Superlative - a definite favourite for Mrs H. Inky black in colour. Intense liquorice and blueberry nose and palate. Very full-on. Weighty and mouthcoating palate, with a real cool purity. Will obviously last for ages, but Mrs H demanded I gave iit to her right then.
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Deep ruby color. Cherries, raspberries, forest floor, vanilla, pepper, spicy oak on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity. Very nice on the palate with the spicy, peppery berries leading the way. The finish is fairly long but shows a bit too much oak. Needs cellar time but I need to quit grabbing bottles for that to happen.
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Ridge is always reliable. Nice dark purple color, fruit bomb nose, smooth, well balanced, not as long a finish as other Ridge's. Still a nice bottle to share with others.
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Sorry guys, the Ridge Zinfandels are simply not my cup of tea. They have always reminded me of Amarone and so did the 2007 Geyserville we had tonight. The wine has a nice structure for being a Zinfandel, probably thanks to the Carignane and Petite Sirah parts of the blend. The palate reveals sun dried figs, prunes and raisins... Ridge could have left the prunes and raisins out I think. Nonetheless, I realize though this is not my taste it is a nicely crafted wine, hence a score of 90. Maybe I am drinking this wine too young. Prunes maybe go on holiday after a couple of more years? (Day 2, 24 h after opening the bottle, the wine has gone through a tremendous change. The prunes are totally gone as is the primary fruit. Instead a Nebbiolo like (!) perfume explodes from my glass: amaratto in-bedded tannins together with a pleasant acidity. I did not expect this from a Ridge Zinfandel. Well worth yesterday's 90 p.)
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A beautiful display of rich blackberry fruit, dark chocolate and earthy slate dust. The palate was like velvet yet structured with dark chocolate covered cherries and cedar. The wine showed remarkable balance and a gorgeous core of well defined fruit. The finish was long with cherries and dark chocolate. Yum!
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Dark red, hueing to purple. Subtle nose, with some bramble and dark fruit, mild spiciness. Mid-weight to full-body Zin, lower alcohol than a lot of Zins. Nice structure, sweet, some tartness, lots of fruit, red berries, blackberry, some pepper, great at the front of the tongue, good finish that lasts 20 to 30 seconds. Probably my favorite Ridge Zin, though I like the Paso Robles a lot too. Opened and poured over 4 hours, not much change during that time. Fruit forward, probably stays that way for a few years, and I'm not sure it will develop more over time.
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14.4% alcohol. 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite, 2% Mourved. From the Alexander Valley's Whitten Ranch Vineyard, planted in the 1890s. A great decade for wine lovers and a great decade for urban travel. The first practical subway system begins operation in Boston.
Dark ruby red. Expressive red, black and floral. aromas. Rasberries and cherries along with a touch of pepper and plum overtones. Great balance, wonderful structure, fantastic site expression. Lingering aftertaste. A complete treat! Should continue to iimprove for several years.
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It's been a while since I've drank this "stalwart" of California Zin and although (as you're aware) I'm not a huge Zin proponent these days, this was all that I remember it to be. Started out tight and angular but after vinturi and 30-90mins., it evolved nicely. You'll read that Ridge Zins behave much more like a Cali-Meritage and no better example of that, than this bottling. Artful blend from old-vine grapes. Paul Draper's swan song, IMHO!
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Deep ruby color. Cherries, raspberries, blackberries, some pepper, and vanilla on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Vanilla and pepper laced berries on the palate, with just a bit too much oak popping out. The finish is fairly long and quite juicy. This needs a few more months in the cellar or an hour in the decanter for the oak to better integrate. Definite upside potential.
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on the nose: raspberry-blackberry vanilla milkshake, laurel-thyme-rose tea, white pepper. Cherry cider-chocolate soda on the way down, tannins ever-so slightly grippy. When I chew this wine and really push some air through it the acids really show themselves off. This is just a damn fun and delicious wine. Had this with prime rib and finished the rest later with chocolate-amaretto cookies. Thank you Ridge!
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Popped and poured and drank over 4 hours. Dark, dark red. Almost violet. Nose was relatively closed. Some leather and tobacco. Lots of heat. On the palate it had some nice pepperiness, but there was some underlying crystallized sugar and greenness that wasn't exactly unpleasant, but wasn't really enticing either. Nice wine, but I'm with WetRock below. I think this will become far better in 5 years or so. (4+12+16+6)
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Tonight the Ridge delivered nicely. Pepperish, fruit forward, ok finish. Nicely integrated. Tonight I sense no tones of raisin and prunes - which is very appealing to me.
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Started off very rough which overwhelmed the fruit. Never did develop a big, bold zinfandel nose but did soften an become easier to drink.. Pretty nice.
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Initially tasted immediately after opening. Dark opaque red. A big nose of black fruit and oak. Smooth texture with well integrated tannins. Black cherry and blackberry flavors and it is a little spicy. Not big for a Zin. I don't know how time will improve this but it is excellent right now.
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wow! my second ridge, and quickly becoming my favorite producer in CA. balanced, lush, extremely complex, powerful wine. not a big zin drinker, but this wine is singing tonight! extremely well made wine from a classic vintage.
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EWG does Zinfandel and Sliders (Conrad Green's Abode): Decanted about 6 hours prior to consumption. The nose shows soft big berries and notes of nectarine, wet paint and oak. Rich, dense and tannic with a long finish. The fruit shows a sugar crystal berry quality but ultimately seemed on the less than expressive side. The last glass taken home was the same the next night. Potential is here but in need of sleep. Come back in five years or more.
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Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): Smooth but full bodied Zin. Dark berries abound with a small hint of berry sweetness on the end that isn't at all over extracted. Zin of the night at the Ridge tasting for me.
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Very reliable year after year. Dark purple in color, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced, and nice finish. Glad I have a bunch more in the cellar. In time, the bottle will only improve.
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Underwhelming as it was sandwiched between an as yet unreleased 2007 Petite Syrah from Vines on the Marycrest and a 1998 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi, the Vines was the best wine of the night.
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brooding dark mixed dark berries, earth, just right slight tartness and acidity finish it off; perfect with BBQ ribs with a memphis style dry rub (not sweet) still not quite open, but i like it this way.
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Nose - warm, smooth dark berry and jujube, reticent, showing hints of spice and tropical notes. Dark berry, sappy, dusty tannin, tight, showing richness. Grippy/zesty on the finish, with an ethereal nutmeg/cinnamon spice. Drink '12-'27.
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(58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro) Nose - not showing much Dense smoky round fruit, boysenberry, plum, orange, floral. Very young. Silky.
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Lush ripe blackberry & blueberry fruit. Some briar & jammy-ness on this one, but not too sweet at all. A touch of vanilla. Great balance. Solid full tannins that held up well to my dry aged ribeye.
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Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): Dark red color. Perfume-y bouquet that smells of such ripe fruit that it's almost like nail polish with a little rubbing alcohol. Don't let that throw you off though, this smelled delicious. On the palate, good red fruit with savory aspects and chewy tannins. Did not feel at all zin-like, and I guess that makes sense when you consider it's only 58% Zin. I really really wanted to like this more, but it's just too young now. 89 with the potential to go much higher in a few years.
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Medium-dark purplish ruby. Blueberry pie nose. Blackberry and spice on the palate with a hint of chocolate. Rich and well-balanced with smooth tannins. Was better the second day - I think it was a combination of the time and the residual chill from the fridge. Had this with several BBQ-type foods, but the best pairing was with a cheeseburger w/ ketchup. Good juice, but not sure about the QPR.
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Nose is very jammy, blueberries, blackberries. Smells totally sweet. Palate is surprising and fabulous - rich, flavorful, ripe, but balanced. Plenty of acidity, depth, great smooth mouthfeel. Can't wait to taste this as it matures.
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Really good. Easy to enjoy and just enough complexity to keep your interest. Drank this after a 2007 Janasse Chaupin and it surprisingly held it's own.
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Sorry, but I keep comparing this to a Turley. Probably totally wrong, but the acidity and raisin like nose is not compatible to my palate. Strange sense of peeled almonds appears after 2+ hours in decanter.
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Ridge is dependable. This is a little sweeter than I would like, but has a nice tangy finish. Chewy dark fruits. Enjoying it. Was good with food (pasta with a faux Bolognese sauce). Just not sure its worth $35.
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From magum. Somewhat jammy, yet restrained. Pretty rich and well-balanced. Not too sweet. Defintiely too young. May evolve into a really good wine. Wish I had bought more mags for the price I got.
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Reticent on the nose, though after 2 hour it gave off a playful claret like aroma. Bright and dark red berries, with something lurking underneath. Smooth tannins and acid leveles that begged for a little food. I felt like this would integrate better with a little time, but the fruit did not appear too concentrated or extracted (did not burn my tongue, like young wines often do). I have enough to check this out as it matures.
DAY 2: OK, this is what I'm talking about! It kept it's peculiar mix of bright and dark berries, but now the tannins were much more prominent, and the acidity integrated better. It wasa also easier for me to pick up the Zin typicity (behind a still predominantly claret like apearance). I'm adding a point (for a total of 91) for this second day, and vow not to open another one for at least a year. I suspect that this will only improve.
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Generous fruit and sweet oak, almost entirely without any noticeable tannic structure, still there is a sense of balance and something being held back: this went very well with a porterhouse steak for three (and the trademark sweet, horse radish infused, steak sauce) at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn where P and I treated our dad, who is visiting over the holidays. The wine should have been served slightly more chilled, I think.
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Based on reports of this vintage, and my love of Geyserville, I expected to be blown away by this bottle, but I wasn't. It was nice, dark red and black bramble fruit flavors, but like a couple other wines recently didn't have the intensity or complexity I was hoping for. Maybe too early, maybe just a bad night.
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Nicely aromatic but flavors from this bottle are somewhat diluted with a thin band of cherry, berry and pepper. Perhaps this will gain intensity with time but it wasn't showing well tonight.
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Very rich fruit. Needs just a little cellar time to knit everything together but it sure is good now. Night 2 this has kicked up a notch and integrated beautifully. Some spice and just a faint dose of pepper show up. Really nice!
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A blend of 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah and 2% Mataro. A big briary bouquet of ripeness kicks this off nicely. This isn't a blockbuster nor jammy booze monster-- it's a fairly restrained wine, zinfandel as it should be. There's some lovely tang to the fruit and an almost elegant degree of extraction. It's simple and ripely fruity today, but I could see it improving with some time in the cellar. 90 pts today.
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More fruit-forward and primary than traditional Geysers, but still very rewarding and age-worthy. Opened alongside a 2000 Geyserville, which outshined the 07 in every respect. The 07 showed a beautiful nose but less complexity. Good acidity and wood, but still slightly disjointed. The next day, showed secondary notes and Draper perfume, but had a clipped finish. Substantial tannins suggest plenty of time for aging but, if not for Ridge's consistent history, I'd be a bit worried about whether it will ever come together. Not that this isn't a good wine, but the 07 Ridge hype suggested more.
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Nice Geyserville, about 50% zin with the rest a bix of carinane mataro and petite syrah if I remember right, I like these wines, not for the big bomb zin heads, a more refined wine good food wine, a lot more balance and subtleties than your typical 100% zin med body, just very pleasant, I know past vintages have aged well and I'd guess this will be no exception 89+ with room to improve
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Incredibly delicious upon opening and just got better with air. Much better than the 06. I know it will get more interesting with time but it is going to be hard to resist the urge to drink these young!
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Explosion of deep, rich fruits and berries (currant, cassis), maybe a bit of raisin, a few chocolate notes. Nice spice and vanilla on the finish. Definitely transforms for the best with decanting (and could use a few more years to really develop). Vanilla and plum on the nose (though a bit strong on the alcohol scent until it opens up).
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Glunz Wines Fall Portfolio tasting (The Westin, Chicago IL): nose: well balanced and robust nose of black currants, black cherries, red cherries, and bits of spice tones underneath. Well defined on the nose, but nothing is really jumping out yet
taste: excellent medium/full body with good tannins and delicious tones of black currants, black and red cherries, and some asian spices with a touch of blackberries
overall: This is a quality Geyerville. It won't ever be a real blow away wine, but is a high quality geyserville that should be enjoyable for a good while
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Purchased by the glass at dinner. As expected a bit young and the bottle I sampled from was not opened long. Sipped with dinner over 1 hour and was not taking serious tasting notes. But initially impression is bright red fruit. Underlying flavors include mocha and some oak. Still tight and a bit unjointed. I would let lie for a few more years before approaching again.
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This bottle was opened and consumed over a 3 hour period. Primary flavours of strawberry jam, cocoa, raspberries and spice. Seems rather tight and wound up at the moment. Coaxed in the glass and it continued to reveal pepper fresh berries and underbrush. This wine needs a few more years in the bottle to integrate, a tad disjointed at this stage.
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A: Very-Berry Juice almost blue. N: Blueberry + Strawberry jam. Nutmeg clove and lavender. T: Berries, blueberry syrup. Hot pepper spice. BIG FRUIT F: Fruit to woodyness (cedar). Blackberries. Overall: Unexpected. V: 3/5
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At first extremely tight showing almost no flavor profile. After several hours of decanting, developed an almost LBV port-like nose and dense but still tight black fruit. Very awkward and too young to drink now. Closed back up after a few more hours for some reason. Wait at least 3 or 4 years before approaching again. No score.
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Tasted from 375ml format. Very young and a bit awkward. A trace of over-ripeness on the initial nose but blew off quickly. With time it settle down and showed a kirsch like fruit. Hard to score.
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Geyserville Vertical (My House): I tasted this, but could not evaluate it well - just way too young. the nose was liquer-like, with licorice and alcohol. Palate, again, had alcohol and licorice and was simply overpowering. I'm reserving judgement, since it hasn't even been technically released yet.
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12/25/2023 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Continues to be a vintage that does not impress. Red berries, dusty, good acidity, but lacking complexity.
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11/27/2023 - chatters wrote:
Lovely, generous, plums, earth, slight herbaceous underpin, a little leather, touch of vanilla...generous and rich on the palate, grippy tannins support, fruit slightly dried out here but all travel long. Nice.
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5/7/2023 - Winesail Likes this wine: 95 Points
Was worried this was old in the tooth and past it’s best. Cork fell apart on pulling - was glamping so poured though a piece of kitch towel into vase (decanter )! Needn’t of worried - was truly sublime - faint woodland aromas but smooth and refined drinking - lingering palate - truly sensational ! Wish I had another bottle…
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12/4/2022 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 87 Points
This has a clean-cut tannic bite to it and pure 'gobbsely-fruit' to serve.
I dare say I expected more than a cute cool-fruited wine with Cali-vibes and goody-two-shoes-whatever. This is simply a pizza wine with some small upside. Not long. Not complex.
Beautiful tannic structure, though. Without it, this would barely be 81p…
Didn't cut it through tonight's paté… *sigh*
I first fell in love with Ridge in the late 1900-eds, as it was an amazing $20 wine. That was some less gray-haired years back, and it was great! This wine is still great! However, it's still a $25 wine, with a $65 price tag.
I get it: capitalizing on your well built brand name. Well, it only catches those late to the party AND they'll always be looking for the next party…
Tonight, I decided to stop purchasing Ridge wines. There are so many other amazing districts, wine makers and deals available… I mean: if you still count under 200 regions on CT, keeeep exploring!
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11/26/2022 - Gnome Likes this wine:
Very nice and well worth the wait. Smooth, balanced, very long finish. Complex flavors. Just a slight bitter edge. Starting to develop tertiary flavors.
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11/5/2022 - timewithwine Likes this wine:
The blend is 58% Zin and 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah and 2% Mourvèdre. Abundant plum, Zin funk, rhubarb, Draper perfume, walnuts and coffee, all finished with a wave of mocha. With the tannins fully resolved the mouthfeel is silky smooth; simply a delightful mouthfeel. Heavy shadow of sediment all along the back as it lay in the cellar and two thirds the way around the neck as well. Decidedly better than the Pagani 06 pulled for finishing dinner; not that the Pagani was bad, but the Geezer was that much better. 14.6% alc. With balsamic marinated grilled pork chops. 11.05.22. Recommended, leaning to Highly Recommended.
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6/19/2022 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and tasted, the label shows this was bottled in January, 2009, according to CT it was purchased in October, 2009. This well cellared bottle has aged nicely, excellent balance, currants, plum, blackberries, spice, toasty oak, fully integrated.
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5/8/2022 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Blackberry, raspberry, bramble; some tannin remaining; rich, opulent mouthfeel. Drink now as this is not a Geyser for the long haul.
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1/24/2022 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
14.4% abv. dark ruby clear to the edges, very aromatic. Ripe plum, bramble, blueberry, wet stone and mint. Excellent depth and length, great complexity and energy. Geyserville at its peak. Frankly, this wine took a long time to finally come around, but is there now. Drink or hold - a strong, sound, very tasty and complete wine.
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12/30/2021 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 79 Points
Continues to show as a very weak vintage for Geyserville. This is showing so very little, with a low-intensity nose of red fruit without any of the bramble or perfume I’d expect and muddled red fruit on the palate. A disappointing bottle of which no one even finished a first glass.
I’m convinced that all of us (including the big name experts) who had serious reservations about this wine from the beginning figured that Ridge knew better than we did. But not this time.
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11/27/2021 - smides Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still holding up nicely but showing its maturity. Heady big Geyserville still there but structure is starting to fade. Delicious wine.
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7/25/2021 - VinCA wrote:
This vintage, as the 2009, are on their way down. They did develop nicely through the course of the evening and of the five wines my opinions of this and the 2009, which was better, changed through the night. Still has good fruit but it's starting to fade.
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7/21/2021 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
The first sip made me think maybe over the hill (maybe from the sediment that ended up in the glass), but after half an hour of air was awesome. Still plenty of tannins left from the petite syrah. So good.
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6/23/2021 - WetRock wrote:
Still quite dark. Showing early maturity on the palate. It's also showing the darker varieties more so than the Zin. It's also a little bit jumbled right now as another taster notes. Still quite a powerful wine given it's age. There is also still a brooding character I noticed with my last go. Certainly no harm in waiting a bit longer on this one. Less Zinny and more Rhoney than most.
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6/5/2021 - chatters wrote:
4th Annual 7 Deadly Zins (well, 24 this time) (Ben and Estella's place, Parramatta): From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas of plum, herbaceous notes, spice. Savoury and slightly sour, plums and spice, chalky tannins. A bit out of whack.
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3/28/2021 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Gone quickly affording me only a sip. This has settled, integrating some of the elbows and unintegrated elements I remember from a few years ago. Not remarkable but nice.
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1/8/2021 - bayareadodgerfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Wow might have hit this on its exact peak. Nice garnet color. Nose of blueberry and chocolate. Perfect balance of fruit - still has some bright red raspberry flavors and subdued cough syrup notes (in a good way) with notes of chocolate along with pepper. Perfectly balanced tannins and acidity - a nicely harmonious 14yo wine. Drink it if you have it.
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12/7/2020 - Agunner23 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Put the waiter's corkscrew in, and it glided in the cork with so little effort made me think the worse. This happened a couple of weeks ago with a 2012 Duckhorn cab, cork rot. Pulled the cork out with ease, wine bleed through about .25", then bent it and broke it in half with no effort. So I do what would seem to be weird to everyone. I use a drip coffee setup with high-grade non-bleached coffee filters. It works great pure wine with no grit, which seems to be the norm for older Ridge wine. I poured a dram and was surprised, not like a 5 yr old Geyserville but still pretty good. It beats the 11' Duckhorn three palms cab that I had the other day. I am 1\3rd into the bottle and slowly coming back to life. I know this is a ramble, but I am a Ridge fanboy. I have 09' Geyserville at the storage locker that I will be taking home. Now I have to make an appt. to access the locker, damn you covid!!!
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10/23/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
So this was worth aging. CT says can go to 2017 but EB says the longevity is assured over next 10-12 years (from Jan 2009). I don't think it's lost anything and would agree the wine is sensuous with opulent fruit. Drinking really well.
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10/21/2020 - Neecies wrote:
Happier with this bottle than I've been with others in the last six years, but the overt ripeness of the vintage is still a hurdle I'm having to jump over.
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9/25/2020 - hargy wrote:
no sign of bricking at all and a lovely bouquet but it was quite hollowed out and empty on first taste - it did improve somewhat in the glass but only for a very short window - not rated
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9/24/2020 - arte1 Likes this wine:
Drinking well
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9/15/2020 - cweiss wrote:
same note as 5/2019. Continues in very nice drinking plateau, but this was my last.
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1/18/2020 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Lovely nose of creamy black cherry balanced by Coca-Cola and cloves. Tons of red cherries in the mouth. It's evident this wine was a bruiser in its youth but at age 13 it's aging gracefully with the red fruit set-off against some grilled bread and charcoal on a very long finish. Lots of Petit Sirah and Carignane in this blend and the complexity shows. Excellent pairing with roasted chicken thighs with tomato and garlic. Drink now or hold for a year or two more.
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10/27/2019 - MichielV wrote: 93 Points
W beef potroast. Great dish and great combo. This is the best Geyserville we have had for many years. Great fresh color, great Zin nose and on palate just a wonderful balanced wine with fruit, tannins, acidity and length. Yummy!! This will not get better. Just a super bottle which will bring me back to Geyserville.
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9/7/2019 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Needs some air to wake up, then; raspberries, cherries and some sort of baked goods like cinnamon muffin, eucalyptus and pine trees on the back end. Great nose! Exceptional balance on the nose, very delicate and lively. This is an excellent Geyserville where the nose and the mid palate stands out. With a longer finish I would have rated it even higher. Again an example of the longevity of these wines from Ridge. This was my last bottle and for my preference it was in its prime
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7/20/2019 - ShannonRandy Likes this wine: 93 Points
From 3L. Wonderful, and really started to open after 2 hours.
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7/6/2019 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Starting to break into some of our aged Ridge Geyservilles and this one did not disappoint. Decanted for 30 minutes. Impressively complex nose of tart raspberry, rhubarb, creamy root beer, and some green/brown resin. Got more intense with air after the one hour mark. Lovely in the mouth with creamy raspberry with that same resinous medium-long finish. Nicely balanced with just enough edginess and leftover grip to keep things interesting. Not sure this will evolve any more but will likely keep in this place for another year or two. Another fine bottle of Ridge. Bravo!
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5/26/2019 - wurzel68 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mit etwas Luft entwickelt sich ein Bouquet von Johannisbeere und Heidelbeere, unterlegt von Räucherspeck und vegetabilen Aromen, v.a. Kümmel und Dill; süßlich-aromatisch am Gaumen, nicht mehr ganz so vollmundig wie vor 7 Jahren, trotzdemn saft- und kraftvoll
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5/25/2019 - brigcampbell wrote:
Destroyed the cork getting out then broke the funnel while decanting. Wine is a contact sport. Color looks like an d Bordeaux. Aromas are ripe Raspberry and Chambord. Sweet fruit which I enjoy with a helping of oak which I do not. Dill is very present. Would be a very nice bottle but I guess I'm just not an American oak guy.
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5/8/2019 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Still drinking very well, not too much of anything (alcohol, fruit) but not faded. It's been this way for a couple of years and likely at least a couple more.
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4/19/2019 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
First bottle in a while, and my expectations were low, but this certainly exceeded them. Little on the nose except muted fruit and some oaky spice, but the palate delivered much better than previous bottles. Silky palate of blackberry, currant, vanilla, and leather; lots of sweetness from fruit and spice. Very well structured, with medium tannin that coat the mouth and medium-high acid that lasts through the finish. The oak is still a bit overt and unintegrated, but nowhere near as distracting as I remember it being. This wine right now is all about natural sweetness and structure. Medium finish. Not a blockbuster, and never will be, but this bottle is much better than I expected and gives me some hope for the remaining bottles over the next year or two. Drink now or do whatever because who knows?
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3/10/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
From the core to the rim, the color is a brilliant plum purple. On the initial pull of the cork molasses, rhubarb, cola and citrus notes pour out. As the air mixes with the wine, it expands as does the range of flavors as crushed red betties, allspice, then coffee and eventually dusty rose all take the spotlight. With the initial pour, the wine shows tight, but as it opens, it takes on more floral elements. With some coaxing, this wine is hitting its stride with no signs of fading anytime soon. Some slight sediment. 14.4% alc. With beef Bourgogne. Recommended.
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12/1/2018 - jschoenau Likes this wine: 93 Points
lush, full, smooth, complex taste. A perfect field zinfandel. Ready to drink but can age longer
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11/16/2018 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
This remains a relatively weak vintage for Geyserville. High toned, slightly dusty palate, with some unintegrated oak and a general lack of complexity to the fruit. Dried (perhaps a bit overripe) red and black fruit.
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8/12/2018 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
A bit disappointing for the Geyserville pedigree. Aromatics are more roasted than I'd prefer and there is a bit of heat. Good richness with a medley of black and blue fruits on the palate. Again just a bit roasted. Oak isn't yet full absorbed.
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7/6/2018 - Teamcrev wrote:
Drink it now. 2007 Lytton showing much more life now than this.
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5/24/2018 - Neecies Does not like this wine:
Fourth out of seven bottles purchased (I know, odd number, don't ask) and still disappointing.
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2/18/2018 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened up nicely after 30+mins. Showing ripe round tannins that linger on the finish. Rich cedar and mahogany, Rhône style dried fruit, hint of pepper and clove.
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1/13/2018 - Winiac wrote: 90 Points
Spicy and vibrant with great concentration. Full bodied and heavy on the palate.
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12/31/2017 - Winiac wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced with focused flavors.
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11/5/2017 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 85 Points
Starting to lose some of its luster. Lacked much structure and had a bit of a sharpness to it.
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10/20/2017 - WetRock wrote:
Opened too soon. The fruit is still fleshy and concentrated. This could be a long term wine. Wish I had another one to check in on in another 10 years. Some interesting things going on in here. The lowish portion of Zin in this one could make for a different kind of wine down the road than in more Zin abundant years. Rest or decant heartily.
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9/17/2017 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Chatham. Very similar to my note of 2014. Fruit not fading but maybe a bit toned down. Drink or hold a couple more years.
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7/17/2017 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Just piling on here, but another great Ridge Geyserville... At first, this seems sweet and even big, but my palate quickly calibrates and the acids and nuance and balance become clear. This isn't an ordinary Geezer, having only 58% zinfandel, and this shows as the profile is more rustic in flavor (not tannin) and feral than normal. I love it. There's all these savory, spicy notes with plenty of garrigue, clove, carob. Layers of extract and flavor here. Still on the young, vigorous side, but definitely drinking great now. I had the 07 on release and I thought it was a special Geryserville, but it then shut down and was inexpressive and kinda dull, but that stage is gone and the glory is back. 92-93 pts.
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4/28/2017 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 84 Points
Checking in on another bottle after two years, and sadly, this is not showing great promise. Ripe berry and blackcurrant on a fairly earthy frame, with a bit of wood spice, chewy tannin, and medium acid. Medium-plus body, but the fruit seems overripe and perhaps slightly compote-like, with a bit of an alcoholic heat. A strange beast; I'm not sure what to make of it. I doubt that it will age gracefully from here (I say this with some sadness as I have at least a case and a half remaining).
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3/17/2017 - Slaz wrote: 91 Points
Cedar notes that dominated upon opening went away after some decanting. Over 3-4 hours of decanting, tasted flabby with lots of kirsch notes on the palate. This is not going to develop further and appears to be going downhill. Drink up.
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3/12/2017 - Richard Holmes Likes this wine:
I get the feeling that most of the people posting tasting notes on this wine are much more familiar with it than I am - I think I last drank Geyserville 20+ years ago but retained fond memories.
Coming to this without any preconceptions I would agree with many commenters that it exhibits some alcoholic heat and slightly stewed fruit but coming back on the second night it tastes nicely evolved, mature but not old, a little Italianate (Supertuscan?). Only medium length but very nice all the same.
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2/27/2017 - graemeg wrote:
{14.4%, cork} It's rustic and musty and dusty, as though the Carignan has taken over the whole show. At first I feared TCA, then brett. In the end, it's just fading a bit, and showing off the weaker points of the blend I think. A bit feral, a touch volatile, with low but gently coarse tannins, oddly confected but aging fruit, still medium/full weight, and a medium length but weirdly confected finish. Definitely time to drink.
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2/19/2017 - Slaz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Appears to be at its peak, if not slightly over the hill; unlikely to improve further even if can sustain few more years of cellaring. The berry notes on the palate are mature, tannins are fully integrated, secondary notes are present but not particularly complex. Benefited from an hour of decanting. I seem to prefer Lytton Springs over Geyserville. 14.4% alc bites, btw.
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2/17/2017 - MLipton wrote:
Slightly corked and fruit scalped.
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1/6/2017 - EMark Likes this wine:
Somewhat of a sour nose. Quite light hit of berry fruit on the tip of the tongue. Tannins are diminished to a chalky sensation. Very delightful on the rear palate. It seems like an integrated, mature wine experience in that area—very smooth. Sourness detected on the nose seems to have dissipated with just a few minutes of air.
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12/29/2016 - Neecies Likes this wine: 86 Points
Still not sold on the '07s. Heavy, needs a bit more acid lift. Lots of sediment, too--decanting strongly reccomended.
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12/25/2016 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still nice grape and tannin, well structured- several years left.
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10/1/2016 - rgujral Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours & served. Drank over the next 4 hours during which it kept improving. Still a tight wine with some similarities to a good Cab blend. Medium to heavy weight. Rich mouth feel. Plum & berry flavors with some liquorice.
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8/4/2016 - Tuvan wrote: 93 Points
Perfectly balanced and elegant!
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7/3/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from magnum. Big fruit with long finish. Very nice.
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7/1/2016 - Vatch Likes this wine: 90 Points
perfect time to drink
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5/20/2016 - Alvinho Likes this wine: 90 Points
Top zin for me. Had one back 4 years ago in NYC and Now remembered how good this is.
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5/10/2016 - Neecies wrote: 87 Points
This is one of my least favorite Geyservilles ever; low acid, sweet and not a lot of structure. Huckleberry flavors but not much spice. A bit plodding.
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4/22/2016 - slibinas Likes this wine: 90 Points
Past it's best time but still very nice.
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3/26/2016 - blanquito wrote:
From 375ml... Spicy, rich, mentholated bouquet. Dark fruit, a bit of coffee and lots of licorice and brambly fruit. The brightness has come back from a few years in hiding, but as delicious as this is now, I think it needs more time as the finish it a bit bitter still and the fruit chunky. Give this another 4-5 years, and I bet the Geryserville class will have arrived.
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2/27/2016 - milesskorpen Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Distinct raisin notes but otherwise unremarkable.
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2/7/2016 - BrentM Likes this wine: 90 Points
Can still go for a while.
If drinking now, I'd decant. It needed a good bit of time to get fleshed out. Initially, the oak character was a bit forward/out of place. It was eventually enveloped in the juicy savory fruit.
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1/30/2016 - MLipton wrote:
At the insistence of my wife, I opened this with Memphis-style BBQ ribs, smothered collards and corn bread (I was militating for a Trimbach Gewurz, but that was overruled). Initially, a huge whack of new oak, but after that blew off what was left was a plummy, still-young Zin blend that had just enough acidity to keep it from tasting jammy. In my 35 years of tasting Geyservilles, this is far from my favorite rendition, yet by the end of the evening it had slimmed down and firmed up into something rather appealing. I'll give my other bottle another 3-5 years and see where it takes me.
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1/24/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Not very appealing, bitterness on the finish; it's just ok, not very special...must have been better than this a few years ago.
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12/26/2015 - smithphish Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank with family with bbq beef brisket and garlic roasted vegetables and it was great with dark fruit, a little spice and bramble and slightly hefty alcohol but not over the top. This has come together nicely as Geyserville does.
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12/4/2015 - kosinski wrote:
Aroma: somewhat alcoholic with notes of leather, cedar and pomegranate.
Palate: tart plum with pencil shavings. Develops a warm spicy note on the finish. Light body and bright acidity. Good food wine. Drink now.
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11/22/2015 - Doblk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully. Still some berry fruit with interesting spice and great structure. Great with a slow roasted pork shoulder with star anise. I am a long time fan of the Ridge style and this was just reinforcement.
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9/30/2015 - wondersofwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro. 14.4% abv. Opened Sept. 30th. Viscous. I find some prune and plum on the palate along with spice (pepper.) Smooth and concentrated texture. Layered wine. Where in the past I have been more drawn to the Lytton Springs wines than to Geyserville wines--with a Lytton Springs in the 80's being an epiphany wine for me--I have really liked both the 2006 and 2007 Geyservilles. I prefer this over the Lytton Springs from the same vintage.
.
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9/4/2015 - jmht wrote: 90 Points
I've been drinking about one bottle every 6 months of the 07 Geyserville the past 4 years. It just continues to improve. Excellent dark red fruits and bramble spice, structure and acidity shine, integration and texture seem better than prior bottles. Drink and enjoy the fruit.
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8/19/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Blackberry and black fruit, more herbal than Draper bramble. Medium acid and nice approachable tannin. Some port-like notes. Very nice, but not up to the 07 hype. Very good.
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8/16/2015 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agree with the note posted by Spoochman. Initially tasted (and purchased this bottle) at their Lytton Springs Road tasting room back in 2010. This has softened and come together beautifully. Still shows plenty of ripe, delicious raspberry and black cherry fruit. Hints of bramble and spice add a zesty touch to the long, smooth finish. Refined and delicious, this is an outstanding Ridge Geyserville at its peak.
50+5+12+17+7=91
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7/26/2015 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last bottle of the 07 and this one drank the best of the bunch. Nicely integrated and smoother than previous bottles. Went well with food too.
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7/24/2015 - grover91 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really nice blend. Drinking well now.
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7/21/2015 - ianwesley wrote:
Ageing now; last 2 bottles have had a musty aroma. Still very pleasant but in decline; drink up
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12/25/2014 - davidmcgowan wrote: 91 Points
A couple of years on from my last bottle, this is showing some evolution. There is still plenty of dense black fruit, but it is a little more subdued and the wine has generally rounded and smoothed out a little. It is all very nicely integrated with plenty of life left.
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12/8/2014 - DPMc wrote: 92 Points
Been tasting about a bottle a year. Recent bottles have shown quite tart and sharp, causing concern about aging potential. This one returns to form showing more weight and fruit and a seamless texture. Very nice.
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11/30/2014 - cweiss wrote:
The expected fruit-a-plenty with minerals and some earth. Enjoyable now, including by casual drinkers, but I think better to come.
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11/9/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
An evening with friends and a lot of wine (Chris and Renee's Home): Always a solid wine. This is a bit riper than most vintages but still excellent. The nose has black and red raspberries and a mineral note. Very nice texture. Some said they got raisins, but I did not get that. It is ripe. On the palate, it is drinking well. Shows no sign of age. Very enjoyable Geyserville that I think makes excellent old bones.
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10/18/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was a step up from the one tasted 4/14. Nice structure, good balance between the spicy fruit and earthy notes. Tannins appear intergrated and this bottle was ready for action.
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9/27/2014 - typ993 wrote: 90 Points
Sweet brambly fruit, nice acidity, good tannin structure. Drinking great!
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9/11/2014 - stewartl wrote: 92 Points
tasting great. dark fruits,good tannin, long finish. Still has a lot of life
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8/17/2014 - G.M. wrote: 90 Points
Impenetrable ruby/purple. Black plums, dark chocolate, chargrilled meats, rhubarb, molasses. Thick and unctuous but also with underlying minerality. Very rich and ripe yet not heavy. (90 Good wine)
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8/16/2014 - chatters wrote:
7 Deadly Zins…well, 8 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Red plums and red currant, herbaceous green notes - almost stalky - slight leather notes. Smells 'sour'. Spicy with slight spirituous notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of red plums and red currant, chalky tannin, spice joins on the long finish. Hmm
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7/1/2014 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Reds; no Shiraz or Cab (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 14.4%} (Graeme) Rich liquorice, plums and blackberry. Showing a little age; the medium-high dusty tannins are quite prominent but balanced with a medium/full body. It’s predictably hearty and rich in flavour but not crudely so. Ridge is rarely disappointing and this is in line with tradition. Will keep happily.
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6/20/2014 - konadog wrote: 90 Points
deep purple hue, black cherry, brambles,
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4/12/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
Decanted & tasted, black cherry , rich, ripe, porty flavors of licorice and anise. A decent effort, but not as good as the last bottle I tasted, don't recall the port characteristics that this bottled displayed.
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4/5/2014 - Tony Molester Likes this wine:
First night wasn't impressive. PnP, and had late at night.
24h passed in the fridge and we revisited.
Spice (cinnamon, clove), fruit (strawberry and blueberry), and the oak (chocolate, licorice) shone through. Finishes with good acidity to keep it refreshing. The wine was a bit hot on the finish.
Drink or hold.
14.5% abv
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3/28/2014 - chatters wrote:
maraschino cherry, leather, cream, vanilla, herbaceous notes, slight plummy notes, coconut. In the mouth cherry, spice and herbaceousness...rather pleasant.
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3/23/2014 - Bisty wrote: 87 Points
Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Blueish colour.
Sour juice (cherry) tones on the nose.
On the palate tastes very hot jammy albeit with high acidity (added?). In a very sour mood right now.
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3/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels vertical: very big, fruity and porty. a bit too much for me.
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3/15/2014 - chatters wrote:
Plum tending to prune, herbaceous, slightly green notes, vanilla and coconut. Okay.
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2/27/2014 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. No detailed TN taken but a lovely mix of pungent dark berry compote and minerality. Full bodied on the palate with a long finish.
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1/15/2014 - chatters wrote:
medium plus intensity aromas of sour morello and black cherries, a green note that is herbaceous and a little off putting, slight plums and vanilla and toast. In the mouth the wine has medium plus acidity, light, fine textured tannin and flavours of cherries, herbs and plum. Medium plus alcohol doesn't intrude. I think I prefer the Lytton Springs.
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1/12/2014 - ianwesley wrote: 90 Points
At its peak for drinking
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12/27/2013 - Teamcrev wrote:
Pop and pour...very enjoyable
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12/27/2013 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 89 Points
drinking very well, although the pepper/spice flavor is more muted than when younger
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12/14/2013 - chatters wrote:
Plums, vanilla then slight green notes, nice.
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10/23/2013 - Robertthechicken Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a full-bodied but elegant Zinfandel which has an intense purple colour with a nose of blueberries, blackberries and spice. In the mouth it offers a decent balance of rich, succulent fruit and good acidity. Really enjoyable and it will continue to drink well over the next four to five years.
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9/28/2013 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nicely aromatic and it still has a deep red color although the rim is starting to show an amber color. Notes of bramble, blackberries, dark fruits (the wine is very fruity) saddle leather, with a long finish. The acidity and tannins seem to be in balance. Very tasty (that's a technical term).
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8/30/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well with great balance and dark fruit. Still some tannins and bit of rustic fruit. Drank from magnum.
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8/22/2013 - Schiffy wrote: 89 Points
This is a nice easy drinking wine with soft, dark fruit that is very easy to drink. Not much complexity and more like a mellow fruit bomb that pairs nicely with baby back ribs.
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8/18/2013 - twoamps Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear, very little sediment (but one actual vineyard bug). Medium red, no tawny at all. Blackberry and oak and coffee. Nice dark fruit, mellow tannins. A little peppery spice left, but very little. Good acid; not too much, yet, but heading that way, towards too sharp. Drinking well, but it's certainly time to start breaking out the corkscrew.
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7/28/2013 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Totally enjoyed this zin-- dark fruit, spicy, smooth, still tasting a little young/tart. Almost always reliable, Ridge never seems to disappoint. Most enjoyed this bottle-- it's held nicely.
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6/24/2013 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 91 Points
On the nose there is oak and spice. Lots of juicy fruit concentration (black berries) that is well balanced with acidity. Tannins are prevalent, but not coarse. This is a well made wine. I don't see it being one to age a long time, but it is drinking extremely well now. It's lacking a bit in complexity and a long transition across the palate. However, for the price I find it very satisfying. The 14.4% alcohol was well integrated. I liked it more on the second day after some of the oak dissipated.
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6/13/2013 - rmodak wrote: 84 Points
Ripe blackberry fruit with green olive, pepper but a distinct pruny finish. OK with BBQ, not so much on its own.
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6/12/2013 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:
I love CT - based on the negative comments below, I panicked and pulled one of my bottles worried I might have waited too long... what a happy surprise! Because this blend is so diverse (58% Zin, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mourvedre) it can throw you for a loop. It's the Carignane & Petite Sirah in particular that really give this wine it's character. I now understand the "grapey" impressions (coming from the Carignane) and the dark berry tones (coming from the Petite Sirah). The tannins are mildly granular, giving it a light chewy mouth feel. Because I have such an affinity for Zin's (Ridge especially) I can be considered biased. But I'm really happy with this wine right now. It went great with a Rosemary marinated Tri-Tip & roasted veggies. Enjoy!
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6/11/2013 - SpoochMan Does not like this wine: 85 Points
The evolution of this wine has been disappointing. There is still very strong acidic and tannic structure, with a bit of heat. And the structure is dominating the fruit, making the wine fairly austere overall. I'm gonna sit on my one remaining bottle for at least 2-3 years in the hopes that the tannins soften. But I fear that the fruit is going to lose this battle, and this might get worse with time instead of better. The 2009 is much richer.
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5/28/2013 - rsed wrote:
delicious
The wine looks Crimson colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, and Red Currant. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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5/19/2013 - Lord Rodney wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine. Seems a little hot and pruny but quaffable with some dark berries still good. Far from the best I've had from Ridge. I would say drink up now
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5/13/2013 - Vanilla wrote: 87 Points
It was better a year ago...Still ok
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5/3/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The very enticing nose has brambly berries, cherry, black pepper, licorice, warm baking spices, charred meat, forest floor, and a touch of vanilla. This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity. The palate has nice up front fruit and spice with more spice, licorice, and meaty elements coming in on the back end. The finish is long with spice laden fruit slowly giving way to more earthy elements that seem to linger forever. This still seems to be on the young side but is still very enjoyable.
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5/3/2013 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Great garnet red color.
Nose has ripe blackberries, exotic wood, anise, vanilla and dried herbs. Complex and aromatic nose. Quite clear that there is Zinfandel in this "Field blend" from Ridge combined with other varietals. Taste follows the nose and shows some of the delicate typical "Geyserville flavors". Smooth tannins and great structure. Drinking wonderful right now but will keep. Blackberries and blueberries combined with exotic wood on the finish. A great bottle from one of my favorite vineyards in the world.
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4/23/2013 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Needed something to go with Santa Fe style green-chili burgers, and this was perfect. PnP'd, the wine showed immediate notes of brambly plum and leather. A bit heavy, lacked the tang of a young zinfandel and was padded with chocolate notes. Enjoyed it immensely, but wonder if this has the stuffing to become a geezer.
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4/15/2013 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Same as a couple of notes ago. The first glass was nice but I tired of it quickly and didn't really want a second glass.
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4/4/2013 - chatters wrote:
Post Wine-Ark Supper with the boys - April (Restaurant Atelier, Glebe Point Road, Sydney): Initially very tight with tannin, acid and structure to the fore. Over time fruit notes began to shyly exhibit themselves, plums, pears, slight red fruit notes…integrated and nice.
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3/9/2013 - chatters wrote:
Savoury, leathery, touches of tobacco and plum. Nice
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2/21/2013 - jakearoe Likes this wine:
My impressions are much different from many of the other reviews. I usually hold Geyservilles forever but found this young wine to be alive, fruity, and vibrant on the palate. A delicious sweetness of fruit so present made this, for me, one to drink early. Decanted one hour.
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1/21/2013 - jwalker1140 wrote: 88 Points
I wasn't feeling this. The nose was nice but it had a very tart taste and just wasn't very interesting. A little better on day 2. Not nearly as good as the bottle I had a couple years ago.
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1/18/2013 - chatters wrote:
The wine arrived from the post office, and I immediately, and with no thought to bottle shock or letting the wine calm down, popped the cork and decanted. Needless to say it was a disappointing experience and a lesson in patience.
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1/11/2013 - vtwinelover wrote: 90 Points
Very intense for Geyserville. Dark.
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12/10/2012 - DPMc wrote: 88 Points
Tart red fruit and a bit out of balance now. Fruit seems to have receeded from earlier tastings, leaving more prominant acidity and tanins. Much prefer the 09 at this stage.
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11/23/2012 - lano wrote: 89 Points
much better than the previous bottle. seemed darker and much more explosive on the palate. was a good start to the night and went well with a variety of appetizers.
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10/23/2012 - JustOneMore wrote: 84 Points
Perfect bottle stored perfectly. Flavors are dead. Not bad but no real flavor profile either. Moderate to heavy tannins.
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10/23/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
PNP, this has intergrated nicely since the last time I tasted 3/11, loads of dark fruit, quite rich, with hints of vanilla, anise, chocolate and nicely balanced. Drinking well now and for several more years.
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10/20/2012 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour, although this did not seem to change the wine very much relative to a taste at opening. Overall, this is an elegant wine with good acidic and tannic structure -- what I expect from Ridge but not most other CA Zin producers. This is not at all a syrupy fruit bomb like some CA Zins -- in fact, I think the fruit could use a touch more richness. But the brambly red fruit is there and there are nice nuances of spices on the finish. Paired well with salmon burgers from the grill. This is drinking pretty well now, but I think it will smooth out further and I will probably hold off on my other two bottles for a couple years or more. Looking forward to the '09s I have in the cellar, which sound like they have a bit more richness to the fruit.
UPDATE, 10/26/12: Had poured off half a bottle to a 375, and drank that today, 6 days later. The wine was a bit smoother and the fruit more open and fleshy. So I think this bodes well for further cellaring. 91+ now
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10/15/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
This was decanted for about an hour. The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The wonderful and fully open nose has brambly berries, freshly cracked black peppercorns, licorice, baking spices, black cherries, with hints of underbrush, vanilla, grilled meat, and just a touch of earthiness. This has medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. The finish is fairly long with nice fruit giving way fairly quickly to the more savory elements. There is a touch of excess oak peeking through towards the end, but it should better integrate with a bit more cellar time. An outstanding Geyserville that will drink nicely through the end of the decade.
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9/20/2012 - BGK810 wrote: 89 Points
A bit disappointed in this bottling. Normally top notch, this one had some dried and pruny flavors.
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8/19/2012 - williamswhine wrote: 93 Points
Really enjoyed this wine-- seems to be getting better with age. Dark berries, spice, vanilla-- terrific zin!
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8/13/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 90 Points
Bright, balanced and savory, the depth of this wine is still developing. Will taste again in a couple of years.
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7/4/2012 - khmark7 wrote:
Appeared past prime and unbalanced. Disappointing.
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6/17/2012 - chefpete wrote: 91 Points
opened up nicely
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6/15/2012 - Vanilla wrote: 90 Points
90 +
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5/27/2012 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
34th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2007s (Rich & Dana's): Purplish crimson color. Spice, herb, cherry and red fruit notes emerge from the glass. White pepper and cherry qualities with air. Shows some lovely red fruit on the palate, as well as cherries, plum and black fruit, with a lengthy finish. Nice. 90+ pts.
My #5
Group #4, 51 pts
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5/17/2012 - vino vidi vici wrote:
Pop & pour - nose is a bit "grapey". Prominent flavor of cherry liqueur (almost port like). Considering how dense and concentrated Ridge zins can be, this is surprisingly open and easy to drink. Day 2 is better... Day 3 is best. Give this wine plenty of aeration.
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5/4/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about an hour. Deep ruby to maroon color. Brambly berries, licorice, black pepper, baking spices, vanilla, underbrush, some earthiness, and cherry on the open and inviting nose. Medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Spicy, peppery, berries coat the palate with some oak and earthiness providing extra depth. Fairly long finish, but it seems a bit clipped by the tannins and acidity. Tastes very good now but needs some additional cellar time. Showing great potential, one of the better Geyservilles in several years.
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4/29/2012 - markandsusanw wrote: 87 Points
Tasted over two days. First night, a pop and pour, and it was harsh and disjointed. Corked and put aside (on counter) and it had smoothed and become drinkable on night two, but still not terribly interesting or complex. Fairly enjoyable, if light for a Cali Zin, but just not much there, there. Somewhat flat and one dimensional.
Ridge turns out imminently drinkable, and rarely offensive, wine, but perhaps my tastes have turned, because I just don't find myself actually truly enjoying, or looking forward to, anything from their vineyards anymore. Not bad at all, just ho hum.
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4/24/2012 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
A little muted this time. The 07 Dashe was better.
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4/16/2012 - Troy McHenry wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. This is a great example of what cellaring can do with a wine. When I had this wine in 2010, it was good, but now it is far more integrated and the tannins have softened considerably. Definitely my favorite Ridge Zin blend and 2007 is a great year for Ridge. Flavors consisted of cherries and earthiness with some black pepper. Finish not very long, but it was able to stand on it's own and complimented the ravioli and Italian sausage we had for dinner tonight.
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4/15/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Very nice. Great richness and spice. Tannins present but not aggressive. This wine always delivers.
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2/25/2012 - srwatters wrote:
Still love this wine with pizza or any other Italian meal.
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2/20/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby color. Blackberries, black pepper, licorice, cherries, forest floor, spicy oak, and a bit of vanilla on the very pleasing nose. Medium body with solid tannins and very nice acidity. Spicy, peppery berries on the palate with some earthiness and a dollop of toasty oak. Fairly long finish which again shows a bit of excess oak. Very tasty, but calls for some additional cellar time for the oak to finish integrating.
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1/28/2012 - wurzel68 wrote: 90 Points
Rauch, Pflaume, Holz, Gewürznoten, insbesondere Kümmel, am Gaumen schwer, vollmundig, rauchig, mit langem Abgang; viel Luft.
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1/20/2012 - zinfomaniac wrote: 88 Points
This was much better the second day. The first day when I gazed upon the deep ruby color I was salivating but when It hit the palate it seemed out of sorts. The next day it showed off its concentrated layers of dark fruits, pepper and a trace of dirt.
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1/7/2012 - jakearoe wrote:
Initial funkiness blew off after about a half-hour. leaving a wine that steadily built in body, depth and extract over the next 3-4 hours. I would say it is a bit much right now, hopefully this will be one of those Geyservilles that will extra years in the cellar. The parts are all there, as well as the tannin, so I will let my remaining bottles lie for a few years.
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12/25/2011 - davidmcgowan wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 4 hours beforehand. We had this with Christmas dinner - roast turkey with all the trimmings. It has a big, inviting, brambly nose and then a real filling mouthful of more brambles and a long, slightly peppery and slightly port like finish. There are plenty of people who will hate this wine and find it too overt, but everyone at the table, wine enthusiasts and occasional drinkers alike, thought this was really good.
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11/28/2011 - srwatters wrote: 90 Points
Love all the Ridge Zins, but the Geyser is always special.
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11/25/2011 - krhaugh wrote: 84 Points
This bottle was very hot and it was decanted over 4 hours. Did not hold up well against a Pagani and York Creek, which weren't overly impressive anyway. Just trying to get through the rest of my Ridge collection. Very disappointing in these Zins after 4 years of laying down and anticipating some great wines.
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11/20/2011 - mmoss wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Nose was fantastic with deep zin aromas. First glass was deep, rich, almost "Welchs" in the front, a thin mid-palate and a heavy oak, bitter, cigar box finish. Very disjointed. The last glass out of the bottle 2 hours later it all came together. The over powered sweet in the front and oak blew off and the wine became fully integrated. Hold or decant.
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11/16/2011 - krhaugh wrote: 88 Points
OK - better than some other recent Ridge's I have had. Nice blend of fruit, lot's of cherry. Enjoyed this with roasted chicken.
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10/27/2011 - Leomania Does not like this wine:
I'm shocked, even stupefied by just how much I disliked this bottle of wine. Two other people had glasses from it and didn't think it was as bad as I did, but I tried it over two nights and did everything I could think of to get it to open up. Ate some of my favorite "sure thing" salami to give it the best chance of presenting well... all to no avail. Used a Vinturi both nights and let the glass sit open the second night, and still all it managed to do was "barely serviceable".
It's really, really disjointed; the tannins from the Petite Sirah seems to be sticking out like a sore thumb. The berry flavors are muted. Maybe it's just a bad bottle, but I'm not going to bother finding out; the other bottles will go up for sale in the near future.
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10/22/2011 - WDSteers wrote: 89 Points
hints of cherry, roses, milk chocolate. starting to fade but nice.
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9/29/2011 - lembkes Likes this wine: 90 Points
mörk röd tät färg
stor kryddig syltig något fatig doft med inslag av blåbär och choklad
stor fyllig fatig smak med bra syra
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9/27/2011 - Corning Wine Bar wrote:
- Fast forming legs.
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9/17/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
Nice typical geyser, but didn't allow enough time to integrate, some prunish notes.
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9/10/2011 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
This one was good all the way though unlike the last bottle.
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9/8/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
I can see where this is headed, and I really feel this is what they would do if they made zin in bdx.
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9/5/2011 - StainedGlass wrote: 90 Points
This was significantly better than an earlier bottle I tried. Decanted 1.5 hours. Medium dark purple, full bodied but balanced, I would have guessed there was more syrah than zinfandel. Dark plum and cherries, moderate tannins, it only needs more spice or pepper to take it to the next level. All-American, in a good way. It is drinking well now, but will easily last 10 more years.
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8/27/2011 - gabereilly wrote: 85 Points
Solid. It's wound so tight, it's hard to appreciate all the layers to this wine.
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8/3/2011 - wynnewood500 Likes this wine:
Drinking very well. Lots of compliments at dinner tonight. Lots of fruit but not overwhelming.
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7/12/2011 - Jack wrote:
Wow. Big fresh fruit with a little spice. Hmm.. as the night went on it seemed to close down and become a little disjointed. I tired of it quickly. 92 to start and 85 later.
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7/3/2011 - flyinburrito wrote: 88 Points
??? Magenta. Very open knit aromas of root vegetables and dark berries. Rich dark berry liquer but linear and fairly deliniated on the palate. Thought this would be a bit more subtle but really whacks you in the face, almost overwhelmingly so. Not to say this is not enjoyable but it is definitely in need of some time to relax. Very "rooty".
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5/24/2011 - Teamcrev wrote:
Cough syrup came to mind a little which is not a good sign. It was better the second night. Maybe it was tainted. Wait at least a year to drink the next.
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5/23/2011 - DPMc wrote: 90 Points
Tasty enough, but seems a bit shut down. A lot of texture and stuffing which should reward age. Laying down my remaining bottles for several years in the hopes a more interesting and complex wine emerges.
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5/20/2011 - golfwine wrote: flawed
Corked! I was seriously disappointed in these few bottles purchased and so, very concerned about this winery, which for decades has been THE most respected name in Zin...
I for one, will think twice before lifting one of their wines off the shelf, from this day forward.
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5/12/2011 - marksfamily wrote: 87 Points
Cherry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and leather on the nose. Lots of raspberry, black pepper, and a tannic kick at the end. Perhaps a bit young yet?
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5/9/2011 - vinoballo wrote: 91 Points
Leathery with spiced plums. Yum. Stood up well on day 2 against a much more expensive and bigger cab (Pride).
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4/25/2011 - lano wrote: 88 Points
Ruby/garnet in color. nice nose of mostly red fruits. Dry and one dimensional on the palate to my taste. not a bad wine, but wouldn't hold up in competition with other wines, and not as good as i remember a previous vintage. my wife, however, really liked this one and that brought it up a couple of points. decent with food, but rather boring by itself.
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4/16/2011 - williamswhine wrote: 88 Points
Good but not as great as memory serves. Balanced berry & black licorice notes. Have had better wines in recent times. Time to drink or perhaps past peak?
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4/16/2011 - toddmk wrote: 87 Points
PnP at restaurant and ate with peppercorn filet. A little too much oak and heat for my taste. Could have probably benefited from decanting and some more time to breathe.
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4/10/2011 - JavaMonkey wrote: 86 Points
Medium-dark ruby red. The nose has raspberry, a little chocolate, and some stemmy aromas. The fruit is nice, balance is good. Overall, a little generic. A perfectly good steakhouse type wine.
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4/3/2011 - Flavito wrote: 88 Points
Very young and fruity, still tannic and edgy, took a couple of hours to show some roundness. Do not touch for another 5 years...
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3/12/2011 - sharmless11 wrote: 88 Points
Ridge is always solid
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3/12/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1hr, evolved over the 2+ hrs it took to drink, initially quite hot, with air I started to pick up blackberry liqueur, some black licorice, hints of dark chocolate, certainly tannic. IMHO this needs of at least a couple of years in the bottle, as the last glass was much better than the first. 89++
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3/8/2011 - Sellar Rat Likes this wine: 89 Points
Powerful nose of briary berries & plums. Dense, balanced and focused, if not complex. A pleasure now, and probably no hurry, although not likely to improve.
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3/4/2011 - kosinski wrote:
Yeasty, jammy aromas. Lighter red fruit flavors: more cherry than raspberry. Softening tannins that still offer grip and structure. Some spicy and woody notes in the finish to add complexity. Ready to drink now but should continue to develop.
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2/27/2011 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Approx. 30 min. decant ... This is a restrained Ridge. Smooth but not soft, with a good acid balance and dry finish, this is a food-friendly wine that doesn't scream Zin. (Fruit there, but not at forefront.) Very, very solid but not spectacular.
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2/23/2011 - golfwine wrote: 79 Points
I hate to flip-flop on you and I'd refrain if I hadn't had three more bottles since my last notes; which are collectively reflected, herein. Contrary to my bottle in September, these were real funky - two, I popped & poured; the other, vinturied and then decanted for nearly 3hrs. and although the flavors improved slightly over that time, there was still something off about it. Same great color; same nice/typical aromatics but early on, it was all tart fruit and sour acidity, with prominent tannis that were neither smooth or integrated. I therefore, have to conclude that the bottle in September was an aberration (as 1 of the three was purchased from the same source and at the same time as the September bottle and the other 2, elsewhere). The high-end of average awarded simply because of the marked improvement throughout the 3hr. air-time. If all popped & poured, my score would be in the low 70's. Bummer!..particularly because I've got yet another bottle remaining.
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2/23/2011 - KPB wrote: 87 Points
Delicious, but simple and a bit short. Drink up.
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2/18/2011 - KVM wrote: 90 Points
This is a return to form after those unexpressive 2006s. Black fruit nose. Fresh red fruit and jam on the palate, some herbs. Flavour spectrum probably reflects proportions of zinfandel and carignan. Silky feel, no baby fat and certainly with proper structure for several years of aging. medium length finish
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2/2/2011 - CWilliam wrote: 86 Points
Needs bottle age or long Decant. Aerated into decanter and drank right away and this wine was very tight and nothing there. With double aeration and 30 minutes in decanter, wine came together - although I was dissapointed given the producer. One dimensional (raspberry, red fruits) on nose & palate. Good acidic structure (great with grilled chicken), medium body, short+ finish. Would not buy again given price point. 85-87 range. [Edit] Better on night two but not above 88 for me. More balanced on night two and tannins were very well integrated and more complexity. I'd sit on this one. Still think poor QPR but nothing wrong with the wine.
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1/28/2011 - Papies wrote: 87 Points
From half bottle. On open this was an 85 but decanted through a vinturi aerator helps open up the wine.
Young and tannic but also not integrated and seems out of sync. Woudla advice to wait.
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1/24/2011 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine: 89 Points
was tight and tannic. will hold my other bottle
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1/19/2011 - Barnaby33 wrote:
From mag, at first a bit too Zin like. Over the top red fruits and blueberry. After 30-40 minutes of air the supporting grapes really come out though and it mellows very nicely. Not overtly oaky, but well put together. Ready to drink now.
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1/14/2011 - peterzhan888 wrote: 90 Points
Readily impressive.
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12/27/2010 - will2wine wrote: 91 Points
Inky, juicy and well put-together, this is a classic Ridge field blend. As is typical of Ridge, the fruit has a somewhat dried/cooked character compared to most zins, though this could be explained by the Petite Sirah and other blending grapes. That said, the fruit is deep and fragrant, and it is balanced nicely by a bit of earthy spice, honest acidity and rock-solid tannins.
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12/19/2010 - silton wrote: 89 Points
December Zinfandel Tasting (Scott & Todd's): I'm getting a little raisin/prune thing on day 2 that I did not notice yesterday, especially on the nose. The vacu-vin stopper was not properly sealed so it might have gotten too much air. The non-Zin components are harmonious and in nice balance but I don't think this is the best rendition of Geyserville, at least not right now. At some level, I crave more high-toned Zin fruit. The bass clef has been handled with deft and sophistication, but the melody is a little pedestrian. Overall I think I prefer to hold the 07 Lytton Springs than drink the 07 Geyserville. 89-90
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12/12/2010 - StainedGlass wrote: 88 Points
Medium dark purple with a full nose, but lacks the full bodied spice and pepper I look for in a Zinfandel. Good, but not very particulary complex or interesting. 14.4% alchohol.
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12/5/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
From memory. Nice wine but very ripe and almost jammy.
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12/4/2010 - Duncan H wrote: 94 Points
Superlative - a definite favourite for Mrs H. Inky black in colour. Intense liquorice and blueberry nose and palate. Very full-on. Weighty and mouthcoating palate, with a real cool purity. Will obviously last for ages, but Mrs H demanded I gave iit to her right then.
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12/4/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Cherries, raspberries, forest floor, vanilla, pepper, spicy oak on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity. Very nice on the palate with the spicy, peppery berries leading the way. The finish is fairly long but shows a bit too much oak. Needs cellar time but I need to quit grabbing bottles for that to happen.
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12/3/2010 - williamswhine wrote: 90 Points
Ridge is always reliable. Nice dark purple color, fruit bomb nose, smooth, well balanced, not as long a finish as other Ridge's. Still a nice bottle to share with others.
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11/5/2010 - Christoffer78 wrote: 90 Points
Sorry guys, the Ridge Zinfandels are simply not my cup of tea. They have always reminded me of Amarone and so did the 2007 Geyserville we had tonight. The wine has a nice structure for being a Zinfandel, probably thanks to the Carignane and Petite Sirah parts of the blend. The palate reveals sun dried figs, prunes and raisins... Ridge could have left the prunes and raisins out I think. Nonetheless, I realize though this is not my taste it is a nicely crafted wine, hence a score of 90. Maybe I am drinking this wine too young. Prunes maybe go on holiday after a couple of more years? (Day 2, 24 h after opening the bottle, the wine has gone through a tremendous change. The prunes are totally gone as is the primary fruit. Instead a Nebbiolo like (!) perfume explodes from my glass: amaratto in-bedded tannins together with a pleasant acidity. I did not expect this from a Ridge Zinfandel. Well worth yesterday's 90 p.)
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11/3/2010 - Impulse wrote: 87 Points
Underwhelming nose, with a nice velvety mouthfeel but no real complexity. A nice daily drinker...
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10/25/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
A beautiful display of rich blackberry fruit, dark chocolate and earthy slate dust. The palate was like velvet yet structured with dark chocolate covered cherries and cedar. The wine showed remarkable balance and a gorgeous core of well defined fruit. The finish was long with cherries and dark chocolate. Yum!
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10/24/2010 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 90 Points
Better
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10/16/2010 - jschmeling wrote: 90 Points
Dark red, hueing to purple. Subtle nose, with some bramble and dark fruit, mild spiciness. Mid-weight to full-body Zin, lower alcohol than a lot of Zins. Nice structure, sweet, some tartness, lots of fruit, red berries, blackberry, some pepper, great at the front of the tongue, good finish that lasts 20 to 30 seconds. Probably my favorite Ridge Zin, though I like the Paso Robles a lot too. Opened and poured over 4 hours, not much change during that time. Fruit forward, probably stays that way for a few years, and I'm not sure it will develop more over time.
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10/16/2010 - CJM wrote: 87 Points
delicious zin, great earthy fruit balance - another Ridge winner
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10/9/2010 - Old Tasting Notes wrote: 88 Points
Alcoholic nose, somewhat tightly wound and hugely tannic. Still can taste the spice but overwhelmed by the tannins. Needs some age on it.
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9/24/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 93 Points
14.4% alcohol. 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite, 2% Mourved. From the Alexander Valley's Whitten Ranch Vineyard, planted in the 1890s. A great decade for wine lovers and a great decade for urban travel. The first practical subway system begins operation in Boston.
Dark ruby red. Expressive red, black and floral. aromas. Rasberries and cherries along with a touch of pepper and plum overtones. Great balance, wonderful structure, fantastic site expression. Lingering aftertaste. A complete treat! Should continue to iimprove for several years.
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9/15/2010 - golfwine wrote: 89 Points
It's been a while since I've drank this "stalwart" of California Zin and although (as you're aware) I'm not a huge Zin proponent these days, this was all that I remember it to be. Started out tight and angular but after vinturi and 30-90mins., it evolved nicely. You'll read that Ridge Zins behave much more like a Cali-Meritage and no better example of that, than this bottling. Artful blend from old-vine grapes. Paul Draper's swan song, IMHO!
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9/7/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Cherries, raspberries, blackberries, some pepper, and vanilla on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Vanilla and pepper laced berries on the palate, with just a bit too much oak popping out. The finish is fairly long and quite juicy. This needs a few more months in the cellar or an hour in the decanter for the oak to better integrate. Definite upside potential.
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8/15/2010 - jimkay21 wrote: 87 Points
Alcohol is noticable. Fruit ok
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8/15/2010 - Bultaco wrote: 90 Points
on the nose: raspberry-blackberry vanilla milkshake, laurel-thyme-rose tea, white pepper. Cherry cider-chocolate soda on the way down, tannins ever-so slightly grippy. When I chew this wine and really push some air through it the acids really show themselves off. This is just a damn fun and delicious wine. Had this with prime rib and finished the rest later with chocolate-amaretto cookies. Thank you Ridge!
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7/24/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
nice plum and dark mixed berry; medium acidity and tannins; good spice and pleasant mouth feel
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7/9/2010 - gbm wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured and drank over 4 hours. Dark, dark red. Almost violet. Nose was relatively closed. Some leather and tobacco. Lots of heat. On the palate it had some nice pepperiness, but there was some underlying crystallized sugar and greenness that wasn't exactly unpleasant, but wasn't really enticing either. Nice wine, but I'm with WetRock below. I think this will become far better in 5 years or so. (4+12+16+6)
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7/4/2010 - Christoffer78 wrote: 91 Points
Tonight the Ridge delivered nicely. Pepperish, fruit forward, ok finish. Nicely integrated. Tonight I sense no tones of raisin and prunes - which is very appealing to me.
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7/4/2010 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Started off very rough which overwhelmed the fruit. Never did develop a big, bold zinfandel nose but did soften an become easier to drink.. Pretty nice.
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6/27/2010 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
Initially tasted immediately after opening. Dark opaque red. A big nose of black fruit and oak. Smooth texture with well integrated tannins. Black cherry and blackberry flavors and it is a little spicy. Not big for a Zin. I don't know how time will improve this but it is excellent right now.
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6/20/2010 - pian0_player wrote: 93 Points
wow! my second ridge, and quickly becoming my favorite producer in CA. balanced, lush, extremely complex, powerful wine. not a big zin drinker, but this wine is singing tonight! extremely well made wine from a classic vintage.
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5/30/2010 - WetRock wrote:
EWG does Zinfandel and Sliders (Conrad Green's Abode): Decanted about 6 hours prior to consumption. The nose shows soft big berries and notes of nectarine, wet paint and oak. Rich, dense and tannic with a long finish. The fruit shows a sugar crystal berry quality but ultimately seemed on the less than expressive side. The last glass taken home was the same the next night. Potential is here but in need of sleep. Come back in five years or more.
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5/23/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: 89 Points
50+5+12+16+6 A nice Zin blend. Needs more time in the cellar.
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5/17/2010 - rasandler wrote: 90 Points
consistently wonderful
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4/27/2010 - rasandler wrote: 90 Points
lots of dark chocolate and berries on the nose and palate. really nice!
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4/13/2010 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): Smooth but full bodied Zin. Dark berries abound with a small hint of berry sweetness on the end that isn't at all over extracted. Zin of the night at the Ridge tasting for me.
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4/10/2010 - williamswhine wrote: 91 Points
Very reliable year after year. Dark purple in color, medium-full bodied, nicely balanced, and nice finish. Glad I have a bunch more in the cellar. In time, the bottle will only improve.
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4/7/2010 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 89 Points
Underwhelming as it was sandwiched between an as yet unreleased 2007 Petite Syrah from Vines on the Marycrest and a 1998 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi, the Vines was the best wine of the night.
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4/3/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 92 Points
brooding dark mixed dark berries, earth, just right slight tartness and acidity finish it off; perfect with BBQ ribs with a memphis style dry rub (not sweet) still not quite open, but i like it this way.
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4/3/2010 - JDB wrote: 93 Points
pop & pour a 375 , yum , I do not know if this can improve for my palate.
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3/28/2010 - GA_Seattle wrote: 89 Points
Strong cranberry, lots of acid but lush as well.
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3/28/2010 - toddmk wrote: 90 Points
Another great bottle from Ridge.
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3/18/2010 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
Nose - warm, smooth dark berry and jujube, reticent, showing hints of spice and tropical notes.
Dark berry, sappy, dusty tannin, tight, showing richness. Grippy/zesty on the finish, with an ethereal nutmeg/cinnamon spice. Drink '12-'27.
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3/8/2010 - xboomer wrote: 92 Points
Open and poured. Really like it, so does the wife. Has good balance with very enjoyable fruit.
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3/7/2010 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
(58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro)
Nose - not showing much
Dense smoky round fruit, boysenberry, plum, orange, floral. Very young. Silky.
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3/3/2010 - Brian Love wrote:
Red plums. Very nice wine and not as overpowering as many zins. Little light on the finish.
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2/25/2010 - celtic67 wrote: 91 Points
Lush ripe blackberry & blueberry fruit. Some briar & jammy-ness on this one, but not too sweet at all. A touch of vanilla. Great balance. Solid full tannins that held up well to my dry aged ribeye.
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2/21/2010 - RWINO wrote: 85 Points
Light
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2/16/2010 - DRod wrote: 89 Points
Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): Dark red color. Perfume-y bouquet that smells of such ripe fruit that it's almost like nail polish with a little rubbing alcohol. Don't let that throw you off though, this smelled delicious. On the palate, good red fruit with savory aspects and chewy tannins. Did not feel at all zin-like, and I guess that makes sense when you consider it's only 58% Zin. I really really wanted to like this more, but it's just too young now. 89 with the potential to go much higher in a few years.
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2/14/2010 - cartime wrote: 90 Points
Medium-dark purplish ruby. Blueberry pie nose. Blackberry and spice on the palate with a hint of chocolate. Rich and well-balanced with smooth tannins. Was better the second day - I think it was a combination of the time and the residual chill from the fridge. Had this with several BBQ-type foods, but the best pairing was with a cheeseburger w/ ketchup. Good juice, but not sure about the QPR.
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2/14/2010 - wineywhites wrote: 91 Points
Nose is very jammy, blueberries, blackberries. Smells totally sweet. Palate is surprising and fabulous - rich, flavorful, ripe, but balanced. Plenty of acidity, depth, great smooth mouthfeel. Can't wait to taste this as it matures.
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2/7/2010 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Really good. Easy to enjoy and just enough complexity to keep your interest. Drank this after a 2007 Janasse Chaupin and it surprisingly held it's own.
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2/6/2010 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine:
Sorry, but I keep comparing this to a Turley. Probably totally wrong, but the acidity and raisin like nose is not compatible to my palate. Strange sense of peeled almonds appears after 2+ hours in decanter.
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2/5/2010 - cab wrote:
Ridge is dependable. This is a little sweeter than I would like, but has a nice tangy finish. Chewy dark fruits. Enjoying it. Was good with food (pasta with a faux Bolognese sauce). Just not sure its worth $35.
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1/11/2010 - dannyk8232 wrote: 90 Points
From magum. Somewhat jammy, yet restrained. Pretty rich and well-balanced. Not too sweet. Defintiely too young. May evolve into a really good wine. Wish I had bought more mags for the price I got.
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1/10/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Reticent on the nose, though after 2 hour it gave off a playful claret like aroma. Bright and dark red berries, with something lurking underneath. Smooth tannins and acid leveles that begged for a little food. I felt like this would integrate better with a little time, but the fruit did not appear too concentrated or extracted (did not burn my tongue, like young wines often do). I have enough to check this out as it matures.
DAY 2: OK, this is what I'm talking about! It kept it's peculiar mix of bright and dark berries, but now the tannins were much more prominent, and the acidity integrated better. It wasa also easier for me to pick up the Zin typicity (behind a still predominantly claret like apearance). I'm adding a point (for a total of 91) for this second day, and vow not to open another one for at least a year. I suspect that this will only improve.
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1/6/2010 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 90 Points
Firm and structured, with a complex mix of dried currant, black cherry, and plum flavors, with blackberry peeking through on the finish. - JD90
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1/3/2010 - donald71_1 wrote: 88 Points
Black currant, vanilla. Very juicy.
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12/29/2009 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 85 Points
Generous fruit and sweet oak, almost entirely without any noticeable tannic structure, still there is a sense of balance and something being held back: this went very well with a porterhouse steak for three (and the trademark sweet, horse radish infused, steak sauce) at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn where P and I treated our dad, who is visiting over the holidays. The wine should have been served slightly more chilled, I think.
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12/23/2009 - gocanes wrote: 88 Points
Based on reports of this vintage, and my love of Geyserville, I expected to be blown away by this bottle, but I wasn't. It was nice, dark red and black bramble fruit flavors, but like a couple other wines recently didn't have the intensity or complexity I was hoping for. Maybe too early, maybe just a bad night.
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12/22/2009 - KPB wrote: 87 Points
A rather straightforward Zin. Kind of claret-like.
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12/4/2009 - 6831 wrote: 87 Points
Nicely aromatic but flavors from this bottle are somewhat diluted with a thin band of cherry, berry and pepper.
Perhaps this will gain intensity with time but it wasn't showing well tonight.
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11/27/2009 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
These are really good.
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11/11/2009 - Jack wrote:
Very rich fruit. Needs just a little cellar time to knit everything together but it sure is good now. Night 2 this has kicked up a notch and integrated beautifully. Some spice and just a faint dose of pepper show up. Really nice!
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11/8/2009 - blanquito wrote: 90 Points
A blend of 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah and 2% Mataro. A big briary bouquet of ripeness kicks this off nicely. This isn't a blockbuster nor jammy booze monster-- it's a fairly restrained wine, zinfandel as it should be. There's some lovely tang to the fruit and an almost elegant degree of extraction. It's simple and ripely fruity today, but I could see it improving with some time in the cellar. 90 pts today.
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11/8/2009 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
More fruit-forward and primary than traditional Geysers, but still very rewarding and age-worthy. Opened alongside a 2000 Geyserville, which outshined the 07 in every respect. The 07 showed a beautiful nose but less complexity. Good acidity and wood, but still slightly disjointed. The next day, showed secondary notes and Draper perfume, but had a clipped finish. Substantial tannins suggest plenty of time for aging but, if not for Ridge's consistent history, I'd be a bit worried about whether it will ever come together. Not that this isn't a good wine, but the 07 Ridge hype suggested more.
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11/8/2009 - Joelene wrote: 89 Points
Nice Geyserville, about 50% zin with the rest a bix of carinane mataro and petite syrah if I remember right, I like these wines, not for the big bomb zin heads, a more refined wine good food wine, a lot more balance and subtleties
than your typical 100% zin
med body, just very pleasant, I know past vintages have aged well and I'd guess this will be no exception 89+ with room to improve
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11/7/2009 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly delicious upon opening and just got better with air. Much better than the 06. I know it will get more interesting with time but it is going to be hard to resist the urge to drink these young!
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10/18/2009 - SWLS wrote: 92 Points
Explosion of deep, rich fruits and berries (currant, cassis), maybe a bit of raisin, a few chocolate notes. Nice spice and vanilla on the finish. Definitely transforms for the best with decanting (and could use a few more years to really develop). Vanilla and plum on the nose (though a bit strong on the alcohol scent until it opens up).
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9/14/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Glunz Wines Fall Portfolio tasting (The Westin, Chicago IL): nose: well balanced and robust nose of black currants, black cherries, red cherries, and bits of spice tones underneath. Well defined on the nose, but nothing is really jumping out yet
taste: excellent medium/full body with good tannins and delicious tones of black currants, black and red cherries, and some asian spices with a touch of blackberries
overall: This is a quality Geyerville. It won't ever be a real blow away wine, but is a high quality geyserville that should be enjoyable for a good while
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8/12/2009 - jhemming wrote:
Purchased by the glass at dinner. As expected a bit young and the bottle I sampled from was not opened long. Sipped with dinner over 1 hour and was not taking serious tasting notes. But initially impression is bright red fruit. Underlying flavors include mocha and some oak. Still tight and a bit unjointed. I would let lie for a few more years before approaching again.
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8/8/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was opened and consumed over a 3 hour period. Primary flavours of strawberry jam, cocoa, raspberries and spice. Seems rather tight and wound up at the moment. Coaxed in the glass and it continued to reveal pepper fresh berries and underbrush. This wine needs a few more years in the bottle to integrate, a tad disjointed at this stage.
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7/6/2009 - btennan1 wrote: 90 Points
A: Very-Berry Juice almost blue.
N: Blueberry + Strawberry jam. Nutmeg clove and lavender.
T: Berries, blueberry syrup. Hot pepper spice. BIG FRUIT
F: Fruit to woodyness (cedar). Blackberries.
Overall: Unexpected.
V: 3/5
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6/18/2009 - RobertJF wrote:
At first extremely tight showing almost no flavor profile. After several hours of decanting, developed an almost LBV port-like nose and dense but still tight black fruit. Very awkward and too young to drink now. Closed back up after a few more hours for some reason. Wait at least 3 or 4 years before approaching again. No score.
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5/23/2009 - rdfech01 wrote: 88 Points
Tasted from 375ml format. Very young and a bit awkward. A trace of over-ripeness on the initial nose but blew off quickly. With time it settle down and showed a kirsch like fruit. Hard to score.
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4/18/2009 - tarheel17 wrote:
Geyserville Vertical (My House): I tasted this, but could not evaluate it well - just way too young.
the nose was liquer-like, with licorice and alcohol. Palate, again, had alcohol and licorice and was simply overpowering. I'm reserving judgement, since it hasn't even been technically released yet.
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