Supps at KC's (KC's place): Softly engaging, subtle and gentle, red hued fruits are fleshy and generous, sweet and savoury spice, a little brambly underpin. Juicy, a little herbaceous note joins the baked fruits on the palate, tannins near resolved, vanilla, less savoury spice on the palate. Lovely and wonderful to try next to the 2015
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W lamb eggplant mousaka. Fantastic ccombo. Really great well integrated wine at top of bottle. This will live much longer but why try to time the market. Very good zin flavors (red fruit dominates) great nose and fun length and finish. This is Ridge Lytton Springs at it best.
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Still dense, not showing any translucency. Moderate bricking and some maturity around the edges of expression. Yet, the big, bold Zinberry broadcasts out of the glass still. Along with some lava rocks, plum and cocoa. A pinch of heat too. Still generous, weighty, fleshy fruit on the palate. Light tannin and just enough acidity. Could use more honestly. This is very expressive for its age though. There is a lot to work with yet. Its in a good spot but no harm in letting this go for many more years.
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An old friend. Decanted and consumed over a couple of hours - cherry, vanilla, chocolate, a smidge of coconut, touches of plums are joined by a little tertiary leather and earth. Balanced. Lovely.
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Half of the cork was raised a mm or two, but this was not an issue and the wine was sound. Decanted 1 hour. Only a small amount of sediment in the bottle. Almost purple in color with some bricking. Dark cherry, tea, good acidity and polished tannins. Concentrated, but well balanced. In a good place right now.
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this was a revelation - nothing on day 1 when I assumed the wine had faded to nothing but having left most of the bottle overnight, the next evening revealed a gentle wine but with distinct fruit, complex and long - fantastic!
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Purchased a 2L in 2009 to help a charity auction. Largest bottle I ever managed. Concerned because I don't have a cellar/temp controlled environment. Stored in the shipper inverted until 7/21/20. I'd been trying to find a good large party to open it, but many people like a variety, so when my cousin turned 94 in the midst of COVID-19, I decided to drive it 400 miles with it as my shotgun. Cork was basically in good shape. The wine was lovely with fresh Maine lobster, homemade Cole slaw and dill pickles and corn on-the-cob. The large format kept it safe for a bit longer than the projected 10 years. More than half of the wine remained after the dinner, so I put it into a refrigerator, took it back 400 miles along the beautiful CA coast highway and debated into two bottles for my own enjoyment. Tonite, pesto and mozzarella on Acme sourdough. Life is short. Drink it all ASAP!
PNP. Tart raspberries with creosote and a dash of creaminess on the nose. Quite perfumed. In the mouth it was lots of Zin-berries, a hit of white pepper and more round creaminess. All the elements are there but it just didn't hang together in a harmonious way. Like an orchestra with someone slightly out of tune. Perhaps we waited a year or two too long. Nevertheless, a solid effort from Ridge. Drink up.
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Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Black tea, a little flat initially, leather, sweet spice, earth, vanilla, slight cherry, quite tired nose on this wine though there is an underpin of black cherry and plum. Far better on the palate, savoury, plummy, a little black cherry, leather, quite dense and broad, tannins are silky fleshy. Long. Nice.
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Plum cake, cinchona, cocoa, underbrush, gravel. Rich on the palate with medium plus acidity. Finishes with black tea, leather, and chocolate covered raisins. Some tannins left to resolve but provide a nice counterbalance (91+). Drink now to 2025.
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Earthy aromas and a tart cherry and cranberry pallet punctuated by still-drying tannins and sharp acidity. A little too much on the acidity and tannins to feel well integrated.
It makes me think this still has many more years in it, and could improve further, but I don't have enough experience with well aged Lytton Springs to know for sure.
What a treat to drink this from magnum with good friends! Probably the most elegant Zin on the planet, harmonious and polished. I love the way the oak plays, alternately smoothing out the texture and spicing up the finish (which also features cran and cherry flavors alongside the spicy oak).
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Promising nose of raspberry, tobacco and cola. Fell short in the mouth, however. Lots of strawberries but not much else happening. Lacked weight. On the downslope. Drink up.
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Excellent, 14.5% alc. Colour: deep red berries Bouquet: rich ripe raspberries, cereal, herbal, savoury Palate: as bouquet, dry red berries, soft tannins, chewy, great length. December 2018
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This is pretty good and aging slowly. The fruit still carries plenty of flesh and strong ripe purity. A nice dose of tannin to make it interesting. A lovely expression of classic California Zinfandel and field blends. Really good and in a great place.
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Plenty of time still to go here. Give it another 10? Nice acidity. Blackberry, blueberry pie filling. The fruit is nice and integrated. There is a nice herbal note. Juicy.
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Drank this on our 16th anniversary with a prime dip sandwich and GFC chicken sandwich from our local joint, Prime by Shenandoah. This bottle drank beautifully! Yes, the American oak signature is there, and I'm usually a huge critic, but this wine worked it out pretty well and I didn't find it at all objectionable, as it has integrated well at this point. I still would have preferred less of it, but I'm not complaining because this was so pleasing, rich, and balanced. An American classic!
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Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of leather, sweet spice, biscuit, very slight tomato leaf, the rambunctious fruit of previous years tasting is more subdued and tending to red spectrum, cherry, yes, but also strawberry here…and so it proves on the palate, more signs of maturation here as well. A little short, perhaps, and a little subdued but still with some jubey cherry and strawberry but also plenty of spice and biscuit.
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Still a vibrant looking red although bricking a bit now. Aromas of thick feeling dark fruits and ripe raspberries mixed with a sweet vanillan and tobacco back drop. Spiciness in the scents . Overall a nice complex nose .... but being reticent in giving it all up. Its being shy and demure. Nice nice nice body. Dose of acidity to keep the wine from being too viscous on the mouthfeel. Silky dusty tannins, still a bit drying in the mouth. Smooth and silky with nice deep berry fruits, and milk chocolate/vanilla creaminess. Long finish. Nicely done. 93-94 points. A nice wow wine on a Sunday night.
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Wow! What a sophisticated Zin. Smooth, well knit, taut, elegant; a wine that can’t help but slink as it moves. A deep claret that is nevertheless bright and clean. Brown sugar, rhubarb, Draper perfume and black fruits including plum on the attack. Mocha and coffee on the finish. In between, molasses oozes in. Perhaps some dusty rose from the resolved tannins. It’s all good. 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah and 7% Carignane. This is a sleeper wine. A fair amount of sediment affixed to the shoulder and lower neck with some pouring out with the final pour. 14.4% alc. With flank steak. Recommended.
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Starting with vanilla nose, sweetness, red berries, tobacco and a hint of grass, mint or eukalyptus. Initially soft but powerful taste. A few seconds later still grippy tannins, fresh acidity, structure and balance. Develop more fruit 1-2 hour after opening. Red and black berries, milk chocolate, but a bit too polished to really fulfil expectations. It may have been more interesting 2-3 years ago?
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Been looking forward to drinking a Ridge with a little bottle age. This was in a good place, still very young and primary. A Zinfandel blend made in a Claret style, which was fun and interesting. I think I tend to prefer my Zins a little more focused on the fruit but this is an extremely well made red that has plenty of years ahead of it.
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3rd Annual 7 Deadly Zins (well, about 15 this time) (Wayne's place in Darlinghurst): Ripe cherry, baked earth, slight herbaceous notes, slight chocolate and vanilla. On the palate it's juicy and fleshy with cherry fruits & vanilla chocolate and slightly drying tannins. Fresh, nice, easy, quaffable. Better than the bottle we tapped with Coravin.
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Robe bourgogne. Beau nez, sur les arômes de fraise, petit fruits et beurre. Belle rondeur et astringence. Toujours une réussite les Lytton Springs de Ridge.
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Notes are consistent with Askoje's. A true pleasure to drink. The 22% petite sirah really seems to give it depth and adds to the body of the wine. I drank it with some true zin-lovers and it blew them away. Drink it now because I don't see it getting any better.
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Deep red. Nose opens with ripe, dark, wild raspberries. Full bodied mouth feel, bramble fruit and Madagascar vanilla on the palate. Lots of fruit and acidity, this is still very much alive and is drinking perfectly now. Oak and alcohol perfectly integrated and balance is perfect. Long finish with smooth tannins. Excellent Lytton Springs
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Supper at Ivan and Jo's - Jordan's tasting (Jo & Ivan's, Marrickville): From Coravin. Red cherry, black plum, vanilla, cream, biscuit on the nose. More of the same on the palate. This one is spicier and more alcoholic on the finish than I remember it being. Jordan says "Alcoholic cherry ripe" which pretty much nails it.
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Consistent with notes by Johnbonds and Milliontown, just excellent! Not sure how much longer it will last, a few years maybe - glad we have one more, will be hard to wait to drink it!
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I remember being impressed with this bottle and buying a case of it about 4 or so years ago. Every single bottle I've opened I have loved. Chocolate and anise on the nose with a smidge of juniper berry. On the palette the utter juiciness of this wine hits you immediately, in a great way. In addition, chocolate, unripe rasberry, spice and more that I can't identify given that I'm about halfway through this bottle solo. Still great 9 years in. 1 bottle left. Very pleased with this purchase with I think I bought for 24.99 a bottle. Enjoy this.
Beautiful wine, great bottle showing development and balance in the glass. Faded brick-red rim, smells of the classic zin-profile of plum jam and briar cherries, with some spice and black olive in there too. There's some secondary characters, some slightly port-y, kinda raisin-y aromas hinting at the wine's ripeness and development. Resolved on the palate, has great length with integrated tannins and gorgeous, lasting acidity. Always a big fan of this. Shared with a group and nobody but the (american) somm guessed it as Zin. Was enjoyed by many though.
Splash decanted and drank over next 3 hours, while preparing and having dinner. (Zin and lamb: Best paring ever!). No detailed notes, but medium body and very nice spice. I.e., an excellent mature Zin. Raised my drinking window to 2020. Will last at least that long.
Decanted for an hour to breathe and remove sediment. Cork was in pristine condition. Dark red/purple with no visible signs of age. Lots of red fruit on the nose with some earthiness and leather. Taste is similar to the nose, with very well integrated oak, and a good amount of acidity putting everything together. If I drank this blind, I would have thought a ten year old Hunter Shiraz. Finish was long and kept my mouth watering for more. Vacuum sealed the bottle and left in the fridge for the next day and still delicious. I can't wait to open the next bottle and will look for more to purchase.
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Ripe cherry, raspberry over plums, vanilla, spice with more of the same on the palate...hello old friend. Long, lovely, generous and welcoming. What a joy this wine is.
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the last couple of bottles I've had have presented a little bit of age but this one was pristine. I must confess it is joy and a lovely wine to pull out for friends (who also loved it...) The great pity is that though someone now imports this superb wine into Australia it is currently retailing for 135 AUD (97 US) - you can pick it up in the US for about 50 AUD. Sometimes it sucks to be down-under...
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Color: deep, dense, opaque ruby core -> full garnet rim. Elegant, lovely bouquet of chocolate, plums, leather, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon. This really shows its class on the beautifully composed palate. Ripe but balanced fruit with great precision and structural tensity, this wine shows the heights Zinfandel can reach IMHO. With a great, punchy midpalate, strong acid spine and a long, long tasty finish this is (and always has been) Grand Cru Zin. Certainly drinking at peak now so no reason to wait, I'm sure it will hold on this plateau for several more years -- especially out of a 750.
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Lively and perfumed Lytton Springs with pure fruit that is gaining complexity and some very interesting leathery undertones. Very attractive middle palate that offers lots of polished fruit and a long finish that delivers powdery tannins and hints of forest floor. This combines elegance and power. Stunning Zin.
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A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Very nice showing. The group and mine's number 2. Inky purple in color. Black raspberries, bramble and gravel on the nose. Nice acidity. Plums and black raspberry fruit. Firm tannins. Long finish. Plenty of room left for further development but a juicy, delicious wine right now.
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Very dark plum color. Maybe the darkest Zin (OK, Zin blend) I’ve ever seen. Tart cherry nose, with some alcoholic zing. This one starts out winner winner on entry. Various berry flavors—a blend of red and black—some dried plum—prune without the sugar. Very settled tannins Good acid holds the fruitiness in check. In a note five years ago I said to “drink it now.” That sounds panicky. I know it was a good wine five years ago, but it is a better wine, now.
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Contained and complex cherry and berry. Slight herbaceous notes, sweet spice, muted American oak and tobacco on the nose. In the mouth it's rich and giving, balanced and pleasurable but moving on from the glorious world of primary fruit that it has inhabited since I first tried it. Long. Still nice.
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If you want proof that Zinfandel based cuvées are ageworth, this wine is a good example. The nose first provides a bit subdued fruit, almost like an aged Cabernet. After a while red currant, blackberry and saddle leather emerges. A whiff of cinnamon and cacao is also found. The palate adds integration and absolutely no tannins. This wine is at its peak right now. I would actually guess fruit will start fading very soon as it is already a bit reluctant. Still it is a nice acquaintance - but be sure to drink up soon. (score is 90+)
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Very smooth zin blend stylistically less fruit driven than many zins (although is clearly still zin!). Starting to show a little mellow age but probably has plenty more years ahead of it.
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I thought this felt old, pruned and oxidized notes both in the nose and on the palate. I received this directly from Ridge and stored at 55 F so I think storage was good. Some black pepper on the finish but an unsatisfying experience. Lytton tends NOT to be oxidized like Dusi offerings, so I was surprised at the shape it was in. Not great, but drinkable anyway.
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From 375. PNP. Cork perfect. Color dark garnet with ruby edges. This has dark fruit with chocolate and raisin notes. Swishing shows great depth of fruit, acid structure, and tinge of alcohol and some oak tannin on the finish. Sipping this shows super density and great balance.....the oak and alcohol are obscured by the fruit density. This one is much better than the last 375 we tried and more consistent with other reviews. In a great place right now.
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Fantastic. Rich and deeply complex without overripe characteristics. Has a long life left. No rush. Berries, spice, flower, oak and some pine notes. excellent
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Zinfandel blend--71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane. 14.4% abv. Opened Sept. 28th. Viscous, darkly colored, aromatic with a lengthy finish. Dark berries with tree bark notes and mild tannins; some dark plum notes also. Mellows a bit after some aeration. I had it with broiled strip steak. The bottle had been on its side and showed a bit of sediment on the side of the bottle and in the dregs of the final glass.
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I normally whinge about a shortage of secondary flavors. This wine, due to the unique and skilled blending, transcends that issue. With a Ridge, and this was no exception, you know that you will be drinking something interesting and well-made. My wife was struck with coffee notes with this one, which I attributed to the PS.
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From 375. PNP. Cork perfect. Color garnet w crimson edges. Nose w chocolate raisins and a whiff of dill. Swishing displays both acid alcohol and tannin bringing up the rear. Sipping allows the balance to show a little better balance but this is still a little hot. Maybe better in large format but these little guys are a little disappointing.
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2nd Annual 7 Deadly Zins tasting…well, 10 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Profound, joyous, I did not expect to find such a discernible difference but there it is. Sticks out in this line up like a canines cohonas. This has to be the Ridge Lytton Springs. All the usual stuff - berries, cherries, plums, vanilla, chocolate, spice etc. on the nose...in the mouth the wine is juicier and leaner - tauter almost...like an engine that has been finely tuned. Wonderfully balanced. Gorgeous. superb.
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The Lytton Springs is so consistently good. It is vibrant and dense. Dark layered fruit. There is a certain complexity here. Brambly dark fruit, lip smacking acidity. Juicy juice. Delicious to drink but there is a sophistication about this.
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Normal service resumed, rich, dark fruits - esp plums and black cherry, beautiful Yankee oak - vanilla to the fore, walked hand in hand to the sunset with barbecued veal chops and roast veg couscous. Superb
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BBQ lunch at Daves (Banksia, Sydney): Plums, slight black cherry, cream vanilla, toast and hints of herbaceousness on the nose. On the palate it's plummy, black cherry savoury joy with some vanilla and slight spice. Firm but silky tannins. Yumptious.
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Aromas of plums, slight red cherry, cream, vanilla, sweet spice...In the mouth it has flavours of plum with slight red cherry...also some prune hints and vanilla & cream. There are very fine tannins and the wine finishes with sweet spice and slight alcoholic heat. Though good this bottle was a little 'flat' for me.
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This is the first bottle of this vintage I’ve tasted. It consists of a blend of 71% Zin, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignane. Aged for 15 months in American oak, the wine shows an easy vanilla dominance on the finish; not harsh or bitter, but dominant. The attack leads off easily with Zin funk, bramble berry and molasses. But that moves into rhubarb and dusty rose. The structure is big, but it doesn’t get in the way of easy drinking. And easy it is. This goes down quickly. Sediment on the shoulder but nothing pours out in the glass. 14.4% alc. Consumed with a group while watching the Daytona 500. With (beef) chili. Recommended.
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I managed, I think, to winkle out the last few bottles available of this nectar. No one is bringing Ridge into the Australia any more so the only way to get it going forward is going to be to schlep to the States...more of the usual joy with this bottle...plummy black fruit, cream , vanilla...mmm...some cherry as well...almost chocolate. So rich and generous on the palate with warm spiced notes joining on the long finish. This wine is consistently enjoyable for me.
Quick tasting at Ridge (Ridge Lytton Springs): This wine is picking up some of that aged softness. Round and a little sweet, a little lush. I tend to like these younger or older. At this age the Lytton and Geyserville have aged out of structure and energetic fruit but haven't developed the mature mellow fruit.
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This was good on the first night and even a little better on the 2nd. Beautiful dark Zinfandel fruit with decent structure. I really enjoyed this bottle.
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A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really nice showing for this wine. I know these drink well for a long time, but this is approaching a bit of maturity. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Complex and layered but still lots of youthful fruit. Nice finish. Always a great wine.
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Ripe cherries and light dust on the nose. Beautiful, smooth, fruit forward berries, with the familiar zin finish. Plenty of tannins live on, but this wine is drinking wonderfully now. Enjoy!
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7 Deadly Zins…well, 8 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Ripe plum tending to prune and umeboshi, slight unripe notes. Spice, leather. On the palate the wine is juicy and spicy with plum and prune flavours and talc like tannin. Now, it's not flawed but I've never tasted one of these that has tasted like this. Perhaps slightly out of condition? not sure. Perhaps a little baked? Hmm.
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My favorite vintage for LS over the last decade. Just now entering gangly adolescence, this is a joy with a couple hour decant. Not for your in-your-face zin crowd, showing more elegant structure and restrained fruit. These will make old bones.
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Good structure, plenty of the oft-mentioned bramble fruit, some earthiness. In drinking window now. Good match with dry rubbed baby backs with peach BBQ sauce.
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What an elegant presentation of Zin. This is a medium bodied wine, good complexity though not overtly so that it hurts. Nice crunch fruit, good structure and a nice long finish. from a 375 ml Bottle
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Initially thin and acidic, this required a good 45 minutes of air to open up. Attractive, though muted aromas of dark berries, dried spices and bramble. Full-bodied, but not heavy, hot or overdone. Offers a juicy mouthful of tangy raspberry and ripe plum fruit with a lively acidity. Hints of rhubarb and vanilla linger on the long, lip-smacking finish. Just slightly rustic in style - but absolutely delicious. 50+5+11+16+8=90
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Good intensity and weight, but lacking the elegance of the 05 and the class of the 92 in the same flight. But a nice wine nonetheless. I would hold another few years at least before drinking.
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Blinded on a cab tasting. I had no clue what this was. The nose was muted and showed a little smoky meat. The palate showed thinly with a clipped finish. Not a good showing.
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From .375 bottle. Nice nose of blackberry and blueberry. Still dark cherry in color. Not as much fruit as I would like. Earth and brambles with a tad of cherry. No tannin.
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A Tasting at Ridge (Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Estate): Faded garnet color. Notes of red currant, white pepper, dried earth and florals. Elegant. Lovely fruit on the palate with an earthy/dusty edge. Tannins are still young but beginning to integrate. Lengthy finish dominated by red fruit and white pepper. 91+ pts.
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Graphite, peppery, cherry and a touch of alcohol heat. Rich on the palate, though there is a line of acidity that helps greatly. May improve with 3-5 years further aging. My least favourite of the 92/05/07 flight but still good.
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Lots of blue and dark fruits with a little earthiness thrown in for goodness. Maybe a little cola esque but otherwise a nice balance of acids, fruit, and tannins. Like it.
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Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Blueish colour. rather neutral and daft tones without showing depth in the fruit at this stage. Nothing to get very excited about right now. Hold.
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Purple in color. 14.4% ABV. Red fruits, plums and chocolate on the nose. Medium body and light acidity. Blackberry, vanilla cream, pepper, prunes and cinnamon on the palate. Supple tannins and a long finish. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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My first bottle, almost a year ago, was somewhat disappointing, but this one sure wasn't. In fact, it reminded me of a ....Ridge Lytton Springs. Nice balance of fruit and structure, with a hint of earthiness. A "serious" wine that's built for the long haul.
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Dark ruby/cranberry color. Fresh, graceful bouquet of currants, raspberries, blueberries, Hoisin sauce, and conifer. The bright, adolescent palate is filled with classic Ridge fruit, beautiful exotic spices, and a long, firm finish. Youthful, but approachable, it's already engaging and will only get better with age. This is elegant, sophisticated, and seamless. Outstanding.
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This is the only way I can drink Zinfandel anymore. This blend is very tasty, and the Zin is kept in check by the classic style and expertise of Ridge winemaking. I have always enjoyed their offerings even as I have prcatically stopped drinking any other Cali wines, certainly of the Zin variety. Perfectly harmonious and balanced with an almost lightweight mouthfeel. Still has a nice dry grip of tannin, leather to go with the delicious brambly fruit of the PS, and Zin. Drank with beef/italian sausage chili on a cold evening by the fire. Great with chocolate afterwards, too.
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decanted 30 min. dark red to purple center; wild raspberries & blackberries w/lots of bramble leaf & tobacco on nose, black pepper & earth; med/full bodied; quite brier-ey on the palate, again wild, slightly dry, blackberries & dark plums, pointed note of black pepper & dark earth. this bottle seemed less forward than the last, not over-ripe, jammy or particularly tannic, just not as expressive & juicy as previous example.
pizza w/hot Italian sausage, rapini & fresh mozz; escarole salad w/avocado & shaved red onion
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Just delicious. Ripe berry fruit with nice length and a touch of earthiness. Not in any way over the top, and fully balanced by just the right amount of acidity and tannic structure. A great Lytton Springs.
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Something about this wine never fully came around. I felt it was in a sort of dumb phase... Gave it 1.5 hours of air and drank 3 hours. It was drinkable and pretty good, but never fully showed or came around the way I felt it should. If I had to score 86-87, bottle variation?
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We decanted the wine for 30 minutes before we poured the first glass. It was dark ruby in colour and offered red and dark fruit, cherry, blackberry, damson plum, spices, cinnamon, some gingerbread, some chocolate and some tobacco on the nose. On the palate the wine showed sour cherry, blackberry, damson plum, spices, cinnamon, some gingerbread, milk chocolate and waffles, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-minus tannin and very good length. The oak was better integrated and the wine was more food-friendly compared to the bottle I opened a little less than a year ago. A solid, round, balanced, medium- to full-bodied, medium-complex Zin with good concentration.
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Decanted 1hr, took some time to open, even 1hr in the decanter. When open, balanced currant/cassis, plums, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Paired with beef burgundy pot pies,worked great!
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Med wt, good deep red colour. Pure clean fragrance, berries and violets, not overly expressive. Red and black cherries. Some sour cherrystone, pinot-like pippy. Hints of licorice spice and tar, sweet red fruit profile but not cloying or confected. Not super-expressive either. For drinking now.
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I find it very hard to be subjective about a wine that I just plain enjoy so much. it still has lashings of primary fruit on the nose - plum, black and red cherry (especially when served slightly cooler, as this bottle initially was) underpinned by cream, vanilla and spice. Other notes are the beginnings of bramble, some chocolate, touches of tinned pear, a certain charcuterie and touches of leather. In the mouth it's all, for me, about the balance of flavour, acidity (of which there is plenty) and fine tannin. I tend to wax lyrical a little with this wine but I do love this so and, consequently, any note I write about it should be taken not just with the veritable pinch but probably a whole bag of salt...happiness in a glass.
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Deep garnet in color with a slight purple hue. Nose of rasberry preserves. Tastes of stewed cherries with hints of milk chocolate and vanilla. In a pleasant drinking window. Very supple. Pairs nicely with many meats and blue vein cheeses. The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium.
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This bottle was fantastic! From the moment you opened it to several hours later, this wine changed complexities many times. Great dried fruit on the initial taste with some earthiness on the finish. Very smooth and great after taste. Wish I had more of these..
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This is not a proper tasting note but back in 2003 (I know, not that long ago) I was first exposed to Zinfandel (Ridge York Creek 01) which completely changed my perception of wine and opened a whole lot of vinous doors. Since then I've learnt about and tasted and drank a lot of wine but this glorious nectar never fails to transport me back to that moment of revelation and joy. Now, after all that waffle...on the nose, plum almost prune, some black cherry, vanilla, chocolate, a touch of raisin, slight tinned pear & ripe red fruit underpinned by a very slight meatiness. On the palate chocolate, vanilla, juicy ripe plum and red berry fruit, fine and non-intrusive tannin all tumble happily around the mouth and fade on the medium plus finish. Lovely.
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Always exceptional, especially with Pizza. This one is right in "The Zone". As with an earlier bottle, it is showing great structure, with notes of bramble fruits & some black cherry. Drink now. Even better if you have a good artisinal pizza to go with it.
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Somewhat of a disappointment. Nice "zinny" nose. Nice fruit, with hints of cloves and spices. Medium body. Not noticeably hot. Surprising lack of tannins and definitely missing the "wow" factor I'd expected.
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medium plus intensity aromas of spiced plum and charcuterie, red berry, earthy notes, touches of prune, biscuit and vanilla. In the mouth initially bit, savoury prune and plus, spice and vanilla and touches of chocolate. The wine has some residual sugar, medium plus alcohol warmth, medium tannin and medium plus acid. medium plus length carries the above and slight herbaceous and chewy notes and hints of tinned pears. Nice.
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From .375. Dark cherry in color. Nose of Blueberry and brambles. Drinking well with no tannin. Blackberry plum, crushed stones and some oak. A nice wine to go with grilled NY strip at home. Not a big wine, but a nice easy sipper. Better than last 2 times tried. A little more age has mellowed this wine.
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Dark fruit nose; tart cherry, raspberry, and cranberry finish. Some sweet oak and richness but too tart. Agree with previous TNT that this seemed richer 2 years ago - what will another 2-3 years bring?
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Tart cherry dominates nose and finish; well-balanced but somewhat harsh. This was richer and smoother 2 years ago - is it finished or just "shut down" for now?
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Popped and poured. Consistent with previous TN. Tannins have softened a little. Picked up a root beer component with this bottle along with chocolate and spice. Definitely a more restrained style of Zinfandel. Still very good and drinking nicely.
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The wine offered sweet fruit, cherry, sweet spices, clove and toasty oak on the nose. On the palate the wine showed a myriad of flavours, including sweet red and dark fruit, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, spices, cinnamon, clove, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, cherry cola, some liquorice and some coffee, paired with medium to medium-minus tannin, medium-level acidity, a velvety mouthfeel and tremendous length. A solid, medium-bodied, flavourful, easy-drinking wine with lots of sweet oak. To me it tended to get a little boring over time, but then, I am not a Zin-head. Not food–friendly.
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Not my favorite vintage of this wine. The fruit was surprisingly backwards and the remaining flavors were somewhat like black tea. Didn't pair well with food and I wouldn't so much look forward to drinking it on its own. Not bad, but nothing special, and likely won't improve.
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Wonderful zin blend, huge nose, tons of fruit but with what they call structure, sequenced flavors, 14.4 but not tasting hot, ripe and ready but probably with ten more years of life in it. Served with braised brisket and potato latkes at our Hanukkah party.
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Palate: very tooty fruity at first, then the tannin and acidity led a campaign for the finish. Weird beginning, the blend was tasty by the end of the night. Election results may have colored the tasting notes... 87-88 pts
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Decanted 30 minutes. Note taken about 90 minutes after that. Dark black pepper, spice, vanilla on the nose. Palate has lots of juicy blackberry up front with nice spice, toasty oak, and menthol leading into the spicy tannins. On a cold night, this hit the spot.
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Decanted for 30 minutes at first taste and it was already opened up then paired with BBQ smoked ribs over the next hour and it was great with them. Deep nose of dark red fruit and spice and a palate with enough strength and finesse to stand up to the BBQ but still break through.
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Started a bit tight and tannic. After decanting for an hour or two, it opened into a real classy wine with the tannins smoothing into a nice fuller palate. The nose expands to offer a brighter and complex aroma that gets more minty over time. I was disappointed on the pop and pour. A few hours after decanting, this wine really comes alive but if you intend to pop and pour deduct 2-3 points as you will find this wine dry, tart and basic. What separates it from a basic wine is that it will evolve on both palate and nose if you give it some time.
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Decanted 1 hour. Smoke, currant and black pepper on the nose. Medium to full bodied with blackberry and plum fruit profile. A little different to other Ridge Zin blends i have had and although it is 70% zinfandel the other components seem to be in the ascendancy just now. Still a little tannic but does get a little more sweet towards the back end with a slightly more red fruit profile with plenty of pepper. 20 second finish with some noticeable tannins showing. Very good now with plenty of air time but i think this will benefit from a few years of cellar time. (89+ pts).
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Did a vertical of the 2003 to 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs last weekend with our wine group. With the exception of the 06 & 07 all older wines were relatively close and we needed a few rounds to separate the better from the good. The 03-05 drank very nicely and quality generally followed age. Not sure if the 06&07 would get there eventually. The 07 had a distinct sulfer smell eventually wafted off after over an hour. The older wines were out of the bottle for about 30 minutes and opened up slightly over the next half hour - but not as much as I would have thought. 03 was the highlight - 92, 04 & 05 we rated 90 and 06 87 and 07 we rated 84.
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Oinorama Wine Fair 2012; 3/17/2012-3/18/2012: (tasted at oinorama) Zinfandel 81%. Petit Syrah 22%, Carignan 7%. Deep brown red color. Dense nose with leather and coffee notes, a bit alcoholic too. Comes a bit aggressive at first then it settles down with fruity notes, high acidity, struggles to find balance. Medium aftertaste. I don't have much experience with this label (and Zinfandel in general) but it seems to be in a strange phase now.
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Delightful wine, the aromas and palate match with fresh black currants and a gentle spice. The whole mouth feel and finish is smooth and there is a hint of mint and dark cherry. Very good.
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Carmine color with aromatic nose of dark red cherries, minerals, and spice. On the palate, medium-bodied, refined, fresh, complex and round with dark red cherries, spice, vanilla, minerals, and a bit of red currant flavors with a medium-long finish. (71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane; 15 mos. in barrel, 21% new American oak, 48% one, two and three years old; 31% four and five years old)
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Better than most Ridge Zinfande'ls, decanted about 1 hour. No signs of the typical medicinal smell on the nose. Nice dark fruit. Nice finish. Drank this previously about 1 year ago and thought it would continue to evolve but didn't get anything new or different this time. This is probably ready and will probably only go downhill from here.
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Really a wonderful zin blend. I found it superbly balanced, with a richness that did not even approach overbearing. Nice rich fruit balanced with the noted acidity, pleasing but gone too fast.
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Really nice as always. Blue and black fruits, cocoa, vanilla, and a nice herbal streak. Very nice acidity and moderate tannins. Will definitely last a few more years. In general, I think I prefer this to Geyserville.
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mörkt röd färg med aningen tendens till mogmnad stor syltig doft med inslag av multna löv choklad och kaffe fyllig syltig lite bränd smak med bra syra och god lång svans
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Dark purple/red. Nice dark fruits, not over the top. Tannins still chewy. Blackberry, vanilla, black pepper, baking spices. Juicy once the tannins subside. Some initial viscosity. Nice wine. Decent length to finish.
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Pulled from the cellar and poured through Vinturi. Classic Zin profile-a little sweet and a little savory. Will enjoy with a little Vodka sauce over chicken and spinach penne. More to come....
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not as impressive as in year's past, but you must appreciate the consistency of Ridge. medium weight, tannins are there for the wine to develop further. drinkable at this young stage, best to let it rest another 1-3 years for the rough edges of youth to smooth out.
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Purple/garnet. Nice strong blackberry with very good zinfandel/syrah balance and smooth tannins, drinking very well. For the one year on its side, wine started seeping up a gap along the entire cork length, so expect this had a little more oxygen for its age than normal.
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As always, an enjoyable offer from Ridge. PnP but it began to shine after a few hrs of air time. Brambling fruit on the nose mixed with prominent dry tobacco, vanilla and ? dill. Quick taste of raspberry that quickly transitions into blue fruit (plum) and mixed pepper/nutmeg spices. Med body. Med - acidity. Mod drying tannins and a decent finish. With its sweet nose and savory palate it's a great red wine for a summer evening eating off the grill.
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Dark & lovely. Some real meat with the PS in there so heavy. This was really drinking nice after a P&P. Would never guess Zin on a blind. The nose was sweet, brambly with a touch of green olive and fruit tapanade. Great palate and finish. Not as oaky or acid heavy as most Ridge Zin's, maybe it is the influence of the vintage?
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I tend to be fairly consistent most times, and perhaps bottle variation played a role but this one was significantly better than the bottle we had on December 11 of last year (though not as good as the Ravenswood Barricia Zin we had alongside), the specific profiles were similar to our last bottle, but structurally this was not at all 'soft', as tannins and acidity were quite prevalent last night - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberry, plum, spice and oak accents, very well structured, yet elegant, very tasty, smooth, sweet on the palate with very good length, another excellent Ridge! (91 Points).
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I did not decant, but it certainly could have used it. Very balanced tannin structure that settled on the whole palate. Acidity was bright and gave the red raspberry fruit some extra punch. There is no residual sugar in this wine but the overall flavor had somewhat of a hard-candy/ cotton candy/ strawberry sweetness that I thought was gorgeous! This will last for several more years, but I think it’s in a great place now since it still has some structure to chew on.
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Tried at tasting. I agree with the other reviewer who wondered where the fruit was. Don't get me wrong...there is some fruit and good balance in this wine, but when you see Zin and Petite Sirah on the label, you expect a healthy dose of fruit. This one just didn't have enough.
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Tremendous offering from Ridge. This shows the benefits of adding the petite sirah to the zinfandel, making for a great blend. Deep, deep purple color. Flavours of bramble fruit and dark berries. Nice structure & finish. Looking forward to seeing how our other bottles show in the next few years.
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I'm digging this wine. This is very smooth on the palate with just the right amount of fruit. The finish goes on for a good 20 to 30 seconds. Overall delicious wine to drink on it's own or with food.
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375 ml. Doubtless, this wine couldn't have been made anywhere except California - big, ripe zin paired w/ 100% Am. Oak is the most classic Dry Creek shit. Per house style, not terribly fruity, but strong minerality and barrel flavor shows through. To be honest, fruity isn't my thing. Upright tannin, but not overwhelming; would knit into a warm velvet throw if given, iunno, 8 years. Vanilla finish, yup. A warm bottle of wine: comforting, well-rounded, devoid of austerity.
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From 375 ml. 3rd time from my cellar over 6 month period. Popped and poured at Byob with osso bucco. A step back from prior bottle. Dark purple. Plum and minerals on the nose. On the palate, where's the fruit ? No tannin. Tar, earthy, cedar, mineral and leather, but no fruit. A dense very nice drink, but I want fruit in my Zin-thus the rating.
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Opened up very well after an hour or so. Didn't pick up anything noticeable on the smell, taste was big and bold. I liked this wine a lot, drinking well now and will drink even better with a bit more rest.
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Nose is pronouced (both because Ridge is good but also because its '07). Its intense and youthful with flavors of red fruit, minerality, iron and spice. In a word complex.
Palate is dry, with medium acidity (maybe medium + for a zinfandel). Tannins are present but not noticeable, so medium or average. I don't feel the alcohol on the palate but I sure feel it in the head off the first pull. The body is medium with medium + flavor intensity. The finish is medium + (above average) showing fruit all the way through.
Quality is very good, balanced, complex Zinfandel here. It is youthful now, just showing a bit of barrel, and will develop further.
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This wine is in a good place right tow, I think more integrated then the 06. Raspberry and blackberry with a touch of vanilla but the oak really is subtle. Medium tannins and ready with 20-30 in the decanter.
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Ridge Zinfandels are a real guilty pleasure for me. This is another very enjoyable one, great wine for a damp winter night. This is sort of sweet and the oak is definitely there, but it is well-integrated and balanced by rustic tannins and a splash of acidity. Blueberries and chocolate, with muted white pepper. My only complaint is that this isn't a good QPR -- it was about $37 and certainly not that much better than the $22 Ridge East Bench we had last week.
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This was a great wine. Tannins in check, oh so zesty. Light in color and floral nose, a well put together wine. This was my first bottle, I will be going back for more to sit on.
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WOW. Decanted for a little over an hour and this wine opened up really nice. Fruit was ripe and taste was very smooth. This will continue to get better with time.
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Suprisingly light in colour for a young zin. Smooth blackberry milk chocolate/vanilla milkshake. Very smooth texture with lingering dusty tannins at the end. Very much in its infancy but enjoyable right now. BTW, I miss the verbosity of Draper's winemaker's notes.
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Crimson red to purple in color with good shine.The vanilla oak on the nose, almost adds some maple syrup or almond tones, to some purple fruit like-plum action. This is very smooth on the palate with cherry and blue fruit notes. The oak is very present with the tannins in the mid-palate. But, this is not over oaked, and is in fact very well in balance. The finish lasts for a good 30+ seconds, and adds some candied fruit flavors, which make this very pleasing to drink on it's own. Nice bottle from a consistent winery!!
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I'm usually blown away by Lytton Springs (and anything that Ridge produces), but this didn't do as much for me as usual, it was very good, but seemed a bit fat and lacking structure, perhaps more time will help although that feels contrary to how it's drinking now - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberry, plum, cherry, spice and vanilla, a touch soft, quite tasty, smooth, sweet on the palate with good length (88 Points).
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From magnum. Deep, dark and elegant, I'm afraid I was so focused on the engaging conversation on MKE history that I walked away with a mere impression rather than precise tasting notes. Perhaps that was a compliment though that it became a seemless part of a great night!
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This wine was splash-decanted and consumed over three hours. Opaque purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing very intense and distinctive aromas of black raspberries, black cherries, vanilla and coriander. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity and big ripe tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14.4%) is very well-integrated. The flavors follow the nose and the middle palate is solid. Medium-to-long, quite smooth finish. Very nice now, and possessing the structure to drink nicely for the next 4-5 years. Drink now-12/15.
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Decanted for one hour. The wine is very restrained for predominantly zinfandel. It tasted almost European but with a bit more fruit and chocolate flavor. This zin is really delicious-on the scale of deliciousness from one to ten it is somewhere around 7.5. Highly recommend. Drink now with decant or keep for another 3 to 4 years.
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Slightly sweet red berries and a hint of plum with some almost christmasy spices on the nose and palate. Tannins almost but not quite integrated -- another 6 months or so would help. Reserved and elegant for a zin.
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From the historic Lytton Estate vineyard, planted in 1901. A tough year for crooks - Scotland Yard creates a fingerprint archive.
14.4% alcohol. 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane. Initially opened the previous evening. Dark-purple ruby. Very expressive red fruit and spice aromas. On the palate, rasberry, cherry, black fruit, pepper and bramble. Rich and well balanced with a lingering aftertaste. Very enjoyable now, this iconic field blend wine has many fine years ahead of it.
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Decanted for 90 mins, which perhaps contributed to this seeming to be seamless. True to the Zinnish nature of this blend, on the darker side of things, long finish. A Zin that's profound? This sure seems close!
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Executive Wine Seminars - 2007 Zinfandels (NY, NY): The only blend of the night. this just wasn't ready. I could sense a lot going on here and would buy this, but it needs to be decanted. I found this one unique to the others - must have been the blend. There is some spice cake on nose and some stewed fruit on palate. tannins are evident. Finshed 11th out of 13.
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Nose - deep youthful brambly boysenberry, yellow cake, nice oak spice. Deep dark youthful blackberry, Christmas spice, lime zest, dark dusty tannin, yellow cake.
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Very nice wine. Easy to drink for a big zin. Nose is pretty and smooth. solid acids and tannins are already integrated. Bit of cherry cough medicine on the palate. Smooth body with nice texture. Finnish changes continuously.Big alchohol, though not for a Zin perse.
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Half bottle had with steak, big bramble fruit, lovely mouth feel, acidity still a little high but overall excellent and at £11.75 from Berry bros outlet money well spent!
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wonderful! too young, but excellent nose and palate. Lush dark fruit dominated, some pepper and with tannins that don't desiccate but provide structure to the fruit. Only have one bottle left would like to wait a couple of years.
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From 375 ml. Purple plum in color. Blackberry and smoke on a subdued nose. Vastly better than bottle tried 5 months ago . Fruit beginning to emerge. Plum, blackberry, brambly, minerals and chalky. A tad disjointed, but coming together. Very tasty with ribs from the grill. This will be a beauty in another 6 months or so as it mellows and softens. Very fine zin blend.
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California Wine Tasting Adventure; 8/2/2010-8/6/2010 (Napa, Sonoma): Tasted at winery. Very hard to score at the moment. This is in the 90-93 range. Not sure exactly where it will end up. I doubt it will hit the high range and could dip below the low range if the oak does not integrate well. This is definitely more oaked than previous Lytton Springs I remember. We have 3 in the cellar. I'll definitely hold those for a while. We bought a bottle at the winery to experience over the course of a few hours. Oaky notes on the nose. Vanilla, cream, jammy blackberry, cola. On the palate, this was very muted and reserved. Not overly tannic, but it was just hard to see where this might go in a few years. The structure was there, but we will really need to see what happens when the sweet oak subsides.
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Needs a bit of air to lose the quick bite of heat, but afterwards is a delight. Glossy, dense and rich zin flavors with a chocolatey sheen overlying every sip. Great acidity.
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4th of July Weekend Zin Fest (The Wine Country, Signal Hill, CA): Not getting much on the nose. On the palate, really great zin flavors of brambly fruit and spice with perfect acidity levels and great tannic structure. This is very enjoyable now, but I'd lay this down for a few years at least to let this really strut its stuff. Easily my favorite wine of the tasting and the only obvious ager.
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Wines of California (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had spice and black currant, a little tar, and some earth and smoke. The palate was rich and thick, with black currant and cherry, earth and spice, and a very good tar finish,
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From 375ml - For Lytton Springs, this was only OK to me - juicy and extracted, chalky, maybe a bit of bacon? No blacik pepper, which I often get from Lytton and I like. I know Zin is not usually built for long-term aging but this is a wine that feels like it would benefit from some age.
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Out of 375 ml. Deep ruby/purple in the glass with no fading toward the edges at all. Nose showed stewed red berries and plums as well as clay and paprika. Palate was filled with raspberry, leather, and hickory smoke. Tannins were well integrated and the finish was long and delicious.
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Brambly, tart cranberry and cherry fruit. Initially a restrained zin typical of Lytton Springs, but opened up nicely and shows a class not seen in most zins, which I tend to find over the top and often nothing but alcohol heat.
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Tasty with tons of structure from the 22% PS. Some meaty notes with a mix of red and black fruit, large tannins, and a touch of minerality on the finish. What really sells this wine is its lovely earthiness, and right now it is better on day two. I've tasted this on two separate occasions, and I agree with RJ's note (below) and Tanzer. Don't rate wine in the 80s just for being restrained or tight. Give it air or time.
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(14.4%) 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carigagne – A long time favorite this one is extremely deep and elegant. On the nose it shows a bit of creaminess with soft, warm inviting fruits and sweet tobacco notes. On the palate this one is balanced from the start, smooth and complex with a great flavor profile. The finish goes on forever and ever. In a word this one shows “restraint”. I’m sure this one could knock your socks off and blow you away but it was made carefully to show its elegance and I’m glad it was!
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Youthful and very pure, with a gorgeous, brooding nose of black fruit, spice, and meaty notes that betray the higher concentration of Petite Sirah (22%). In the mouth, quite open for this stage, with spicy black fruit, minerals, and earth. Tannic finish. A baby and worlds of potential over the next decade. A-
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Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): Hopefully a few years will really help this wine. It was good, but over extracted tasting on the fruits, with a spiciness that just didn't seem to play well on the palate. Disjointed, but hopefully that will change in another few years.
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This was a somewhat pedestrian California Zin blend. Not offensive in any way, but not particularly exciting, either. Muted red fruits on the palate, short finish, but no unpleasant tastes. Overall I'm happy with it, partly because I found it on the wine list of an outstanding new restaurant in Houston for about $28. Thanks, Haven.
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Starts off with a super ripe nose of powdered sugar, vanilla, asian spices, tea, some wood, and black cherry essence. Kinda like sniffing a spiced, cherry-nuanced black tea. Served at room temperature (67 degrees F), the bouquet comes across as lifted and a little hot. Once lightly chilled, this is better. To taste, there's some good acidic, puckering zip despite the ripe nose. Again, I get some black tea. The flavors are big, on the black cherry end rather than a classic brambly zin, but the texture is oddly a bit dilute. Still, I like the classy, elegance married to a bigger varietal, but I always like that about Ridge's zinfandels. There's a very drying finish, which doesn't bother me, but which some might find distracting... I was pretty excited to taste this after the really excellent 2007 Geyserville. It's pretty good, but nowhere near the 2007 Geyserville for my palate (though I prefer Geyserville to Lytton Springs pretty consistently). I gave the Geezer a low 90's score, this is in the high 80's for me right now.
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From 375 ml purchased in PA at good price so time to try one. Dark garnet and subtle nose of blackberry, mineral and hint of oak.Some blackberry, but mostly mineral and earth on the palate. Not as much fruit as I would have liked or anticipated. Hint of alcohol on the finish. More fruity and softer on the second day. I expect to see some improvement in this wine from remaining bottles. Will wait another year before trying.
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The 2007 was much jammier, with black fruit, dried figs, and earth. I found it a touch hot, but that soon blew off. The 2007 blend was 71% Zin, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignane.
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Popped and poured - for me this wine was pleasant enough, but really not showing much in terms of what makes a Ridge Zinfandel blend exciting. Dark fruit core with balanced tannins and acidity, and the alcohol is barely noticeable. Aromatics are pretty shy, and right now it's kind of flat-footed. However, it's balanced profile offers promise, and I hope it develops a bit more into an elegant, aromatic and balanced Zin.
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A generous bonus pour from our server at the end of a long tasting menu. It featured excellent freshness and a medium body with a complex melange of zin fruit, spice, dark herbal and American oak flavors.
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Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): Dark red color. Bouquet of cherry and cranberry and just smelled delicious. Medium-bodied palate of ripe mix of mostly red fruit but not at all jammy. Smooth tannins turn sticky on the finish. Just great balance and deliciousness.
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Paired with BBQ pork ribs perfectly. Nose of tobacco, cedar and menthol, and maybe a touch of brandy? Lots of tannins -- still a very young wine. Tastes of raspberry jam, dark cherries and thin mint girl scout cookies. Woody notes. Long finish. Just a very nice, consistent effort from Ridge.
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My notes from a Twitter TasteLive event sponsored by Ridge Vineyards: * The 2007 Lytton Springs is what I'm talking about - have always loved this wine from * Lytton Springs aroma - cherry, chocolate, sweet pipe tobacco and wet, sappy tree bark - I love the nose on this wine * ytton Springs - immediate balance on the palate, not overripe, good acid, strong tannins, finishing all the way through * I want to pair the LS with a juicy, blue cheese bacon burger - preferably from red mill in Seattle - or Girl & the Fig burger in Sonoma * The LS gets better with every sip - such good balance and the finish is looooong
NOTE: this wine sent to me as a sample from Ridge Vineyards
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Thanksgiving. Nice fruit, good acid balance, went better with the meal than its 2006 sibling (the 2007 won the 'which bottle do my relatives finish first' battle). A lot of potential.
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Fedway Tasting (The Palace, Somerset, NJ): Nose: dark red fruit. This is a nose of depth and complexity. P: perfect balance. med body, med/med+ acidity, med tannins. I would like to spend some more time with this. It was too good to be judged under these conditions. At least 85-6pts, probably higher.
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taste: full bodied and very bold with rich tones of dark spices, black fruits, black cherries, and black currants jam. Extremely dark on the palate and a bit overwhelming right now as there is a bit of heat too that kicks up on the back end
overall: this is extremely good right now if you want a more hedonistic zin. This does feel though like it needs some time to trim some baby fat
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Through an unlikely turn of events, I happened to spend about 9 hours with this bottle over 3 days - I've never had a Zin twist and turn so much. The initial pour was all vanilla and oak, and a super thrust of fruit; it didn't take long for that to take a back seat to wave after wave of rich (but not candied) raspberries, dark cherries, blackberry, and a bit of licorice. Then, just as suddenly, nothing. Nada. Zip. Completely went and hid under a rock, leaving a few tannins to hang around. Day two was playtime again, this time shifting to darker fruits - more blackberries, plums (?), dark cherries, bolstered by a raspy mineral-ness. That underlying mineral eventually moved towards a slightly feral earthiness that took over the glass at the end of the day. Today, on day three, we started with earth, but opened back up into a complex mesh of the dark red/black fruits, finally a distinct hit of that briar-y zin fruit, along with slightly lifted aromatics that brightened the whole (last) glass up a bit.
I readily admit I have next to no useful knowledge about predicting where a wine will end up over time, but if (and when) this bottle manages to knit together everything that it showed me this week, it will be something else, indeed.
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12/16/2022 - chatters wrote:
Supps at KC's (KC's place): Softly engaging, subtle and gentle, red hued fruits are fleshy and generous, sweet and savoury spice, a little brambly underpin. Juicy, a little herbaceous note joins the baked fruits on the palate, tannins near resolved, vanilla, less savoury spice on the palate. Lovely and wonderful to try next to the 2015
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10/24/2022 - MichielV wrote: 92 Points
W lamb eggplant mousaka. Fantastic ccombo. Really great well integrated wine at top of bottle. This will live much longer but why try to time the market. Very good zin flavors (red fruit dominates) great nose and fun length and finish. This is Ridge Lytton Springs at it best.
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5/25/2022 - WetRock wrote:
Still dense, not showing any translucency. Moderate bricking and some maturity around the edges of expression. Yet, the big, bold Zinberry broadcasts out of the glass still. Along with some lava rocks, plum and cocoa. A pinch of heat too. Still generous, weighty, fleshy fruit on the palate. Light tannin and just enough acidity. Could use more honestly. This is very expressive for its age though. There is a lot to work with yet. Its in a good spot but no harm in letting this go for many more years.
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12/12/2021 - chatters wrote:
An old friend. Decanted and consumed over a couple of hours - cherry, vanilla, chocolate, a smidge of coconut, touches of plums are joined by a little tertiary leather and earth. Balanced. Lovely.
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10/13/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well. Aged gracefully. Continue to stock up on these to drink down the road.
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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. Ugh, dirty glass. Gave it a shake and it showed cherry, plums, leather, earth. Savoury with juicy acidity, talc textured tannins, a little dried out for me, plus and earth carry here. Hmm
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1/25/2021 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
Half of the cork was raised a mm or two, but this was not an issue and the wine was sound. Decanted 1 hour. Only a small amount of sediment in the bottle. Almost purple in color with some bricking. Dark cherry, tea, good acidity and polished tannins. Concentrated, but well balanced. In a good place right now.
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10/20/2020 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
this was a revelation - nothing on day 1 when I assumed the wine had faded to nothing but having left most of the bottle overnight, the next evening revealed a gentle wine but with distinct fruit, complex and long - fantastic!
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7/24/2020 - KCRWSUMMERDAY Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased a 2L in 2009 to help a charity auction. Largest bottle I ever managed. Concerned because I don't have a cellar/temp controlled environment. Stored in the shipper inverted until 7/21/20. I'd been trying to find a good large party to open it, but many people like a variety, so when my cousin turned 94 in the midst of COVID-19, I decided to drive it 400 miles with it as my shotgun. Cork was basically in good shape. The wine was lovely with fresh Maine lobster, homemade Cole slaw and dill pickles and corn on-the-cob. The large format kept it safe for a bit longer than the projected 10 years. More than half of the wine remained after the dinner, so I put it into a refrigerator, took it back 400 miles along the beautiful CA coast highway and debated into two bottles for my own enjoyment. Tonite, pesto and mozzarella on Acme sourdough. Life is short. Drink it all ASAP!
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6/11/2020 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Big expressive nose of black cherry. Lush in the mouth, with an explosion of dark fruit and a long earthy finish.
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5/3/2020 - drmarclevine wrote: 89 Points
PNP. Tart raspberries with creosote and a dash of creaminess on the nose. Quite perfumed. In the mouth it was lots of Zin-berries, a hit of white pepper and more round creaminess. All the elements are there but it just didn't hang together in a harmonious way. Like an orchestra with someone slightly out of tune. Perhaps we waited a year or two too long. Nevertheless, a solid effort from Ridge. Drink up.
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1/17/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Black tea, a little flat initially, leather, sweet spice, earth, vanilla, slight cherry, quite tired nose on this wine though there is an underpin of black cherry and plum. Far better on the palate, savoury, plummy, a little black cherry, leather, quite dense and broad, tannins are silky fleshy. Long. Nice.
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12/2/2019 - MarkLA wrote: 91 Points
Plum cake, cinchona, cocoa, underbrush, gravel. Rich on the palate with medium plus acidity. Finishes with black tea, leather, and chocolate covered raisins. Some tannins left to resolve but provide a nice counterbalance (91+). Drink now to 2025.
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11/30/2019 - MaineMark wrote: 91 Points
Earthy aromas and a tart cherry and cranberry pallet punctuated by still-drying tannins and sharp acidity. A little too much on the acidity and tannins to feel well integrated.
It makes me think this still has many more years in it, and could improve further, but I don't have enough experience with well aged Lytton Springs to know for sure.
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8/23/2019 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 92 Points
What a treat to drink this from magnum with good friends! Probably the most elegant Zin on the planet, harmonious and polished. I love the way the oak plays, alternately smoothing out the texture and spicing up the finish (which also features cran and cherry flavors alongside the spicy oak).
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7/13/2019 - drmarclevine wrote: 88 Points
Promising nose of raspberry, tobacco and cola. Fell short in the mouth, however. Lots of strawberries but not much else happening. Lacked weight. On the downslope. Drink up.
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5/1/2019 - Teamcrev wrote: 89 Points
Lat of the 2007's. Better right out of the bottle than on the 2nd and 3rd night.
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4/22/2019 - cweiss wrote:
Even from 375 this continues to bring commendable depth of fruit. A little bit lifted, which together with the acid balance increases the freshness.
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12/28/2018 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, 14.5% alc.
Colour: deep red berries
Bouquet: rich ripe raspberries, cereal, herbal, savoury
Palate: as bouquet, dry red berries, soft tannins, chewy, great length.
December 2018
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12/3/2018 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Same note as year ago--
From a 375. Bright exuberant fruit with some depth. No heat. Drinking well now. Matched well with leftover pot roast.
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11/23/2018 - WetRock wrote:
This is pretty good and aging slowly. The fruit still carries plenty of flesh and strong ripe purity. A nice dose of tannin to make it interesting. A lovely expression of classic California Zinfandel and field blends. Really good and in a great place.
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10/27/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
From magnum. Fresh and expressive with mixed black fruits and zippy finish.
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8/12/2018 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Plenty of time still to go here. Give it another 10? Nice acidity. Blackberry, blueberry pie filling. The fruit is nice and integrated. There is a nice herbal note. Juicy.
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8/5/2018 - chatters wrote:
Supper with the girls (E & M's in the rocks, Sydney): Lovely, plummy and cherry, chocolate. This bottle still very primary. Joyful yumminess.
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7/1/2018 - Teamcrev wrote: 92 Points
Excelllent with burgers. Big flavors, drinking perfectly now.
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6/5/2018 - chatters wrote:
Cherry, touches of leather, beginning to show it's age...now sure how it will progress from here...Hmm
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5/19/2018 - PIntag wrote: 93 Points
Drank this on our 16th anniversary with a prime dip sandwich and GFC chicken sandwich from our local joint, Prime by Shenandoah. This bottle drank beautifully! Yes, the American oak signature is there, and I'm usually a huge critic, but this wine worked it out pretty well and I didn't find it at all objectionable, as it has integrated well at this point. I still would have preferred less of it, but I'm not complaining because this was so pleasing, rich, and balanced. An American classic!
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4/19/2018 - sjw_11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was really good. A perfect medium-bodied, food friendly wine with good character. Impressive.
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4/8/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of leather, sweet spice, biscuit, very slight tomato leaf, the rambunctious fruit of previous years tasting is more subdued and tending to red spectrum, cherry, yes, but also strawberry here…and so it proves on the palate, more signs of maturation here as well. A little short, perhaps, and a little subdued but still with some jubey cherry and strawberry but also plenty of spice and biscuit.
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1/12/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 89 Points
this was good zin but the fruit was pretty muted. Maybe in a dumb phase?
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12/17/2017 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still a vibrant looking red although bricking a bit now. Aromas of thick feeling dark fruits and ripe raspberries mixed with a sweet vanillan and tobacco back drop. Spiciness in the scents . Overall a nice complex nose .... but being reticent in giving it all up. Its being shy and demure.
Nice nice nice body. Dose of acidity to keep the wine from being too viscous on the mouthfeel. Silky dusty tannins, still a bit drying in the mouth. Smooth and silky with nice deep berry fruits, and milk chocolate/vanilla creaminess. Long finish. Nicely done.
93-94 points. A nice wow wine on a Sunday night.
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12/7/2017 - espesqpa@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Decent well made older style wine. Good fruit still. Tannic. Needs some time.
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10/19/2017 - timewithwine wrote:
Wow! What a sophisticated Zin. Smooth, well knit, taut, elegant; a wine that can’t help but slink as it moves. A deep claret that is nevertheless bright and clean. Brown sugar, rhubarb, Draper perfume and black fruits including plum on the attack. Mocha and coffee on the finish. In between, molasses oozes in. Perhaps some dusty rose from the resolved tannins. It’s all good. 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah and 7% Carignane. This is a sleeper wine. A fair amount of sediment affixed to the shoulder and lower neck with some pouring out with the final pour. 14.4% alc. With flank steak. Recommended.
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10/7/2017 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Sweet, ripe fruit with velvety tannins and good balance.
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9/29/2017 - AURUM Likes this wine: 91 Points
Starting with vanilla nose, sweetness, red berries, tobacco and a hint of grass, mint or eukalyptus. Initially soft but powerful taste. A few seconds later still grippy tannins, fresh acidity, structure and balance. Develop more fruit 1-2 hour after opening. Red and black berries, milk chocolate, but a bit too polished to really fulfil expectations. It may have been more interesting 2-3 years ago?
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9/17/2017 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
Been looking forward to drinking a Ridge with a little bottle age. This was in a good place, still very young and primary. A Zinfandel blend made in a Claret style, which was fun and interesting. I think I tend to prefer my Zins a little more focused on the fruit but this is an extremely well made red that has plenty of years ahead of it.
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9/6/2017 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
quite a gentle wine now with the tannins all but gone - beautifully balanced and well made - delicious! - would drink soonish
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8/25/2017 - chatters wrote:
A return to form here. double decanted. Cherry, vanilla, slight coconut, plum. lovely.
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8/19/2017 - chatters wrote:
3rd Annual 7 Deadly Zins - Reprise (about 14 this time) (Wayne's place in Darlinghurst): From Coravin. Slightly earthy, cherry, plummy, leathery, slight savoury spice but also sweet spice here, and vanilla. In the mouth it's juicy and spicy with red berries, plums, slight leather and fine tannins. Also a little vanilla.
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7/31/2017 - cweiss wrote:
From a 375. Bright exuberant fruit with some depth. No heat. Drinking well now and matched well with grilled chicken.
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7/10/2017 - Ed B wrote: 91 Points
Splash decanted for 20 min and drank over 2 hours. Very nice, as expected.
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6/4/2017 - chatters wrote:
3rd Annual 7 Deadly Zins (well, about 15 this time) (Wayne's place in Darlinghurst): Ripe cherry, baked earth, slight herbaceous notes, slight chocolate and vanilla. On the palate it's juicy and fleshy with cherry fruits & vanilla chocolate and slightly drying tannins. Fresh, nice, easy, quaffable. Better than the bottle we tapped with Coravin.
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6/4/2017 - chatters wrote:
3rd Annual 7 Deadly Zins (well, about 15 this time) (Wayne's place in Darlinghurst): From Coravin. Sweet cherry over leather, earth, sweet spice. On the palate it's juicy with very slightly sour cherry, chocolate and leathery tannins. Hmm.
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6/3/2017 - flussier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Robe bourgogne. Beau nez, sur les arômes de fraise, petit fruits et beurre. Belle rondeur et astringence. Toujours une réussite les Lytton Springs de Ridge.
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5/29/2017 - Buhever wrote: 94 Points
Notes are consistent with Askoje's. A true pleasure to drink. The 22% petite sirah really seems to give it depth and adds to the body of the wine. I drank it with some true zin-lovers and it blew them away. Drink it now because I don't see it getting any better.
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4/22/2017 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Deep red. Nose opens with ripe, dark, wild raspberries. Full bodied mouth feel, bramble fruit and Madagascar vanilla on the palate. Lots of fruit and acidity, this is still very much alive and is drinking perfectly now. Oak and alcohol perfectly integrated and balance is perfect. Long finish with smooth tannins. Excellent Lytton Springs
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12/30/2016 - chatters wrote:
Supper at Ivan and Jo's - Jordan's tasting (Jo & Ivan's, Marrickville): From Coravin. Red cherry, black plum, vanilla, cream, biscuit on the nose. More of the same on the palate. This one is spicier and more alcoholic on the finish than I remember it being. Jordan says "Alcoholic cherry ripe" which pretty much nails it.
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12/7/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
A classic Zinfandel
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11/13/2016 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with notes by Johnbonds and Milliontown, just excellent! Not sure how much longer it will last, a few years maybe - glad we have one more, will be hard to wait to drink it!
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11/11/2016 - mntebolt wrote: 92 Points
v good
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11/6/2016 - cweiss Likes this wine:
From 375. Just a touch of heat but drinking well.
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10/30/2016 - allisonhathhorn wrote: 94 Points
I remember being impressed with this bottle and buying a case of it about 4 or so years ago. Every single bottle I've opened I have loved. Chocolate and anise on the nose with a smidge of juniper berry. On the palette the utter juiciness of this wine hits you immediately, in a great way. In addition, chocolate, unripe rasberry, spice and more that I can't identify given that I'm about halfway through this bottle solo. Still great 9 years in. 1 bottle left. Very pleased with this purchase with I think I bought for 24.99 a bottle. Enjoy this.
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10/22/2016 - Milliontown wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, great bottle showing development and balance in the glass. Faded brick-red rim, smells of the classic zin-profile of plum jam and briar cherries, with some spice and black olive in there too. There's some secondary characters, some slightly port-y, kinda raisin-y aromas hinting at the wine's ripeness and development. Resolved on the palate, has great length with integrated tannins and gorgeous, lasting acidity. Always a big fan of this. Shared with a group and nobody but the (american) somm guessed it as Zin. Was enjoyed by many though.
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10/15/2016 - Ed B wrote: 92 Points
PnP at dinner party. No detailed notes. Great, maturing wine. Well received by knowledgeable wine people.
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10/11/2016 - Ed B wrote:
Splash decanted and drank over next 3 hours, while preparing and having dinner. (Zin and lamb: Best paring ever!). No detailed notes, but medium body and very nice spice. I.e., an excellent mature Zin. Raised my drinking window to 2020. Will last at least that long.
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10/8/2016 - Cadby Likes this wine: 96 Points
2007 Ridge Lytton Springs ++++ $34
Perfectly aged, mouth filling maturity. Blended by Gods
http://8wordsonwine.blogspot.com/2016/10/2007-ridge-lytton-springs-34.html
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9/11/2016 - deejay81 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour to breathe and remove sediment. Cork was in pristine condition. Dark red/purple with no visible signs of age. Lots of red fruit on the nose with some earthiness and leather.
Taste is similar to the nose, with very well integrated oak, and a good amount of acidity putting everything together. If I drank this blind, I would have thought a ten year old Hunter Shiraz. Finish was long and kept my mouth watering for more. Vacuum sealed the bottle and left in the fridge for the next day and still delicious. I can't wait to open the next bottle and will look for more to purchase.
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8/12/2016 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good wine. Earthy with dark fruits. a bit of oak, but well integrated and a plus to the overall profile and taste.
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7/16/2016 - chatters wrote:
Ripe cherry, raspberry over plums, vanilla, spice with more of the same on the palate...hello old friend. Long, lovely, generous and welcoming. What a joy this wine is.
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7/16/2016 - birdiefour Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this is drinking wonderfully right now. Took one to a BBQ event.....pig roast, BBQ chicken, and beef brisket and it paired amazingly.
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5/21/2016 - chatters wrote:
the last couple of bottles I've had have presented a little bit of age but this one was pristine. I must confess it is joy and a lovely wine to pull out for friends (who also loved it...) The great pity is that though someone now imports this superb wine into Australia it is currently retailing for 135 AUD (97 US) - you can pick it up in the US for about 50 AUD. Sometimes it sucks to be down-under...
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4/24/2016 - putter520 wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced, nice finish.
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4/16/2016 - Alexroy wrote: 92 Points
Red fruit, bright, fresh nose. Smooth, spicy, red fruit, leather, firm tannin structure, good length. Big and enjoyable.
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4/8/2016 - BVal wrote: 92 Points
From 375ml
Color: deep, dense, opaque ruby core -> full garnet rim. Elegant, lovely bouquet of chocolate, plums, leather, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon. This really shows its class on the beautifully composed palate. Ripe but balanced fruit with great precision and structural tensity, this wine shows the heights Zinfandel can reach IMHO. With a great, punchy midpalate, strong acid spine and a long, long tasty finish this is (and always has been) Grand Cru Zin. Certainly drinking at peak now so no reason to wait, I'm sure it will hold on this plateau for several more years -- especially out of a 750.
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3/28/2016 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lively and perfumed Lytton Springs with pure fruit that is gaining complexity and some very interesting leathery undertones. Very attractive middle palate that offers lots of polished fruit and a long finish that delivers powdery tannins and hints of forest floor. This combines elegance and power. Stunning Zin.
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3/26/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious. 2007 is a good year fro Lytton Springs. Happy to have 4 left
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3/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Very nice showing. The group and mine's number 2. Inky purple in color. Black raspberries, bramble and gravel on the nose. Nice acidity. Plums and black raspberry fruit. Firm tannins. Long finish. Plenty of room left for further development but a juicy, delicious wine right now.
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3/6/2016 - camben Likes this wine:
Dry dusty ripe fruit. Plenty of acid left. Starting to smooth out. A burlap finish with tart fruit
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3/5/2016 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Please refer to my previous note on this wine. Quite excellent tonight too, but definitely time to drink up.
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3/4/2016 - Tlkemp57@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Don't wait too much longer to drink! I think it's at it's peak now.
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3/1/2016 - EMark Likes this wine:
Very dark plum color. Maybe the darkest Zin (OK, Zin blend) I’ve ever seen. Tart cherry nose, with some alcoholic zing. This one starts out winner winner on entry. Various berry flavors—a blend of red and black—some dried plum—prune without the sugar. Very settled tannins Good acid holds the fruitiness in check. In a note five years ago I said to “drink it now.” That sounds panicky. I know it was a good wine five years ago, but it is a better wine, now.
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2/28/2016 - chatters wrote:
Contained and complex cherry and berry. Slight herbaceous notes, sweet spice, muted American oak and tobacco on the nose. In the mouth it's rich and giving, balanced and pleasurable but moving on from the glorious world of primary fruit that it has inhabited since I first tried it. Long. Still nice.
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2/13/2016 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 90 Points
If you want proof that Zinfandel based cuvées are ageworth, this wine is a good example. The nose first provides a bit subdued fruit, almost like an aged Cabernet. After a while red currant, blackberry and saddle leather emerges. A whiff of cinnamon and cacao is also found. The palate adds integration and absolutely no tannins. This wine is at its peak right now. I would actually guess fruit will start fading very soon as it is already a bit reluctant. Still it is a nice acquaintance - but be sure to drink up soon. (score is 90+)
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2/5/2016 - Brian Love wrote: 92 Points
Very smooth zin blend stylistically less fruit driven than many zins (although is clearly still zin!). Starting to show a little mellow age but probably has plenty more years ahead of it.
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1/16/2016 - ogres3 wrote: 93 Points
Tutto bene. Purple red hues. Very pleasant and interesting full bodied fruit. Good finish. Almost s pop and pour at this point.
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12/30/2015 - guitarguy wrote: 84 Points
I thought this felt old, pruned and oxidized notes both in the nose and on the palate. I received this directly from Ridge and stored at 55 F so I think storage was good. Some black pepper on the finish but an unsatisfying experience. Lytton tends NOT to be oxidized like Dusi offerings, so I was surprised at the shape it was in. Not great, but drinkable anyway.
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12/14/2015 - chatters wrote:
all the usual but beginning to get a bit tired.
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12/7/2015 - chcook Likes this wine:
From 375. PNP. Cork perfect. Color dark garnet with ruby edges. This has dark fruit with chocolate and raisin notes. Swishing shows great depth of fruit, acid structure, and tinge of alcohol and some oak tannin on the finish. Sipping this shows super density and great balance.....the oak and alcohol are obscured by the fruit density. This one is much better than the last 375 we tried and more consistent with other reviews. In a great place right now.
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10/11/2015 - camben Likes this wine:
Fantastic. Rich and deeply complex without overripe characteristics. Has a long life left. No rush. Berries, spice, flower, oak and some pine notes.
excellent
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9/28/2015 - wondersofwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Zinfandel blend--71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane. 14.4% abv. Opened Sept. 28th. Viscous, darkly colored, aromatic with a lengthy finish. Dark berries with tree bark notes and mild tannins; some dark plum notes also. Mellows a bit after some aeration. I had it with broiled strip steak. The bottle had been on its side and showed a bit of sediment on the side of the bottle and in the dregs of the final glass.
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9/7/2015 - kurishin Likes this wine: 91 Points
I normally whinge about a shortage of secondary flavors. This wine, due to the unique and skilled blending, transcends that issue. With a Ridge, and this was no exception, you know that you will be drinking something interesting and well-made. My wife was struck with coffee notes with this one, which I attributed to the PS.
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9/7/2015 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of America's most reliable Zins from one of our most reliable wineries.
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8/30/2015 - Old Amarone wrote: 92 Points
This went so well with a Broccoli Rabe/Pesto/White Bean combo. This is a common Vegetarian dish at my home!
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8/8/2015 - diggydan wrote: 92 Points
Great zin. Lots of sweet red and blue berry fruit with a nice brambly finish.
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7/6/2015 - signotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking nicely at age 8... I did not like this in its youth but it has come around and has plenty of elegence and class. Very nice.
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7/3/2015 - Bs769@comcast.net wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic wine, blend very nice, fruit forward with complexities due to petite sirah, will defiantly buy again.
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7/2/2015 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pepper, spices, ripe plum, and cake on the nose. Dark berries on the palate with medium+ tannins and very nice balance. Good finish.
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6/20/2015 - twoamps Likes this wine: 89 Points
nice, mellow "older" Ridge zin. Subdued fruit, a little spice, soft finish.
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6/14/2015 - chcook wrote:
From 375. PNP. Cork perfect. Color garnet w crimson edges. Nose w chocolate raisins and a whiff of dill. Swishing displays both acid alcohol and tannin bringing up the rear. Sipping allows the balance to show a little better balance but this is still a little hot. Maybe better in large format but these little guys are a little disappointing.
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5/23/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank from magnum. Nice bold flavors with soft tannins and cherry like finish. Very enjoyable.
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4/25/2015 - chatters Likes this wine:
2nd Annual 7 Deadly Zins tasting…well, 10 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Profound, joyous, I did not expect to find such a discernible difference but there it is. Sticks out in this line up like a canines cohonas. This has to be the Ridge Lytton Springs. All the usual stuff - berries, cherries, plums, vanilla, chocolate, spice etc. on the nose...in the mouth the wine is juicier and leaner - tauter almost...like an engine that has been finely tuned. Wonderfully balanced. Gorgeous. superb.
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4/16/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Lytton Springs is so consistently good. It is vibrant and dense. Dark layered fruit. There is a certain complexity here. Brambly dark fruit, lip smacking acidity. Juicy juice. Delicious to drink but there is a sophistication about this.
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3/28/2015 - chatters wrote:
Normal service resumed, rich, dark fruits - esp plums and black cherry, beautiful Yankee oak - vanilla to the fore, walked hand in hand to the sunset with barbecued veal chops and roast veg couscous. Superb
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3/22/2015 - chatters wrote:
BBQ lunch at Daves (Banksia, Sydney): Plums, slight black cherry, cream vanilla, toast and hints of herbaceousness on the nose. On the palate it's plummy, black cherry savoury joy with some vanilla and slight spice. Firm but silky tannins. Yumptious.
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3/9/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 92 Points
Terrific. A lot of bottle variation in my lot.
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3/8/2015 - chatters wrote:
Aromas of plums, slight red cherry, cream, vanilla, sweet spice...In the mouth it has flavours of plum with slight red cherry...also some prune hints and vanilla & cream. There are very fine tannins and the wine finishes with sweet spice and slight alcoholic heat. Though good this bottle was a little 'flat' for me.
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2/22/2015 - timewithwine wrote:
This is the first bottle of this vintage I’ve tasted. It consists of a blend of 71% Zin, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignane. Aged for 15 months in American oak, the wine shows an easy vanilla dominance on the finish; not harsh or bitter, but dominant. The attack leads off easily with Zin funk, bramble berry and molasses. But that moves into rhubarb and dusty rose. The structure is big, but it doesn’t get in the way of easy drinking. And easy it is. This goes down quickly. Sediment on the shoulder but nothing pours out in the glass. 14.4% alc. Consumed with a group while watching the Daytona 500. With (beef) chili. Recommended.
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2/13/2015 - chatters Likes this wine:
I managed, I think, to winkle out the last few bottles available of this nectar. No one is bringing Ridge into the Australia any more so the only way to get it going forward is going to be to schlep to the States...more of the usual joy with this bottle...plummy black fruit, cream , vanilla...mmm...some cherry as well...almost chocolate. So rich and generous on the palate with warm spiced notes joining on the long finish. This wine is consistently enjoyable for me.
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2/7/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Quick tasting at Ridge (Ridge Lytton Springs): This wine is picking up some of that aged softness. Round and a little sweet, a little lush. I tend to like these younger or older. At this age the Lytton and Geyserville have aged out of structure and energetic fruit but haven't developed the mature mellow fruit.
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1/18/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: flawed
Sonoma Winter WINEland 2015 (Sonoma): Dark garnet in the glass. Oxidized.
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12/12/2014 - Col.Harding wrote: 90 Points
very nice indeed, ripe, dark fruits, but controlled and rich.
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11/20/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 91 Points
This was good on the first night and even a little better on the 2nd. Beautiful dark Zinfandel fruit with decent structure. I really enjoyed this bottle.
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10/12/2014 - kmicho Likes this wine: 92 Points
A delicious, complex wine. Strong vanilla and berries. A little bit of earth and graphite. Extremely well balanced and perfect tannins.
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10/7/2014 - suburbanfrog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very impressive. Liked a lot.
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9/28/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really nice showing for this wine. I know these drink well for a long time, but this is approaching a bit of maturity. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Complex and layered but still lots of youthful fruit. Nice finish. Always a great wine.
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9/14/2014 - bluedog Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ripe cherries and light dust on the nose. Beautiful, smooth, fruit forward berries, with the familiar zin finish. Plenty of tannins live on, but this wine is drinking wonderfully now. Enjoy!
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8/16/2014 - chatters wrote:
7 Deadly Zins…well, 8 (My place, parramatta, sydney): Ripe plum tending to prune and umeboshi, slight unripe notes. Spice, leather. On the palate the wine is juicy and spicy with plum and prune flavours and talc like tannin. Now, it's not flawed but I've never tasted one of these that has tasted like this. Perhaps slightly out of condition? not sure. Perhaps a little baked? Hmm.
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8/16/2014 - sfowine Likes this wine:
Super smooth and balanced now. Tannins integrated. Will likely finish off the last 4 bottles over next year.
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7/31/2014 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
My favorite vintage for LS over the last decade. Just now entering gangly adolescence, this is a joy with a couple hour decant. Not for your in-your-face zin crowd, showing more elegant structure and restrained fruit. These will make old bones.
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7/26/2014 - abarc wrote: 90 Points
Drank @ Vineria Percussi w/ Fê & Digo + Bia
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7/11/2014 - chatters wrote:
Ripe raspberry and cherry, cream, vanilla. A pleasure, as always, to drink.
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7/6/2014 - cweiss Likes this wine:
Good structure, plenty of the oft-mentioned bramble fruit, some earthiness. In drinking window now. Good match with dry rubbed baby backs with peach BBQ sauce.
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6/6/2014 - TheEngineer Likes this wine: 89 Points
What an elegant presentation of Zin. This is a medium bodied wine, good complexity though not overtly so that it hurts. Nice crunch fruit, good structure and a nice long finish. from a 375 ml Bottle
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5/16/2014 - Col.Harding wrote: 90 Points
tasty, round red fruits, better as it opened up, but only a half-bottle so it was gone before it showed its real self.90
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5/16/2014 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initially thin and acidic, this required a good 45 minutes of air to open up. Attractive, though muted aromas of dark berries, dried spices and bramble. Full-bodied, but not heavy, hot or overdone. Offers a juicy mouthful of tangy raspberry and ripe plum fruit with a lively acidity. Hints of rhubarb and vanilla linger on the long, lip-smacking finish. Just slightly rustic in style - but absolutely delicious.
50+5+11+16+8=90
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5/16/2014 - TiggerK wrote: 90 Points
Good intensity and weight, but lacking the elegance of the 05 and the class of the 92 in the same flight. But a nice wine nonetheless. I would hold another few years at least before drinking.
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5/16/2014 - TiggerK wrote:
Showed fairly muted, a bit awkward. Prob bottle variation. Similar to Uglypinga review.
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5/15/2014 - Uglypinga wrote:
Blinded on a cab tasting. I had no clue what this was. The nose was muted and showed a little smoky meat. The palate showed thinly with a clipped finish. Not a good showing.
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5/13/2014 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at winery. Showing a slight hint of bricking on the edges. Red fruits with some raspberry/cranberry and slight savory finish.
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5/11/2014 - cos82 wrote: 88 Points
From .375 bottle. Nice nose of blackberry and blueberry. Still dark cherry in color. Not as much fruit as I would like. Earth and brambles with a tad of cherry. No tannin.
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5/7/2014 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
A Tasting at Ridge (Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Estate): Faded garnet color. Notes of red currant, white pepper, dried earth and florals. Elegant. Lovely fruit on the palate with an earthy/dusty edge. Tannins are still young but beginning to integrate. Lengthy finish dominated by red fruit and white pepper. 91+ pts.
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5/5/2014 - rhanke wrote: 91 Points
enjoyed. smooth finish
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4/14/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 88 Points
Graphite, peppery, cherry and a touch of alcohol heat. Rich on the palate, though there is a line of acidity that helps greatly. May improve with 3-5 years further aging. My least favourite of the 92/05/07 flight but still good.
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4/12/2014 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Lots of blue and dark fruits with a little earthiness thrown in for goodness. Maybe a little cola esque but otherwise a nice balance of acids, fruit, and tannins. Like it.
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3/23/2014 - Bisty wrote: 89 Points
Ridge Zinfandel 1994-2010 (Brussels): Blueish colour.
rather neutral and daft tones without showing depth in the fruit at this stage. Nothing to get very excited about right now. Hold.
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3/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels vertical: I did not like this vintage too much, both wines were a bit too big.
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3/6/2014 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Purple in color. 14.4% ABV. Red fruits, plums and chocolate on the nose. Medium body and light acidity. Blackberry, vanilla cream, pepper, prunes and cinnamon on the palate. Supple tannins and a long finish. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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3/1/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first bottle, almost a year ago, was somewhat disappointing, but this one sure wasn't. In fact, it reminded me of a ....Ridge Lytton Springs. Nice balance of fruit and structure, with a hint of earthiness. A "serious" wine that's built for the long haul.
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2/22/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 87 Points
It's the petite sirah that gives this character.
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2/18/2014 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby/cranberry color. Fresh, graceful bouquet of currants, raspberries, blueberries, Hoisin sauce, and conifer. The bright, adolescent palate is filled with classic Ridge fruit, beautiful exotic spices, and a long, firm finish. Youthful, but approachable, it's already engaging and will only get better with age. This is elegant, sophisticated, and seamless. Outstanding.
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2/15/2014 - SexyEpicurean Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is the only way I can drink Zinfandel anymore. This blend is very tasty, and the Zin is kept in check by the classic style and expertise of Ridge winemaking. I have always enjoyed their offerings even as I have prcatically stopped drinking any other Cali wines, certainly of the Zin variety. Perfectly harmonious and balanced with an almost lightweight mouthfeel. Still has a nice dry grip of tannin, leather to go with the delicious brambly fruit of the PS, and Zin. Drank with beef/italian sausage chili on a cold evening by the fire. Great with chocolate afterwards, too.
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2/13/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 89 Points
decanted 30 min. dark red to purple center; wild raspberries & blackberries w/lots of bramble leaf & tobacco on nose, black pepper & earth; med/full bodied; quite brier-ey on the palate, again wild, slightly dry, blackberries & dark plums, pointed note of black pepper & dark earth. this bottle seemed less forward than the last, not over-ripe, jammy or particularly tannic, just not as expressive & juicy as previous example.
pizza w/hot Italian sausage, rapini & fresh mozz; escarole salad w/avocado & shaved red onion
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1/23/2014 - cybergod Likes this wine:
Just delicious. Ripe berry fruit with nice length and a touch of earthiness. Not in any way over the top, and fully balanced by just the right amount of acidity and tannic structure. A great Lytton Springs.
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1/3/2014 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
With pizza. Subtle fruit for a zin. Great balance and complexity.
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12/30/2013 - VinoPKM wrote:
Something about this wine never fully came around. I felt it was in a sort of dumb phase... Gave it 1.5 hours of air and drank 3 hours. It was drinkable and pretty good, but never fully showed or came around the way I felt it should. If I had to score 86-87, bottle variation?
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12/22/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 89 Points
We decanted the wine for 30 minutes before we poured the first glass. It was dark ruby in colour and offered red and dark fruit, cherry, blackberry, damson plum, spices, cinnamon, some gingerbread, some chocolate and some tobacco on the nose. On the palate the wine showed sour cherry, blackberry, damson plum, spices, cinnamon, some gingerbread, milk chocolate and waffles, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-minus tannin and very good length. The oak was better integrated and the wine was more food-friendly compared to the bottle I opened a little less than a year ago. A solid, round, balanced, medium- to full-bodied, medium-complex Zin with good concentration.
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12/21/2013 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, delicious mixed berry fruit, blueberry flavors, excellent structure, very forward and round, fresh, little earth, classic Zin
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11/24/2013 - chatters wrote:
this is the wine to drink whilst I wait for my Bordeaux and Burgundy to become consumable...one day I'll bring a pallet of this to Australia...
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11/3/2013 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Lots of focused black cherry and blackberry aromas. Medium bodied and lithe on the palate.
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10/17/2013 - petermpls Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really came into its own after it had time to open up in the decanter. I will decant 2 hours ahead on my next bottle.
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10/13/2013 - kernel Likes this wine: 91 Points
nicely perfumed wine with good mouthfeel. solid zin
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9/29/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1hr, took some time to open, even 1hr in the decanter. When open, balanced currant/cassis, plums, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Paired with beef burgundy pot pies,worked great!
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9/23/2013 - Vini Ciclismo wrote: 87 Points
Med wt, good deep red colour.
Pure clean fragrance, berries and violets, not overly expressive.
Red and black cherries. Some sour cherrystone, pinot-like pippy. Hints of licorice spice and tar, sweet red fruit profile but not cloying or confected. Not super-expressive either. For drinking now.
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9/23/2013 - wadcorp Likes this wine:
Bottle consistent with earlier posts.
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9/21/2013 - chatters wrote:
I find it very hard to be subjective about a wine that I just plain enjoy so much. it still has lashings of primary fruit on the nose - plum, black and red cherry (especially when served slightly cooler, as this bottle initially was) underpinned by cream, vanilla and spice. Other notes are the beginnings of bramble, some chocolate, touches of tinned pear, a certain charcuterie and touches of leather. In the mouth it's all, for me, about the balance of flavour, acidity (of which there is plenty) and fine tannin. I tend to wax lyrical a little with this wine but I do love this so and, consequently, any note I write about it should be taken not just with the veritable pinch but probably a whole bag of salt...happiness in a glass.
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9/13/2013 - team-blackburn wrote: 88 Points
Pizza with Albert, PNP should of let this have some time in a decanter.
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9/7/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
evolved nicely over the course of the evening. lots of black fruit and nice long finish. should have a long life ahead
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9/1/2013 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep garnet in color with a slight purple hue. Nose of rasberry preserves. Tastes of stewed cherries with hints of milk chocolate and vanilla. In a pleasant drinking window. Very supple. Pairs nicely with many meats and blue vein cheeses.
The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium.
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8/18/2013 - Kevdog Likes this wine: 90 Points
smooth, nice balance, paired well with steaks
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7/20/2013 - Dbader wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was fantastic! From the moment you opened it to several hours later, this wine changed complexities many times. Great dried fruit on the initial taste with some earthiness on the finish. Very smooth and great after taste. Wish I had more of these..
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7/12/2013 - FLI Likes this wine: 88 Points
Jammy and bold without too much alcoholic heat.
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6/28/2013 - chatters wrote:
This is not a proper tasting note but back in 2003 (I know, not that long ago) I was first exposed to Zinfandel (Ridge York Creek 01) which completely changed my perception of wine and opened a whole lot of vinous doors. Since then I've learnt about and tasted and drank a lot of wine but this glorious nectar never fails to transport me back to that moment of revelation and joy. Now, after all that waffle...on the nose, plum almost prune, some black cherry, vanilla, chocolate, a touch of raisin, slight tinned pear & ripe red fruit underpinned by a very slight meatiness. On the palate chocolate, vanilla, juicy ripe plum and red berry fruit, fine and non-intrusive tannin all tumble happily around the mouth and fade on the medium plus finish. Lovely.
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6/21/2013 - wadcorp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always exceptional, especially with Pizza. This one is right in "The Zone". As with an earlier bottle, it is showing great structure, with notes of bramble fruits & some black cherry. Drink now. Even better if you have a good artisinal pizza to go with it.
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6/14/2013 - Dbader wrote: 87 Points
It had then Zin nose but was flat on the taste. It didn't have the hot Zin characteristics but drank more like a cab or merlot.
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5/27/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
PNP, dark fruits, pepper, chocolate, rich, still some tannins to intergrated.
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5/25/2013 - Night Train wrote: 88 Points
Somewhat of a disappointment. Nice "zinny" nose. Nice fruit, with hints of cloves and spices. Medium body. Not noticeably hot. Surprising lack of tannins and definitely missing the "wow" factor I'd expected.
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5/17/2013 - chatters wrote:
medium plus intensity aromas of spiced plum and charcuterie, red berry, earthy notes, touches of prune, biscuit and vanilla. In the mouth initially bit, savoury prune and plus, spice and vanilla and touches of chocolate. The wine has some residual sugar, medium plus alcohol warmth, medium tannin and medium plus acid. medium plus length carries the above and slight herbaceous and chewy notes and hints of tinned pears. Nice.
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4/27/2013 - cos82 Likes this wine: 89 Points
From .375. Dark cherry in color. Nose of Blueberry and brambles. Drinking well with no tannin. Blackberry plum, crushed stones and some oak. A nice wine to go with grilled NY strip at home. Not a big wine, but a nice easy sipper. Better than last 2 times tried. A little more age has mellowed this wine.
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3/24/2013 - themki wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruit nose; tart cherry, raspberry, and cranberry finish. Some sweet oak and richness but too tart. Agree with previous TNT that this seemed richer 2 years ago - what will another 2-3 years bring?
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3/16/2013 - themki wrote: 85 Points
Tart cherry dominates nose and finish; well-balanced but somewhat harsh. This was richer and smoother 2 years ago - is it finished or just "shut down" for now?
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3/6/2013 - Yamadori wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Consistent with previous TN. Tannins have softened a little. Picked up a root beer component with this bottle along with chocolate and spice. Definitely a more restrained style of Zinfandel. Still very good and drinking nicely.
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3/1/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 88 Points
The wine offered sweet fruit, cherry, sweet spices, clove and toasty oak on the nose. On the palate the wine showed a myriad of flavours, including sweet red and dark fruit, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, spices, cinnamon, clove, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, cherry cola, some liquorice and some coffee, paired with medium to medium-minus tannin, medium-level acidity, a velvety mouthfeel and tremendous length. A solid, medium-bodied, flavourful, easy-drinking wine with lots of sweet oak. To me it tended to get a little boring over time, but then, I am not a Zin-head. Not food–friendly.
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1/20/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 90 Points
good but not as good as prior vintages in my opinion.
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1/20/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
PNP, this bottle showed loads of tart cherry, red plum, raspberries, hints o f spice and vaniila. More forward and evoloved than pervious bottles.
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1/6/2013 - Topper wrote: 86 Points
Not my favorite vintage of this wine. The fruit was surprisingly backwards and the remaining flavors were somewhat like black tea. Didn't pair well with food and I wouldn't so much look forward to drinking it on its own. Not bad, but nothing special, and likely won't improve.
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12/18/2012 - chefpete wrote: 91 Points
thick and joicy
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12/17/2012 - mrpalmer wrote: 91 Points
Exceptional.
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12/16/2012 - FLI wrote: 87 Points
Was expecting warmer, richer fruit. Still, fairly well balanced - maybe a tiny bit hot. 14.4% alc. Better with food than a typical zin.
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12/13/2012 - mazik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful zin blend, huge nose, tons of fruit but with what they call structure, sequenced flavors, 14.4 but not tasting hot, ripe and ready but probably with ten more years of life in it. Served with braised brisket and potato latkes at our Hanukkah party.
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11/6/2012 - tarheel17 wrote: 88 Points
Palate: very tooty fruity at first, then the tannin and acidity led a campaign for the finish. Weird beginning, the blend was tasty by the end of the night. Election results may have colored the tasting notes... 87-88 pts
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11/4/2012 - FandL wrote: 91 Points
a great well balanced wine with nice complexity for sipping and goes very well with smoked pulled pork.
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10/29/2012 - Dan & Krista Stockman wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful. Complex and interesting, juicy and super jammy. Luscious.
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10/9/2012 - Rechrom wrote:
Drank very well both with food and alone. No detailed notes as on a trip. In balance with character and panache.
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10/6/2012 - Bellissimo wrote:
Decanted 30 minutes. Note taken about 90 minutes after that. Dark black pepper, spice, vanilla on the nose. Palate has lots of juicy blackberry up front with nice spice, toasty oak, and menthol leading into the spicy tannins. On a cold night, this hit the spot.
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7/17/2012 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Classic Ridge Zinfandel. Not mind blowing, but good. Decanted for a half hour.
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6/12/2012 - WaldoSPE wrote:
Great wine!
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6/11/2012 - Battleship wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes at first taste and it was already opened up then paired with BBQ smoked ribs over the next hour and it was great with them. Deep nose of dark red fruit and spice and a palate with enough strength and finesse to stand up to the BBQ but still break through.
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6/7/2012 - ksde wrote: 91 Points
Started a bit tight and tannic. After decanting for an hour or two, it opened into a real classy wine with the tannins smoothing into a nice fuller palate. The nose expands to offer a brighter and complex aroma that gets more minty over time. I was disappointed on the pop and pour. A few hours after decanting, this wine really comes alive but if you intend to pop and pour deduct 2-3 points as you will find this wine dry, tart and basic. What separates it from a basic wine is that it will evolve on both palate and nose if you give it some time.
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5/7/2012 - thatrick wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. I was a little dissapointed so I hope I just had an off bottle or from lack of decanting.
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5/6/2012 - Kerino wrote: 88 Points
Smooth easy Zin. Bit of sweetness and thoroughly pleasant. Bourbon and coke spring to mind.
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4/26/2012 - Yamadori wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Smoke, currant and black pepper on the nose. Medium to full bodied with blackberry and plum fruit profile. A little different to other Ridge Zin blends i have had and although it is 70% zinfandel the other components seem to be in the ascendancy just now. Still a little tannic but does get a little more sweet towards the back end with a slightly more red fruit profile with plenty of pepper. 20 second finish with some noticeable tannins showing. Very good now with plenty of air time but i think this will benefit from a few years of cellar time. (89+ pts).
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4/9/2012 - ravbik wrote: 90 Points
Great qpr. Needs at least two hours in decanter. Good balanced red.
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4/2/2012 - Nivlac wrote: 84 Points
Did a vertical of the 2003 to 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs last weekend with our wine group. With the exception of the 06 & 07 all older wines were relatively close and we needed a few rounds to separate the better from the good. The 03-05 drank very nicely and quality generally followed age. Not sure if the 06&07 would get there eventually. The 07 had a distinct sulfer smell eventually wafted off after over an hour. The older wines were out of the bottle for about 30 minutes and opened up slightly over the next half hour - but not as much as I would have thought. 03 was the highlight - 92, 04 & 05 we rated 90 and 06 87 and 07 we rated 84.
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3/25/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
PNP, barnyard nose, red plum, raspberries, cranberries, hints of vaniilla and pepper.
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3/18/2012 - kostaslonis wrote:
Oinorama Wine Fair 2012; 3/17/2012-3/18/2012: (tasted at oinorama) Zinfandel 81%. Petit Syrah 22%, Carignan 7%. Deep brown red color. Dense nose with leather and coffee notes, a bit alcoholic too. Comes a bit aggressive at first then it settles down with fruity notes, high acidity, struggles to find balance. Medium aftertaste. I don't have much experience with this label (and Zinfandel in general) but it seems to be in a strange phase now.
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3/13/2012 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
great success at helen 50th. I didnt taste but people loved it
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3/4/2012 - christhewino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delightful wine, the aromas and palate match with fresh black currants and a gentle spice. The whole mouth feel and finish is smooth and there is a hint of mint and dark cherry. Very good.
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2/5/2012 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Carmine color with aromatic nose of dark red cherries, minerals, and spice. On the palate, medium-bodied, refined, fresh, complex and round with dark red cherries, spice, vanilla, minerals, and a bit of red currant flavors with a medium-long finish. (71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane; 15 mos. in barrel, 21% new American oak, 48% one, two and three years old; 31% four and five years old)
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1/11/2012 - krhaugh wrote: 92 Points
Better than most Ridge Zinfande'ls, decanted about 1 hour. No signs of the typical medicinal smell on the nose. Nice dark fruit. Nice finish. Drank this previously about 1 year ago and thought it would continue to evolve but didn't get anything new or different this time. This is probably ready and will probably only go downhill from here.
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12/28/2011 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good red fruit (cherries mostly) on the nose and palate. Medium mouth feel, smooth.
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12/22/2011 - MotoMannequin wrote:
Tart red fruit with slight vanilla + dill aromas. Finishes tannic. Give more time for the oak flavors to fade or integrate.
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12/10/2011 - rhanke wrote:
good zin from Ridge
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11/21/2011 - chefpete wrote: 93 Points
Drinking great
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11/20/2011 - jakearoe wrote:
Really a wonderful zin blend. I found it superbly balanced, with a richness that did not even approach overbearing. Nice rich fruit balanced with the noted acidity, pleasing but gone too fast.
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11/6/2011 - jrlamia wrote: 90 Points
Good balance of acid, fruit, tannin. Herbal finish makes it enjoyable. Moderate blueberry and cocoa flavors.
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10/29/2011 - cartime wrote: 91 Points
Really nice as always. Blue and black fruits, cocoa, vanilla, and a nice herbal streak. Very nice acidity and moderate tannins. Will definitely last a few more years. In general, I think I prefer this to Geyserville.
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10/21/2011 - lembkes Likes this wine: 88 Points
mörkt röd färg med aningen tendens till mogmnad
stor syltig doft med inslag av multna löv choklad och kaffe
fyllig syltig lite bränd smak med bra syra och god lång svans
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10/1/2011 - OttawaB wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple/red. Nice dark fruits, not over the top. Tannins still chewy. Blackberry, vanilla, black pepper, baking spices. Juicy once the tannins subside. Some initial viscosity. Nice wine. Decent length to finish.
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10/1/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2hrs, blackberry, chocolate, pepper, vanilla, still primary, taste again in a year or two. 90+
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8/10/2011 - Bristolian wrote: 92 Points
Pulled from the cellar and poured through Vinturi. Classic Zin profile-a little sweet and a little savory. Will enjoy with a little Vodka sauce over chicken and spinach penne. More to come....
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8/7/2011 - stubbie999 wrote:
Really a nice showing for this wine, beginning to knit together all the pieces that took some time to unravel in previous bottles. Lovely.
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7/30/2011 - chefpete wrote: 90 Points
drank a 375, very consistant, very good
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6/25/2011 - tpspoon wrote: 90 Points
Great on the attack; good, concentrated juice. Still highly tannic.
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6/25/2011 - fanglangzhe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great balance. Lots of red and black fruit but not over the top. Good acidity.
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6/24/2011 - vinomex wrote: 88 Points
not as impressive as in year's past, but you must appreciate the consistency of Ridge. medium weight, tannins are there for the wine to develop further. drinkable at this young stage, best to let it rest another 1-3 years for the rough edges of youth to smooth out.
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6/16/2011 - Noahc wrote: 90 Points
Purple/garnet. Nice strong blackberry with very good zinfandel/syrah balance and smooth tannins, drinking very well. For the one year on its side, wine started seeping up a gap along the entire cork length, so expect this had a little more oxygen for its age than normal.
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6/14/2011 - signotim wrote: 80 Points
stewed fruit, port-like nose. it didn't work for me. a little more refined on the palate but still somewhat awkward. maybe an off bottle...
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6/10/2011 - jhemming wrote: 90 Points
As always, an enjoyable offer from
Ridge. PnP but it began to shine after a few hrs of air time. Brambling fruit on the nose mixed with prominent dry tobacco, vanilla and ? dill. Quick taste of raspberry that quickly transitions into blue fruit (plum) and mixed pepper/nutmeg spices. Med body. Med - acidity. Mod drying tannins and a decent finish. With its sweet nose and savory palate it's a great red wine for a summer evening eating off the grill.
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6/1/2011 - lizeneca wrote: 90 Points
Smells of cigar box, lilac, rasPberries, dried cranberries, nutmeg, cinnAMON, toasted marshmallow, bubble gum. Spicy palate, mellow tannins, balanced acidity.
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5/13/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
Dark & lovely. Some real meat with the PS in there so heavy. This was really drinking nice after a P&P. Would never guess Zin on a blind. The nose was sweet, brambly with a touch of green olive and fruit tapanade. Great palate and finish. Not as oaky or acid heavy as most Ridge Zin's, maybe it is the influence of the vintage?
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5/6/2011 - chefpete wrote: 90 Points
drank a 375, very consistant, very good
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4/25/2011 - MWiking wrote: 88 Points
I was a bit disapointed with this wine. I had expected more.
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3/30/2011 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Classic young Ridge Lytton with blueberry, hint of dill, pepper, 5 spice, and chocolate. Good balance and energy on the finish.
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3/26/2011 - Tarrant wrote: 91 Points
I tend to be fairly consistent most times, and perhaps bottle variation played a role but this one was significantly better than the bottle we had on December 11 of last year (though not as good as the Ravenswood Barricia Zin we had alongside), the specific profiles were similar to our last bottle, but structurally this was not at all 'soft', as tannins and acidity were quite prevalent last night - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberry, plum, spice and oak accents, very well structured, yet elegant, very tasty, smooth, sweet on the palate with very good length, another excellent Ridge! (91 Points).
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3/25/2011 - Dive Shark wrote: 96 Points
I did not decant, but it certainly could have used it. Very balanced tannin structure that settled on the whole palate. Acidity was bright and gave the red raspberry fruit some extra punch. There is no residual sugar in this wine but the overall flavor had somewhat of a hard-candy/ cotton candy/ strawberry sweetness that I thought was gorgeous! This will last for several more years, but I think it’s in a great place now since it still has some structure to chew on.
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3/19/2011 - thatrick wrote: 93 Points
I am still digging this wine. Consistent with my last notes on 2/24/2011.
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3/13/2011 - marlons34 wrote: 90 Points
Took over 1 hour to enjoy this wine. Very good wine, a bit acidic.
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3/5/2011 - Decanthor wrote: 86 Points
Tried at tasting. I agree with the other reviewer who wondered where the fruit was. Don't get me wrong...there is some fruit and good balance in this wine, but when you see Zin and Petite Sirah on the label, you expect a healthy dose of fruit. This one just didn't have enough.
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3/3/2011 - wadcorp wrote: 90 Points
Tremendous offering from Ridge. This shows the benefits of adding the petite sirah to the zinfandel, making for a great blend. Deep, deep purple color. Flavours of bramble fruit and dark berries. Nice structure & finish. Looking forward to seeing how our other bottles show in the next few years.
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3/3/2011 - chapinde wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes, this was a wonderful, red fruited, brambly wine with good structure and balance. Excellent Lytton.
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3/3/2011 - Schiffy wrote: 91 Points
Smooth and very fruit forward. Excellent value, but perhaps a bit too much alcohol on the palate.
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3/2/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious zi right now with great potential for the future. Very complex flavors, nice balance.
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2/27/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Remains one of my favorite producers and wines.
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2/26/2011 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
coming around. Still big with a long life.
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2/24/2011 - thatrick wrote: 93 Points
I'm digging this wine. This is very smooth on the palate with just the right amount of fruit. The finish goes on for a good 20 to 30 seconds. Overall delicious wine to drink on it's own or with food.
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2/24/2011 - MrD Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had at dinner with Aaron. Popped and poured with a ribeye. It was terrific and got better as the night went out.
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2/18/2011 - glen@wooden.com wrote: 90 Points
Very nice Zin. Good balance. Nice finish. Good QPR
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2/16/2011 - Michael K. Likes this wine: 89 Points
375 ml. Doubtless, this wine couldn't have been made anywhere except California - big, ripe zin paired w/ 100% Am. Oak is the most classic Dry Creek shit. Per house style, not terribly fruity, but strong minerality and barrel flavor shows through. To be honest, fruity isn't my thing. Upright tannin, but not overwhelming; would knit into a warm velvet throw if given, iunno, 8 years. Vanilla finish, yup. A warm bottle of wine: comforting, well-rounded, devoid of austerity.
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2/14/2011 - cos82 wrote: 87 Points
From 375 ml. 3rd time from my cellar over 6 month period. Popped and poured at Byob with osso bucco. A step back from prior bottle. Dark purple. Plum and minerals on the nose. On the palate, where's the fruit ? No tannin. Tar, earthy, cedar, mineral and leather, but no fruit. A dense very nice drink, but I want fruit in my Zin-thus the rating.
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2/11/2011 - Holdem wrote:
Ridge Lytton Springs, good as always. Have never had a bottle that disappointed, and this bottle was no exception.
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2/5/2011 - jtonglet wrote: 90 Points
The blended nature helps smooth this wine out. Very mellow. Sweet fruits and hints of dark chocolate.
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1/22/2011 - moega wrote: 89 Points
Opened up very well after an hour or so. Didn't pick up anything noticeable on the smell, taste was big and bold. I liked this wine a lot, drinking well now and will drink even better with a bit more rest.
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1/17/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Color is abit dull (really?), medium and ruby.
Nose is pronouced (both because Ridge is good but also because its '07). Its intense and youthful with flavors of red fruit, minerality, iron and spice. In a word complex.
Palate is dry, with medium acidity (maybe medium + for a zinfandel). Tannins are present but not noticeable, so medium or average. I don't feel the alcohol on the palate but I sure feel it in the head off the first pull. The body is medium with medium + flavor intensity. The finish is medium + (above average) showing fruit all the way through.
Quality is very good, balanced, complex Zinfandel here. It is youthful now, just showing a bit of barrel, and will develop further.
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1/8/2011 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 89 Points
Notes of blueberries on the nose and the palette. Good fruit, smooth, a touch on the delicate side.
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1/3/2011 - chateaumiller wrote:
Sometimes I get fooled into thinking the lower priced Ridge wines should be drank early.
Not true. This wine is too young. Tight and Tannic I'll wait at least a year before even thinking about it again.
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1/1/2011 - njAndrew Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is in a good place right tow, I think more integrated then the 06. Raspberry and blackberry with a touch of vanilla but the oak really is subtle. Medium tannins and ready with 20-30 in the decanter.
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12/30/2010 - cab wrote:
Ridge Zinfandels are a real guilty pleasure for me. This is another very enjoyable one, great wine for a damp winter night. This is sort of sweet and the oak is definitely there, but it is well-integrated and balanced by rustic tannins and a splash of acidity. Blueberries and chocolate, with muted white pepper. My only complaint is that this isn't a good QPR -- it was about $37 and certainly not that much better than the $22 Ridge East Bench we had last week.
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12/30/2010 - NH WINO wrote: 91 Points
This was a great wine. Tannins in check, oh so zesty. Light in color and floral nose, a well put together wine. This was my first bottle, I will be going back for more to sit on.
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12/26/2010 - krhaugh wrote: 92 Points
WOW. Decanted for a little over an hour and this wine opened up really nice. Fruit was ripe and taste was very smooth. This will continue to get better with time.
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12/20/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Consistantly wonderful. Tannins soft and fruit forward. Will likely get better with a year or two but who can wait?
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12/16/2010 - kingboo wrote: 93 Points
Complex and zesty. Improved overnight. Highly recommended.
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12/12/2010 - SadEdjo wrote: 90 Points
Suprisingly light in colour for a young zin. Smooth blackberry milk chocolate/vanilla milkshake. Very smooth texture with lingering dusty tannins at the end. Very much in its infancy but enjoyable right now. BTW, I miss the verbosity of Draper's winemaker's notes.
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12/12/2010 - mpricher wrote: 90 Points
Crimson red to purple in color with good shine.The vanilla oak on the nose, almost adds some maple syrup or almond tones, to some purple fruit like-plum action. This is very smooth on the palate with cherry and blue fruit notes. The oak is very present with the tannins in the mid-palate. But, this is not over oaked, and is in fact very well in balance. The finish lasts for a good 30+ seconds, and adds some candied fruit flavors, which make this very pleasing to drink on it's own. Nice bottle from a consistent winery!!
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12/11/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 88 Points
I'm usually blown away by Lytton Springs (and anything that Ridge produces), but this didn't do as much for me as usual, it was very good, but seemed a bit fat and lacking structure, perhaps more time will help although that feels contrary to how it's drinking now - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberry, plum, cherry, spice and vanilla, a touch soft, quite tasty, smooth, sweet on the palate with good length (88 Points).
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12/11/2010 - al-Zabba wrote:
From magnum. Deep, dark and elegant, I'm afraid I was so focused on the engaging conversation on MKE history that I walked away with a mere impression rather than precise tasting notes. Perhaps that was a compliment though that it became a seemless part of a great night!
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11/28/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
This wine was splash-decanted and consumed over three hours. Opaque purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing very intense and distinctive aromas of black raspberries, black cherries, vanilla and coriander. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity and big ripe tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14.4%) is very well-integrated. The flavors follow the nose and the middle palate is solid. Medium-to-long, quite smooth finish. Very nice now, and possessing the structure to drink nicely for the next 4-5 years. Drink now-12/15.
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11/28/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Wonderfully complete and tannins present but not overly aggressive. Even better on day 2. Drink or hold 4-5 years.
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11/25/2010 - Eugene wrote: 91 Points
71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane
Decanted for one hour. The wine is very restrained for predominantly zinfandel. It tasted almost European but with a bit more fruit and chocolate flavor.
This zin is really delicious-on the scale of deliciousness from one to ten it is somewhere around 7.5.
Highly recommend. Drink now with decant or keep for another 3 to 4 years.
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11/23/2010 - kstoddard wrote: 88 Points
Ruby color. Earthy blackberry nose. Tastes of blackberry and black cherry. Chewy tannins. Good balance. Earthy raspberry finish with some depth.
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11/14/2010 - mreinitz wrote: 91 Points
Slightly sweet red berries and a hint of plum with some almost christmasy spices on the nose and palate. Tannins almost but not quite integrated -- another 6 months or so would help. Reserved and elegant for a zin.
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11/7/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
From the historic Lytton Estate vineyard, planted in 1901. A tough year for crooks - Scotland Yard creates a fingerprint archive.
14.4% alcohol. 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane. Initially opened the previous evening. Dark-purple ruby. Very expressive red fruit and spice aromas. On the palate, rasberry, cherry, black fruit, pepper and bramble. Rich and well balanced with a lingering aftertaste. Very enjoyable now, this iconic field blend wine has many fine years ahead of it.
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11/6/2010 - stufis wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 90 mins, which perhaps contributed to this seeming to be seamless. True to the Zinnish nature of this blend, on the darker side of things, long finish. A Zin that's profound? This sure seems close!
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11/1/2010 - bcmatthias wrote: 90 Points
Very nice blend.
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10/25/2010 - lolo66 wrote: 90 Points
Executive Wine Seminars - 2007 Zinfandels (NY, NY): The only blend of the night. this just wasn't ready. I could sense a lot going on here and would buy this, but it needs to be decanted. I found this one unique to the others - must have been the blend. There is some spice cake on nose and some stewed fruit on palate. tannins are evident. Finshed 11th out of 13.
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10/16/2010 - plightbo wrote: 94 Points
Bruce and annes
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10/15/2010 - WI WineLover wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine with goat cheese ravioli and lamb tenderloin. Much better than the 87 WS rating.
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10/9/2010 - jschoenau wrote:
can't remember
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10/7/2010 - jinks wrote: flawed
Corked. too bad.
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9/26/2010 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
Nose - deep youthful brambly boysenberry, yellow cake, nice oak spice.
Deep dark youthful blackberry, Christmas spice, lime zest, dark dusty tannin, yellow cake.
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9/23/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 89 Points
Best of the three splits, great bottle of zinfandel with no edges. Still extremely young but very tasty.
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9/20/2010 - silton wrote:
Very young and compacted right now. Hold.
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9/7/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Easy to drink for a big zin. Nose is pretty and smooth. solid acids and tannins are already integrated. Bit of cherry cough medicine on the palate. Smooth body with nice texture. Finnish changes continuously.Big alchohol, though not for a Zin perse.
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9/6/2010 - chefpete wrote: 92 Points
Ruby in color. Low rim variation. Slow legs. Nose Alcohol/Hot, Anise Flint. Taste Raisin, Strawberry Jam, Red Currant, Pomegranite, Molasses, Plum. Medium/Full bodied. Silky texture. Long finish.
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9/1/2010 - tplskylrk wrote: 88 Points
Dirty garnet color. Little charred oak on the nose. Fruit, pepper, pie cherries on the palate. Nice lingering finish.
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8/27/2010 - medicineman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Half bottle had with steak, big bramble fruit, lovely mouth feel, acidity still a little high but overall excellent and at £11.75 from Berry bros outlet money well spent!
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8/22/2010 - chapel hill wino wrote:
wonderful! too young, but excellent nose and palate. Lush dark fruit dominated, some pepper and with tannins that don't desiccate but provide structure to the fruit. Only have one bottle left would like to wait a couple of years.
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8/16/2010 - Plrickert wrote: 90 Points
Typical Ridge. Good quality, easy to drink. Paired with steak- perfect.
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8/13/2010 - cos82 wrote: 89 Points
From 375 ml. Purple plum in color. Blackberry and smoke on a subdued nose. Vastly better than bottle tried 5 months ago . Fruit beginning to emerge. Plum, blackberry, brambly, minerals and chalky. A tad disjointed, but coming together. Very tasty with ribs from the grill. This will be a beauty in another 6 months or so as it mellows and softens. Very fine zin blend.
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8/6/2010 - jrobs7777 wrote:
California Wine Tasting Adventure; 8/2/2010-8/6/2010 (Napa, Sonoma): Tasted at winery. Very hard to score at the moment. This is in the 90-93 range. Not sure exactly where it will end up. I doubt it will hit the high range and could dip below the low range if the oak does not integrate well. This is definitely more oaked than previous Lytton Springs I remember. We have 3 in the cellar. I'll definitely hold those for a while. We bought a bottle at the winery to experience over the course of a few hours. Oaky notes on the nose. Vanilla, cream, jammy blackberry, cola. On the palate, this was very muted and reserved. Not overly tannic, but it was just hard to see where this might go in a few years. The structure was there, but we will really need to see what happens when the sweet oak subsides.
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7/20/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 88 Points
Needs a bit of air to lose the quick bite of heat, but afterwards is a delight. Glossy, dense and rich zin flavors with a chocolatey sheen overlying every sip. Great acidity.
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7/3/2010 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
4th of July Weekend Zin Fest (The Wine Country, Signal Hill, CA): Not getting much on the nose. On the palate, really great zin flavors of brambly fruit and spice with perfect acidity levels and great tannic structure. This is very enjoyable now, but I'd lay this down for a few years at least to let this really strut its stuff. Easily my favorite wine of the tasting and the only obvious ager.
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6/30/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wines of California (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had spice and black currant, a little tar, and some earth and smoke. The palate was rich and thick, with black currant and cherry, earth and spice, and a very good tar finish,
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6/12/2010 - Saint Stephen wrote: 88 Points
From 375ml - For Lytton Springs, this was only OK to me - juicy and extracted, chalky, maybe a bit of bacon? No blacik pepper, which I often get from Lytton and I like. I know Zin is not usually built for long-term aging but this is a wine that feels like it would benefit from some age.
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6/1/2010 - chapinde wrote:
Out of 375 ml. Deep ruby/purple in the glass with no fading toward the edges at all. Nose showed stewed red berries and plums as well as clay and paprika. Palate was filled with raspberry, leather, and hickory smoke. Tannins were well integrated and the finish was long and delicious.
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5/16/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 88 Points
Drinking very well out of 375ml. Loads of fruit, very rich and full flavored and no obtrusive tannin. Pretty amazing and delicious.
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5/14/2010 - winejnky wrote: 88 Points
Brambly, tart cranberry and cherry fruit. Initially a restrained zin typical of Lytton Springs, but opened up nicely and shows a class not seen in most zins, which I tend to find over the top and often nothing but alcohol heat.
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5/8/2010 - Drankthewholebottle wrote:
This one needs a couple more years, but very drinkable now. Although a little dirty now, there's some nice black fruit hiding in there.
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4/18/2010 - rcmcb wrote: 92 Points
Tasty with tons of structure from the 22% PS. Some meaty notes with a mix of red and black fruit, large tannins, and a touch of minerality on the finish. What really sells this wine is its lovely earthiness, and right now it is better on day two. I've tasted this on two separate occasions, and I agree with RJ's note (below) and Tanzer. Don't rate wine in the 80s just for being restrained or tight. Give it air or time.
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4/17/2010 - Jason Rzutkiewicz Likes this wine: 91 Points
(14.4%) 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carigagne – A long time favorite this one is extremely deep and elegant. On the nose it shows a bit of creaminess with soft, warm inviting fruits and sweet tobacco notes. On the palate this one is balanced from the start, smooth and complex with a great flavor profile. The finish goes on forever and ever. In a word this one shows “restraint”. I’m sure this one could knock your socks off and blow you away but it was made carefully to show its elegance and I’m glad it was!
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4/14/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
Youthful and very pure, with a gorgeous, brooding nose of black fruit, spice, and meaty notes that betray the higher concentration of Petite Sirah (22%). In the mouth, quite open for this stage, with spicy black fruit, minerals, and earth. Tannic finish. A baby and worlds of potential over the next decade. A-
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4/13/2010 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): Hopefully a few years will really help this wine. It was good, but over extracted tasting on the fruits, with a spiciness that just didn't seem to play well on the palate. Disjointed, but hopefully that will change in another few years.
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4/11/2010 - mbenz wrote: 88 Points
This was a somewhat pedestrian California Zin blend. Not offensive in any way, but not particularly exciting, either. Muted red fruits on the palate, short finish, but no unpleasant tastes. Overall I'm happy with it, partly because I found it on the wine list of an outstanding new restaurant in Houston for about $28. Thanks, Haven.
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4/10/2010 - blanquito wrote:
Starts off with a super ripe nose of powdered sugar, vanilla, asian spices, tea, some wood, and black cherry essence. Kinda like sniffing a spiced, cherry-nuanced black tea. Served at room temperature (67 degrees F), the bouquet comes across as lifted and a little hot. Once lightly chilled, this is better. To taste, there's some good acidic, puckering zip despite the ripe nose. Again, I get some black tea. The flavors are big, on the black cherry end rather than a classic brambly zin, but the texture is oddly a bit dilute. Still, I like the classy, elegance married to a bigger varietal, but I always like that about Ridge's zinfandels. There's a very drying finish, which doesn't bother me, but which some might find distracting... I was pretty excited to taste this after the really excellent 2007 Geyserville. It's pretty good, but nowhere near the 2007 Geyserville for my palate (though I prefer Geyserville to Lytton Springs pretty consistently). I gave the Geezer a low 90's score, this is in the high 80's for me right now.
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4/9/2010 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points
more fruity and less spicy than typical ridge. more like linne colodo or turley syill good though
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4/7/2010 - Zinny wrote:
I like this wine except it has notes of liqueur or even brandy which is a real turn-off for me. Just a bit too much alcohol showing through.
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4/6/2010 - redz wrote: 86 Points
I really tend to enjoy Ridge, but this was not fun. Nice berry nose, but follow-through was tart and flavorless. Maybe more time...
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3/29/2010 - will2wine wrote: 90 Points
The best zin of this group, the Lytton Springs has a brooding core of dark berry fruit, caramel and dill. Rock-solid structure. Needs time for sure.
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3/21/2010 - cos82 wrote: 87 Points
From 375 ml purchased in PA at good price so time to try one. Dark garnet and subtle nose of blackberry, mineral and hint of oak.Some blackberry, but mostly mineral and earth on the palate. Not as much fruit as I would have liked or anticipated. Hint of alcohol on the finish. More fruity and softer on the second day. I expect to see some improvement in this wine from remaining bottles. Will wait another year before trying.
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3/20/2010 - winebratsf wrote:
The 2007 was much jammier, with black fruit, dried figs, and earth. I found it a touch hot, but that soon blew off. The 2007 blend was 71% Zin, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignane.
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3/20/2010 - jaimetown wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured - for me this wine was pleasant enough, but really not showing much in terms of what makes a Ridge Zinfandel blend exciting. Dark fruit core with balanced tannins and acidity, and the alcohol is barely noticeable. Aromatics are pretty shy, and right now it's kind of flat-footed. However, it's balanced profile offers promise, and I hope it develops a bit more into an elegant, aromatic and balanced Zin.
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3/18/2010 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
Nose - a bit of stinky integrated sulfite, young purple fruit, smooth oak spice.
Zesty, dusty, smoky purple fruit. Very tight. Drink '15-'35.
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3/7/2010 - yhn wrote: 92 Points
(71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane)
Nose - smoke, berry, peach, vanilla, touch of spice.
Peppery, lush berry, peach pie, smooth/dusty tannin, mandarin and zest. 92+ pts
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2/21/2010 - greenblanket wrote:
A generous bonus pour from our server at the end of a long tasting menu. It featured excellent freshness and a medium body with a complex melange of zin fruit, spice, dark herbal and American oak flavors.
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2/21/2010 - RWINO wrote: 84 Points
Light, floral,
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2/16/2010 - DRod wrote: 91 Points
Ridge wine tastings at Chelsea Wine Vault (Chelsea Wine Vault, NY): Dark red color. Bouquet of cherry and cranberry and just smelled delicious. Medium-bodied palate of ripe mix of mostly red fruit but not at all jammy. Smooth tannins turn sticky on the finish. Just great balance and deliciousness.
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2/7/2010 - lowereastscott wrote: 88 Points
Paired with BBQ pork ribs perfectly. Nose of tobacco, cedar and menthol, and maybe a touch of brandy? Lots of tannins -- still a very young wine. Tastes of raspberry jam, dark cherries and thin mint girl scout cookies. Woody notes. Long finish. Just a very nice, consistent effort from Ridge.
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2/6/2010 - jdrach wrote:
More peppery & tannic but similar to 3 Valleys
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1/9/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
My notes from a Twitter TasteLive event sponsored by Ridge Vineyards:
* The 2007 Lytton Springs is what I'm talking about - have always loved this wine from
* Lytton Springs aroma - cherry, chocolate, sweet pipe tobacco and wet, sappy tree bark - I love the nose on this wine
* ytton Springs - immediate balance on the palate, not overripe, good acid, strong tannins, finishing all the way through
* I want to pair the LS with a juicy, blue cheese bacon burger - preferably from red mill in Seattle - or Girl & the Fig burger in Sonoma
* The LS gets better with every sip - such good balance and the finish is looooong
NOTE: this wine sent to me as a sample from Ridge Vineyards
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1/3/2010 - samchuck wrote: 91 Points
Nice and fruity with good finish, big.
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11/27/2009 - Rechrom wrote: 91 Points
Thanksgiving. Nice fruit, good acid balance, went better with the meal than its 2006 sibling (the 2007 won the 'which bottle do my relatives finish first' battle). A lot of potential.
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11/8/2009 - varnhem wrote: 89 Points
Peppery and intense. Decent finish with tannins - could gain from more cellar time.
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10/23/2009 - ed-d wrote: 88 Points
Black. Nice briary fruit nose. Full, rich & a bit weedy. A tad underwhelming for this wine.
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9/23/2009 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Fedway Tasting (The Palace, Somerset, NJ): Nose: dark red fruit. This is a nose of depth and complexity. P: perfect balance. med body, med/med+ acidity, med tannins. I would like to spend some more time with this. It was too good to be judged under these conditions. At least 85-6pts, probably higher.
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9/14/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Glunz Wines Fall Portfolio tasting (The Westin, Chicago IL): nose: great nose that has a excellent spicy base with rich tones of black fruits, black and red cherries, and lots of black currants
taste: full bodied and very bold with rich tones of dark spices, black fruits, black cherries, and black currants jam. Extremely dark on the palate and a bit overwhelming right now as there is a bit of heat too that kicks up on the back end
overall: this is extremely good right now if you want a more hedonistic zin. This does feel though like it needs some time to trim some baby fat
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9/9/2009 - stubbie999 wrote:
Through an unlikely turn of events, I happened to spend about 9 hours with this bottle over 3 days - I've never had a Zin twist and turn so much. The initial pour was all vanilla and oak, and a super thrust of fruit; it didn't take long for that to take a back seat to wave after wave of rich (but not candied) raspberries, dark cherries, blackberry, and a bit of licorice. Then, just as suddenly, nothing. Nada. Zip. Completely went and hid under a rock, leaving a few tannins to hang around. Day two was playtime again, this time shifting to darker fruits - more blackberries, plums (?), dark cherries, bolstered by a raspy mineral-ness. That underlying mineral eventually moved towards a slightly feral earthiness that took over the glass at the end of the day. Today, on day three, we started with earth, but opened back up into a complex mesh of the dark red/black fruits, finally a distinct hit of that briar-y zin fruit, along with slightly lifted aromatics that brightened the whole (last) glass up a bit.
I readily admit I have next to no useful knowledge about predicting where a wine will end up over time, but if (and when) this bottle manages to knit together everything that it showed me this week, it will be something else, indeed.
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