I had great experience with their estate Merlot, and this reserve cab is quite impressive as well.
The initially shy nose slowly reveals black and blue berries, cedar, pencil lead, incense, cocoa, and hint of crushed rocks. The slightly ripe palate is round yet delicate, showing its classy with well woven streaking acidity and mellow tannins.
100% Cab from two vineyards from HHH, raised in 100% French oak barrel (45% new) for 20 months. — 6 years ago
Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.
Fun to contrast alongside the ‘12 Ridge Cab. A lot more rich fruit here, but also channeling more tannin. Rich blue and black fruits with currant, baking spices at first, but there is a very nice balance of herbal notes, bayleaf and dusty tannin. Very enjoyable and still getting better. This place has one of the most gorgeous tasting rooms I’ve ever seen, so visiting is a must! Thanks @Bill Makens — 6 years ago
17 years in the bottle. Past peak drinking and still a fantastic cab. Wish I had ordered a whole case. Drink now! - or in the next two years. Don’t miss the taste of a great wine — 7 years ago
Relative to the other two monte bello in the flight I had ('84 and '91), this felt like a baby at 16 years old. A testament to the long life of these wines. Patience will be rewarded, but admittedly, this was an amazing wine and drinking very nicely after an adequate decant. Drink or hold. — 8 years ago
Interesting, sort of like you took Italian barbera and lightened up two notches. At first it was a bit sour cherry, high acid, and short finish but with time it put on a little weight and showed more what I would call the barbera hallmarks, a sort of richness, balsamic notes, bitter green near the back and a long finish. Interesting more than great but worthwhile none the less. — 8 years ago
I can only taste two of the valleys. — 6 years ago
On the nose, ripe, bramble fruits of; blackberries, blueberries, plum, black raspberries, slightly creamy raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Dry crushed rocks, vanilla, soft volcanic minerals, dry stems, dark berry cola, some dark moist soil and fresh dark floral bouquet with deep violets.
The palate is medium full, thick and round. The fruits are fresh & lively. It’s a good point in its evolution to open a bottle. 07 such a strong vintage in Napa/Sonoma. There is plenty of life ahead. At least, 7 years, maybe 10. The structure, length, tension and balance are excellent. It’s a seamless flow. Bramble fruits of; blackberries, blueberries, plum, black raspberries, huckleberries, slightly creamy raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Dry crushed rock powder, vanilla, soft volcanic minerals, dry stems, dark berry cola, some dark moist soil and fresh dark floral bouquet with deep violets. The acidity is round and well done. The long, round, rich, ripe, balanced finish is delicious and lasts nearly two minutes.
The blend is 71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah & 7% Carignane.
Photos of, Ridge Winery overlooking Silicon Valley, the front entrance, Owner and retired Winemaker Paul Draper and their Lytton Springs Vineyard.
— 7 years ago
Ridge delivers, ready to drink now but will improve for a year or two. — 8 years ago
Paul Draper’s notes indicate this was the first vintage of York Creek can to be generally available. I don’t know what that means about the age of the vines but the notes (written in 1979) also say “with two to three years of bottle age this wine should begin to open up, but it will need more time to soften fully.” Well here we are 42 years on: still savory, still has a tannic backbone with good acidity, still has a good cork. Definitely a food wine, but very fine as such. Not a fruit bomb in the last twenty years can compare! 13.1% abv. — 6 years ago
Juicy, delicious fruit and spice. Wonderfully balanced but did well with more air, even a day or two after popping. Drinking great now but would love to try this in 10+ years. — 6 years ago
Blackberry and tobacco... Love the balance of sweet and savory. — 7 years ago
Massive, sexy fruit-forward Pinot Noir from Zio Tony vineyard in the heart of Laguna Ridge. Good vintages of this cuvée are on par with the Cohn in my opinion, and this might be my favorite one yet. On night 3 this really opened up and showed some brooding dark berries, cola and sandalwood, laced with earth and spice. Already quite layered and complex, but needs a year or two in Bottle to show more defined flavors. Big oak tannins are still prevalent. Outstanding effort from an unusually low yielding harvest, this wine has some serious future ahead of it. — 7 years ago
Amazing acidity. Very Burgundian. — 8 years ago
Shay A

I followed this over two days. It was initially opened alongside a 2016 Maybach Materium, 2013 Kapscandy Roberta’s Reserve, 2002 Colgin Cariad and a 2006 Dalla Valle Maya.
Aside from BV’s Guest Cottage, this is the only wine from them I haven’t had. Sporting almost a 16%ABV, it poured like motor oil in to the glass. Thick, rich and heady aromatics. This has that classic high quality Napa cab smell to it...smells of expensive toasted oak, espresso, fondue dipped dark fruits, and spiced nutmeg. A meal by itself on the palate, this is a 2013 that is unsurprisingly massive and in need of food to cut through the tannins. Dark initially before it turns slightly red fruit forward at the finish...dark cocoa topped black cherries, espresso sweetness, and black currant. I’d hold at this point. Not sure a decant is doing much at this stage. — 5 years ago