Renegade
Member #30,882 signed up 4/10/2007
Fans(26)
1 to 3 of 26
-
SacAxeman
472 Tasting Notes
-
paulst
7,215 Tasting Notes
-
VinToronto
34 Tasting Notes
Friends(1)
-
rjhilgers@gmail.c…
484 Tasting Notes
Profile
Member since April 2007
This member's profile is not public.
NV Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir 1978/1979 Sleepy Hollow and Rider Ridge
2/16/2013 - Renegade Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is an interesting Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards. It is 70% 1978 vintage Pinot Noir from Rider Ridge Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and 30% 1979 vintage Pinot Noir from Sleepy Hollow Vineyards in Monterey.
Even by today's standards, 14.6% alcohol would be on the high side for a Pinot Noir, and back on those days, the 14.6% alcohol this wine has must have been considered extremely high. The people who poured this wine mentioned it was stored in less than ideal conditions to say the least.
The wine is losing its brick red color and giving way to a brown-orange color. When first opened, almost everyone was about to give up on it. I've had some very old California wines in the past and felt it best to wait this one out a little while. When it was first opened, it was mostly, earth, mushrooms, forest floor and hints of currants in the nose. The flavors were earthy, and with currants. After 8 hours in a decanter, this wine completely changed to almost everyones surprise. It gave off aromas of cassis, raspberries, mineral, earthy aromas and slight floral aromas. It tasted of cassis, raspberries, mineral and earth. The currant aroma and flavor would come and go at times. Had this wine been stored in ideal conditions, it probably would have held up even better and had a chance at seeing 50 years old. However, with this wine, given this bottles history, drink it now. It truly is amazing how this wine aged and never gave up. All the more proof that if California vintners want to make long term aging wines, they can easily do it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2010 Alban Vineyards Syrah Patrina Alban Estate Vineyard
2/14/2013 - Renegade Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine has dark purple color, heavy body and 14.5% alcohol. It gives off aromas of currants, wet stones/minerality, worcestershire sauce, and milk chocolate. It tastes of currants, milk chocolate, sour cherry and mineral. There is noticeable acidity with this wine, as well as tannin. Too young and concentrated to drink now, give it 2 to 3 more years in the cellar. On a conservative drinking window - 2015 to 2018+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2011 Ridge Monte Bello
5/19/2012 - Renegade wrote: 96 Points
This is yet another outstanding wine from Ridge. It has a medium purple color and is a more elegant medium bodied wine. It has a low alcohol content of 12.8%. It is is a very complex wine, giving aromas of black berries, cassis, eucalyptus, scorched earth, bacon, plums, spices and roasted coffee bean. It tastes of black berries, cassis, plum, bacon, and coffee bean. There was also some minerality in the nose and flavor. While this wine seemed approachable from the barrel, once bottled, I expect it to shut down and put on a little weight. I will guess this to be a 30 to 40+ year wine, most likely from 2023 to 2051+.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment