Jerry Raphael

9.5

I purchased this wine for $60 as a Bordeaux future offering from MacArthur’s in DC, with the hope of opening it when my younger son—born in 1982—was old enough to share it. We finally did just that this Thanksgiving, celebrating both him and the bottle.
The fill was mid-shoulder, but the family was together and it felt like the right moment. I gave it about an hour in the decanter before dinner. Early on it showed blackberries, a touch of veg, lead pencil, cedar notes and a smooth elegant finish. As the evening went on it opened a bit more, gaining some depth.
A few hours later I revisited the small amount I’d saved and found it had dried out some—but that was expected for a 43-year-old First Growth. Ultimately, it was a wonderful experience and a memorable way to share both the wine and the moment with family.
— 8 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.7

Beautiful subtle aroma from Merlot makes it pretty. Its free spirit nose makes you feel what the wine is going to be about. Drinkable and fresh. Apparently missing weight but it doesn’t miss a bit all the way thru the tasting. The aftertaste is long and very, very pleasant after one minute. — 2 years ago

Paul H

9.4

When they say bring your A game you can think of this bottle. This is an amazing glass of wine. It benefits from decanting for a good bit. Upon opening I thought of dusty plum and cedar on the nose. Tasting brought plum, currant, blackberries, vintage leather plus an array of other items indicative of this style of big wine. There is a good mix of tannins and acid that makes this a classic great glass of wine. I want to try it again in a few years to see how much better it may get. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark ruby, bright, doesn’t look it’s age. Awesome funky old Cal Cab nose. Notes of cherry, cranberry sauce, dirt and some balsa wood. Some steminess. Great perfume. Nice in the mouth but missing just a little bit in the mid palate. Really enjoyed this. — 8 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.0

The most generously fruity of Ridge Zins. Black berry and stewed fruit in the front, young and opulent at first compared to their other wines. More resolved and firm in the back with a near perfect juxtaposition of acidity and tannin. White pepper in the finish. A bit hot and jumpy at this time. Great potential but needs some softening time still. — 8 years ago

Doctor No

9.3

A classic, old school Bordeaux in a classic year. Decanted x5h. Still bright ruby, nose is mild barnyard with black cherry, leather, graphite on the attack with a lingering sense of tobacco and dried herbs. Tannins are resolving well with a bit of dry dust on the finish. Lively acidity and very youthful overall. — 10 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.7

Orange, honey, smokiness, roasted nuts, sweet spices and a bit of earth. M+ concentration. M+ acid, body and concentration. Honey, apricots, nutty. Slight bitterness on the palate. M+ complexity. — 10 years ago

Evan Malik

9.3

Still young, a bit restrained, but this has the makings of being a baller tatt down the road.... — 11 years ago

Bryan Mahoney

9.0

Aging nicely, with a Bordeaux-esque nose. A bit on the lean side with good acidity and tannin structure. #wine #tignanello — 11 years ago

Andrew Benn

9.0

RP 94
Described as elegant
Agree though a little disappointed
Great wine but wanted a bit more
Unique flavor profile
Had at the Battery in SF — 12 years ago

Kelley Raymond

9.2

Needs a bit more aging but a great drinker - more like patio wine — 8 months ago

Ed Chin

9.3

There is a vibrancy you noticed right away with a fine bead of bubbles. It is quite youthful and a few years of aging will help the wine meld together a bit better. Drink it now if you need to as it won’t disappoint. — 10 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A slightly saline iodine note. Tangy blue fruit with sour cherry, leather, tobacco. The fruit and structure are intense . A little bit simple but delicious and authentic. — 6 years ago

with Bex and Naoko

Mike Dougherty

9.0

Probably opened it a bit too late. — 8 years ago

Rahul Mukherjee

9.1

Dried fruit and wine in good shape, but acidity overwhelmed a bit of the balance. — 9 years ago

Pierre Arneaux

9.2

Wow. More flavor, much better than their regular cab. Silky, velvet, smooth. Chocolate. Rich fruit. Big, full flavor, lots of flavor. Not old world style for sure, not subtle. It's a big bomb. We would pay up to $75 for this so a bit overpriced to us.
— 10 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.1

From magnum, and still a bit beefy around the middle, reflecting the vintage. Plush but with character, the perfect choice for those who generally find Beaujolais too thin. — 10 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.1

A bit of oxidation, but otherwise, just fine. Fruit still there. 1970, 45 year old wine for our 45th Anniversary. — 11 years ago

LM Segal

8.9

Well made, nicely structured and probably a bit of vinfanticide here. Solid if a bit soul-less, nicely set off a braised short rib at Anzu in SF. — 12 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Clear and light. Pear and hints of lime. White pepper, a bit of tang. Slate. Salty edges and great texture. Very correct. A touch of sweetness. — 9 months ago

with Paul and Ara

Byron Hewett

9.3

I liked this quite a bit. Cleaner than the ‘82. Nice fruit. Tannins are mostly resolved. — 2 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Beautiful in all respects, gently wafting black tea, red flowers. Layers of light and fully resolved red fruit, lots of secondary aromatics. Perhaps a bit past it’s prime but even so, obvious royalty. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 4 years ago

Randall Brater

8.9

Light with hints of tart and sharp raspberries. Just a little bit of earth. Ok, better with food and cheese than by itself. — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.1

Wow. This is young, and the nose is a bit of dark red berry suffusing a sea of resolving American Oak. The American oak is so pronounced that, had I tasted this blind, I might have taken it for Ridge... :) This has decades ahead, even if -only- a Riserva. Like La Rioja Alta 904, a fantastic value in old school Rioja... — 9 years ago

Dirk Pitt.

9.1

A bit of brett and VA, but still really good. Has a lightness and elegance to it. — 10 years ago

with Winehouse

George Chen

9.4

Neck fill and good cork. Immediate nose of cedar, anise, of course eucalyptus and even some hibiscus. It's deep in the glass and core was still tight, even bit tannic and firm acids. This vintage is drinking better now than the legendary 74's as some of that bigger vintage is falling apart. A real beauty! — 11 years ago

Bernardo Llaguno G.

9.3

My kind of wine, a lot of meats and dark fruit. Mainly wood and meats in it. I can't have enough of this amazing wine though it can wait for a bit longer for a better opening. — 11 years ago

Chris Bensick

9.0

Thanks to a good cork, still alive, with a super bouquet, although a bit faded in the mouth. Wish I was in as good shape! — 12 years ago