Wow, I didn't even store this well and it showed great. Six years in the wine rack in my house. Red plum/red currant profile up front with savor on the finish. Lively in an old-school style. Ridge is the keeper of the flame.
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Medium-dark red color. Aromas of ripe, red berry fruit with some vanilla notes. Palate is ripe and sweet with cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and some vanilla that carry into a medium-short finish. Clean and satisfying for its fruit. Drink.
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Medium red color with limited transparency. Aromas of ripe berry, vanilla, blackberry, and a hint of licorice. Palate is richer than the 2008 with riper red fruit elements and more breadth with a longer finish that shows some roasted elements. This is the "better" wine of the 2007/2008 pair, but I enjoyed the 2007 more. Drink.
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Rich nose of blackberry jam, garrigue and cedar spice. Jammy but tart blackberry flavors with hints of tobacco and cedar. Mild tannins that are still a bit puckery on the finish. Drink or hold for another year or two.
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Spicy, cranberry and prune in the nose with a dark purplish hue. Flavors are more complex than most Ridge Carignanes, with juicy berry, color, black pepper and prune flavors framed with moderate tannins and acidity. Longish finish. Maybe just a bit pruned.
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I think I got this bottle at a good time. Still dark purply red. Initially, the wine smells of a whiff of oak. After a few minutes, the oak blows off leaving an aroma of red fruits. Clean, rich Carignane fruit which for me is kind of hard to describe. Definitely red fruits that are tight and acidic. Some underlying tannins are present. Nice long finish.
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I had my 2nd bottle after dinner on 12/23/11 and found that it has evolved quite nicely. It had a ripe and elegant bouquet of smoke, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, anise, spice, mocha and cocoa (just a hint) aromas. The palate was smooth and beautifully integrated with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, mocha, cocoa, anise and spice.
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P&P. Rusty dark purple. Some cranberries this time on the nose. Beautiful oak, ripe red fruit, some smoke. A little fruit punchy, in a good way, red river, smooooth, light smoked oaked fruit, nice touch, light tannins. Easy drinking that last first glass sip.
Day II. Color same, nose is gone. Nice palate feel but lost it's verve of youth. MOre secondary features, this shows the vine maturity, dusty tannins.
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I decanted this for one hour and had it with grilled chicken on 6/19/11. It had a rich, terrific ripe bouquet of wild berry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry, licorice, sage and spice aromas. The palate was well balanced and smooth with flavors that followed the nose.
After another hour in the decanter, it picked up a strong blueberry component and smoothed out even more…so much that it no longer had any verve! 88+
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P&P 1 hour in. Nice. Dark purple going into the glass, this looks like an 07 should. Nose a bit tight. American oak, herby fruity. Light glycerin feel, envelops the palate w super bright red fruit, cranberries, pomegranate, then a real dry tight finish of minerality, leather and cleansing tight tannins. Sour tight double swallow of fruit, chocking to get it down. Am really enjoying this and am jamming it up a point or two. Watching Ben's notes you can see the evolution. This is going places if the dryness settles. This needs a 2 hour decant.
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A Saturday at home with Steve, Sue, Pam and Harry. Enjoyed a 3-year vertical '05, '06, '07. The '06 was the smoothest to me, the '07 the most interesting.
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great just ripe plum and broad earth nose; rich mouthfeel with red plum, cranberry, earth; ripe tannins; finishes sl rustic with reasonable acidity; minor sour notes (which are gone on day 2, though also a little flabbier)
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Deep, opaque ruby-garnet color with complex aromas of black fruits, tar, and peppery spice. Ripe black raspberry and plum flavors are layered together with abundant minerality. The sharp spicy character is enhanced by racy acidty and bitter (but not unpleasant) tannins. Finishes with a cilantro-like herbaceousness.
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Poured this into a Riedel Syrah glass, somewhat by mistake. Man oh man what a difference does it make! Its like an entirely new wine. Rich and seductive, the glass really brings this wine out to the fore.
And then had with a roasted squash and dandelion greens salad. At first I thought the whole thing would be too punchy, but then they seemed to work together. The powerful biterness of the greens offsetting the Carignan perfectly. It was an experience. The recipe can be found in Evan Goldstein's "Dairing Pairings" book published by the UC Press.
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This had a grapey nose and a muted, smoky cherry, moderate tannin and charcoal flavors. But really muted and I cannot see it improving. Perhaps those drying tannins will integrate more fully, but I thought this was a rather pedestrian $30 bottle of wine. Part of the reason I left Ridge ATP.
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Needed to air a bit after opening.Lots of alcohol on the nose. Not a fruit bomb, muted berry flavors which were satisfying. Smooth tannins, nice acidity. Food friendly.
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Each year since 2005, I haven't been as happy with Ridges Carignane- it doesn't WOW me liked 05. Still a great food wine with good acid. Decent QPR too.
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Tasting room... Very rich concentration with focused palate and good acidity. Not going to list a bunch of descriptors here, but has character to spare. Look forward to drinking bottle down the road. Good find.
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My notes from the Ridge wines TasteLive session: * Something very interesting on the nose of the Carignane - mincemeat? french onion soup? Anybody else picking up on the complexities? * Carignane has a very nice blueberry upfront and then a good balance of dark fruits and acidity - would be a nice pairing wine * Carignane really has some nice acidity on it
NOTE: this wine was sent to me as a sample from the Ridge Vineyards
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Saturday night, Lee, Lisa and Sam - back from Cornell - Zoe drop-off. Burger night (beef and lamb). Vertical of '05, '06, '07 Buchignani Ranch Carignane. The '05 - best first sip of the three - then after some time the '06 and '07 show better - but the last sips of each the '05 is re-opening. Interesting results.
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I tasted this at the winery on 7/18/09. It had a sweet bouquet of red cherry, cranberry, citrus and spice aromas. The palate was rich and dry with flavors that matched the nose. I found it intriguing and worthy of a closer look (I bought a couple of bottles).
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Balanced, with crunchy red fruit and good acidity. Not the most complex wine, and not one I think will age well, but this is quite enjoyable right now.
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1/30/2023 - klezman wrote:
Wow, this bottle was singing. Dark fruit, earth, spices, tannin, great acidity, and all around exceeded expectations.
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3/25/2017 - camben Likes this wine:
A bit grapey at the start
Turned into pure joy
Black fruits and sweet concrete
Decanter is a must
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6/15/2016 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Wow, I didn't even store this well and it showed great. Six years in the wine rack in my house. Red plum/red currant profile up front with savor on the finish. Lively in an old-school style. Ridge is the keeper of the flame.
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3/3/2016 - camben Likes this wine:
Very oaky upon opening. Took about an hour or 2 but showed lovely dark purple and blue fruit. Tons of life left
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10/4/2015 - JPMorgan wrote: 87 Points
Late to the party on this deep claret colored with black currant, cherry and a ting of smoke. Fairly tannic, with medium finish.
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8/31/2015 - Old Amarone wrote:
Out of date, but enjoyed it!! Better than the 88.7 CT score ! Closer to 90'!
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7/6/2014 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 87 Points
Still youthful, fresh, zippy raspberry, cracked pepper and charcoal notes. Good.
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6/24/2014 - marksfamily wrote: 85 Points
Not bad, not great. Good structure; cherry, blackberry. Short finish. Dink em if you've got em.
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6/2/2014 - sheilon92688 wrote: 95 Points
Smooth. Great finish. Bold flavor. Easy to drink. Went well with lamb.
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4/25/2014 - bdeblank wrote: 86 Points
On the decline. Pretty garnet color, little nose. Sharp taste, likely a year or two too old but the remnants of good structure and soft tannins.
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11/8/2013 - ajfret01 Likes this wine:
Nice wine. Pleasant aroma with well integrated tannins.
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9/9/2013 - sbfern wrote: 94 Points
A small bit of spice on the front a large fruity middle and long clean finish. Hints of ripe fruit jelly, But with a robust nutty flavor as well
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9/9/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
A juicy, raspberry nose with saddle leather, chocolate, cranberry and dirt notes. A bit of pepper emerges in the finish. Drink in 2013 or 2014.
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8/1/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium-dark red color. Aromas of ripe, red berry fruit with some vanilla notes. Palate is ripe and sweet with cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and some vanilla that carry into a medium-short finish. Clean and satisfying for its fruit. Drink.
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7/28/2013 - casjf wrote: 88 Points
Rich berry flavors.
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7/25/2013 - jrlamia Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smooth, ripe berry, cocoa notes. May be near its peak. Opens up a bit in glass after opening and was steadily enjoyable over several hours.
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7/2/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium red color with limited transparency. Aromas of ripe berry, vanilla, blackberry, and a hint of licorice. Palate is richer than the 2008 with riper red fruit elements and more breadth with a longer finish that shows some roasted elements. This is the "better" wine of the 2007/2008 pair, but I enjoyed the 2007 more. Drink.
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6/24/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby and transparent at the rim. Easy drinking. Red fruits, tasty. last bottle.
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6/7/2013 - kosinski wrote:
Rich nose of blackberry jam, garrigue and cedar spice. Jammy but tart blackberry flavors with hints of tobacco and cedar. Mild tannins that are still a bit puckery on the finish. Drink or hold for another year or two.
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4/2/2013 - mlwhitfi wrote: 88 Points
Subtle cherry nose, very smooth & elegant
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1/11/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Spicy, cranberry and prune in the nose with a dark purplish hue. Flavors are more complex than most Ridge Carignanes, with juicy berry, color, black pepper and prune flavors framed with moderate tannins and acidity. Longish finish. Maybe just a bit pruned.
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1/7/2013 - moxielady wrote: 89 Points
Bright fruit, smooth tannin. Good w pasta and red meat sauce.
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12/2/2012 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think I got this bottle at a good time. Still dark purply red. Initially, the wine smells of a whiff of oak. After a few minutes, the oak blows off leaving an aroma of red fruits. Clean, rich Carignane fruit which for me is kind of hard to describe. Definitely red fruits that are tight and acidic. Some underlying tannins are present. Nice long finish.
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7/9/2012 - nieuwoudt Likes this wine: 90 Points
decanted for an hour - which really helped wine open up
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12/23/2011 - garambler wrote: 90 Points
I had my 2nd bottle after dinner on 12/23/11 and found that it has evolved quite nicely. It had a ripe and elegant bouquet of smoke, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, anise, spice, mocha and cocoa (just a hint) aromas. The palate was smooth and beautifully integrated with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, mocha, cocoa, anise and spice.
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8/8/2011 - tplskylrk wrote: 91 Points
P&P. Rusty dark purple. Some cranberries this time on the nose. Beautiful oak, ripe red fruit, some smoke. A little fruit punchy, in a good way, red river, smooooth, light smoked oaked fruit, nice touch, light tannins. Easy drinking that last first glass sip.
Day II. Color same, nose is gone. Nice palate feel but lost it's verve of youth. MOre secondary features, this shows the vine maturity, dusty tannins.
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6/19/2011 - garambler wrote: 89 Points
I decanted this for one hour and had it with grilled chicken on 6/19/11. It had a rich, terrific ripe bouquet of wild berry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry, licorice, sage and spice aromas. The palate was well balanced and smooth with flavors that followed the nose.
After another hour in the decanter, it picked up a strong blueberry component and smoothed out even more…so much that it no longer had any verve! 88+
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4/30/2011 - tplskylrk wrote: 91 Points
P&P 1 hour in. Nice. Dark purple going into the glass, this looks like an 07 should. Nose a bit tight. American oak, herby fruity. Light glycerin feel, envelops the palate w super bright red fruit, cranberries, pomegranate, then a real dry tight finish of minerality, leather and cleansing tight tannins. Sour tight double swallow of fruit, chocking to get it down. Am really enjoying this and am jamming it up a point or two. Watching Ben's notes you can see the evolution. This is going places if the dryness settles. This needs a 2 hour decant.
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4/18/2011 - moxielady wrote: 88 Points
Nice tannin, bright fruit, a bit acidic
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3/2/2011 - talesofthegrape wrote: 88 Points
Full bodied blackberry and plum fruit with an austere iron-like finish.
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1/8/2011 - eastover wrote:
A Saturday at home with Steve, Sue, Pam and Harry. Enjoyed a 3-year vertical '05, '06, '07. The '06 was the smoothest to me, the '07 the most interesting.
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9/10/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 88 Points
great just ripe plum and broad earth nose; rich mouthfeel with red plum, cranberry, earth; ripe tannins; finishes sl rustic with reasonable acidity; minor sour notes (which are gone on day 2, though also a little flabbier)
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8/1/2010 - talesofthegrape wrote:
Deep, opaque ruby-garnet color with complex aromas of black fruits, tar, and peppery spice. Ripe black raspberry and plum flavors are layered together with abundant minerality. The sharp spicy character is enhanced by racy acidty and bitter (but not unpleasant) tannins. Finishes with a cilantro-like herbaceousness.
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7/5/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Poured this into a Riedel Syrah glass, somewhat by mistake. Man oh man what a difference does it make! Its like an entirely new wine. Rich and seductive, the glass really brings this wine out to the fore.
And then had with a roasted squash and dandelion greens salad. At first I thought the whole thing would be too punchy, but then they seemed to work together. The powerful biterness of the greens offsetting the Carignan perfectly. It was an experience. The recipe can be found in Evan Goldstein's "Dairing Pairings" book published by the UC Press.
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6/4/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Dark, leathery and musky. Maybe a touch closed down right now?
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6/3/2010 - dsarendt wrote:
took to Kahlkes
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5/6/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Leather and smoke, mineral, tight and young. Blueberry fruit. Rather delicious.
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5/5/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Leather, animal, musk. Rich in its extraction but light on its feet. Also lengthy, lingering finish. Very tasty. We shall see where it goes.
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3/25/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 86 Points
This had a grapey nose and a muted, smoky cherry, moderate tannin and charcoal flavors. But really muted and I cannot see it improving. Perhaps those drying tannins will integrate more fully, but I thought this was a rather pedestrian $30 bottle of wine. Part of the reason I left Ridge ATP.
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1/29/2010 - jrlamia wrote: 88 Points
Needed to air a bit after opening.Lots of alcohol on the nose. Not a fruit bomb, muted berry flavors which were satisfying. Smooth tannins, nice acidity. Food friendly.
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1/26/2010 - VinoPKM wrote: 87 Points
Each year since 2005, I haven't been as happy with Ridges Carignane- it doesn't WOW me liked 05. Still a great food wine with good acid. Decent QPR too.
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1/17/2010 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Tasting room... Very rich concentration with focused palate and good acidity. Not going to list a bunch of descriptors here, but has character to spare. Look forward to drinking bottle down the road. Good find.
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1/9/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 87 Points
My notes from the Ridge wines TasteLive session:
* Something very interesting on the nose of the Carignane - mincemeat? french onion soup? Anybody else picking up on the complexities?
* Carignane has a very nice blueberry upfront and then a good balance of dark fruits and acidity - would be a nice pairing wine
* Carignane really has some nice acidity on it
NOTE: this wine was sent to me as a sample from the Ridge Vineyards
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11/6/2009 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
lush blackberry, currant, mineral and some pepper; med acid, has some stucture; a bit rustic but very satisfying with pizza; in the ridge style.
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8/22/2009 - eastover wrote:
Saturday night, Lee, Lisa and Sam - back from Cornell - Zoe drop-off. Burger night (beef and lamb). Vertical of '05, '06, '07 Buchignani Ranch Carignane. The '05 - best first sip of the three - then after some time the '06 and '07 show better - but the last sips of each the '05 is re-opening. Interesting results.
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7/30/2009 - garambler wrote: 89 Points
I tasted this at the winery on 7/18/09. It had a sweet bouquet of red cherry, cranberry, citrus and spice aromas. The palate was rich and dry with flavors that matched the nose. I found it intriguing and worthy of a closer look (I bought a couple of bottles).
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7/24/2009 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
nice mouth feel sticks to the cheeks; red and black raspberry with both tart notes and a roundness; minor wood and earth notes;
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7/6/2009 - Chefneil wrote: 88 Points
Good balance, fig, drank with porcini mushrooms and scallops
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7/1/2009 - Spencer wrote: 88 Points
Balanced, with crunchy red fruit and good acidity. Not the most complex wine, and not one I think will age well, but this is quite enjoyable right now.
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