Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium deep garnet ruby . Quite closed at first more mineral , but with some earthy, smoky notes . A bit rounder on the palate , earthy , with some cassis, red pepper , truffle notes , tobacco. Good acidity and quite gritty tannins still . Showing really well , bit more linear and strict, but enough substance and good tobacco, mineral tinged length. Drink now with a decant and over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 5 months ago

Vijay Parikh

9.1

With a three hour decant still very tannic and stemmy. Probably needs another five plus years — 8 months ago

Keith Browning

9.5

So floral on opening and just exploded with subtle flavors over the next hour. — 3 years ago

Susan Hanners

9.1

Cranberry/currant on the nose, bizzare color, 1st sip raspberrish second taste apricot yet tart — 5 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.0

Not exactly my style but it’s done well, so it’s good. Actually ended up enjoying this more than 75’s Cab. — 6 years ago

with Krystal

Michael Flynn

9.1

Beautiful nose and long finish . Matched well with grilled flank steak at Libby’s birthday, then perfect next night with truffle and mushroom pasta ( TJs). 1ltr bottle! — 7 years ago

David Langstaff

9.4

This wine needed about 3 hours to release. Initially tight with uncomfortable medicinal nose which then totally dissipated. Drinking now next day and you get the age of fully integrated but not fading tannins. Nose has a delightful dark fruit and smokiness. Great fit of nose and taste, meaning - when tastes after smelling the experience is consistent and not jolting. I think the color purple in a subdued way. Very nice. Memo to self: decant and watch for sediment, and enjoy three hours later. — 9 years ago

with Cynthia and Chris

Mike Mayer

9.3

Who says 2011 was a bad year? Beautiful garnet from the glass. Elegant floral and blue fruit on the nose. Deep blueberry, black berry and currant tastes on the palate. Excellently structured with sweet tannins and beautiful acidity. These grapes come from a great Oakville neighborhood. Great family owned winery! — 9 years ago

Aaron Hamrock

9.8

Really fantastic wine. This wine will age and can be consumed over the next 30 years. I agree with the high praise this particular vintage has received. — 10 years ago

Nicole Holden

10

Sooooo good!! 👍👍 — 11 years ago

Rob Mondavi

Owner/President of Winemaking Folio Fine Wine Partners

9.9

Drank with my buddies Geoff and Danny. It's amazing. Here is the thing when drinking next to a 70 R Mondavi CS you really see the Bordeaux wooly aromatic thing. Napa is so clean and offering of florals and fruits, yet the Bordeaux had the forest floor and wooly thing. Both awesome but night and day. — 12 years ago

Zach D

9.1

On the nose black raspberry, black cherry, Asian five spice, some black tea. Good dose of acidity for a zin based wine; some tannin as well. More black raspberry, black cherry, hint of smoke, blackberry and spice on the palate. I don’t usually go for this type of wine (higher etoh, somewhat warmer and riper style) however given the old vine character, Ridge is a producer I do come back to every once and a while. Did hit the spot on a cold night. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby , garnet rim, touch of terracotta rim . Slightly dusty , animal touch , with leather , spicy and herbal , soy , iodine . On the palate quite strict , grafite , slightly more red fruit , cranberry , then blackcurrant and grafite . Slightly dusty dry tannins , balanced acidity . Slightly spicy , mineral , grafite tinged finish . This needs a bit of time to open but shows quite well , slightly herbal , and perhaps lacks a little charm , but is quite classic in style if not a great 1985. From now and over the next 10 years . On the night this was probably only ahead of the 1977 , and my least favourite of the 1980s vintages . — 8 months ago

Stephen Mandy

9.1

Dark almost black color, tar tobacco leathery nose, rich luscious chewy fruit with gentle tannins and great structure. Very enjoyable now but great for the next 5-10 years. — 4 years ago

Susie Reinecke

9.4

Zippy and delightful! — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

Taken from what was generally a tough vintage in the Northern Rhone, the 1997 ‘La Chapelle’ Hermitage is a striking rendition at more than twenty years of age. Bulls blood, iodine, red cherry puree and crushed mint flavors provide some serious refinement. Silky throughout, this will continue to evolve over the next five to ten years — but is marvelous right now. Drink 2019-2025- 93 — 6 years ago

Eric Linderman

9.5

No 4 in magnum — 8 years ago

with Jill and Stephen

JKT

9.5

What a nose! Fruit but strongly tinged with spice and hints of cigar? Medium body with fruit and acid but latter lingers into finish which RC says should note be for Napa cab and sign of post prime by 5+ years. But still great to drink. Next day under agon the nose lost that spicy note but the palette holding very nicely. More rounded today. — 9 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.1

Precocious talent. — 9 years ago

with Molly

Mark Hammond

10

Wow! Great Petit Verdot and Merlot blend. We bought it when we were in Sonoma in 2015. — 9 years ago

with Liz

Jeff Clement

9.2

Had during our 25th anniversary weekend in Santa Fe. One of our favorite wineries from our South Africa trip we shipped back home — 10 years ago

Vanessa

9.2

Okay this wine was amazingly delicious but was undoubtedly quite young in this present moment.

There is so much more potential to unveil over time.

It has concentrated plum, fig, red currant, pomegranate, boysenberry notes next to licorice, meat, earth, peat, clove notes. Tannins and acidity are firm.

With time, we anticipate edges will be soften and complexity will be deepen with more tertiary notes and we cannot wait to revisit this wine down the road again. — 6 months ago

with Deked1

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby , quite wide garnet rim, clear and bright . Cassis , blackberry , sous bois , mint , cedar , grafite , good clarity and surprisingly fruit driven still . Good volume on the palate , dark fruits , mint , good acidity and still quite gritty tannins. Saline and grafite tinged finish . Good length . Drinking very well now and over the next 5 years . For 2002 this is showing very well, classic and surprisingly elegant, a really nice surprise! — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 5 years ago

with Christina and James

Joni Brennan

9.5

Amazing ! Still has acid and great fruit. Wish I had more to drink over the next 5 years!!! — 8 years ago

Raymond C Wiley

9.3

This was a house warming gift from a old friend. Love the nose and legs on this wine. Absolutely great for watching the sun go down next to a fire with your favorite someone! — 9 years ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.2

A really nice CDP which suffered by the other wines we drank. I'll be fairer next time. — 9 years ago

with Alsu, Andrew and 2 others

Michael Mugmon

9.4

With homemade pesto and fresh garbanzos. — 9 years ago

Dylan Casey

9.8

Next level — 10 years ago

E & K G

9.0

Elegance and punch both mixed well in this bottle. First Sine Qua Non! — 11 years ago