Brendan Baker

9.3

Some funk and reduction on opening, much better on day two. Red and black cherries, mineral, baking spice, silky tannin, long finish 🍒🔥👌 — 4 years ago

Jeff Orlowski

9.8

Dark ruby with a narrow caramel colored edge. Moss and strawberries on nose. Medium body, dry, perfectly balanced. Raspberries, cola, and clove on palate. Spectacular! One of the two or three best Pinot Noirs I’ve had. 98/100. — 5 years ago

with Michael and Joe

Jenks

9.0

I can only taste two of the valleys. — 6 years ago

Manj Gunawardane

9.1

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

Heather Venard

9.2

Blackberry and tobacco... Love the balance of sweet and savory. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.3

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

Matthew Denci

9.0

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

Bruce Moffat

9.0

Rich, earthy aroma. Nicely structured Zinfandel with pleasant spice notes that linger on the palate. One of the most satisfying Zins I've had in a while. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.2

My first pop of this vintage of Geyserville. I don’t open zin often, and when I do it’s normally on the young side, so I was unsure how this would show (perfect, too early or too much in a quiet period). I think this is a combo of the last two.

Following over two days (and out of a Zalto universal), this sports a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass, albeit closer to black cherry at its core. Aromatics really jumped on day two showing notes of rhubarb, rosemary, mint, and just a faint kiss of that classical Ridge American oak usage. Vibrant and energetic acidity on the palate...certainly not a jammy/flabby style zin. The palate reveals red and black berry medley, cherry infused mocha, cocoa, and a slight note of spice on the finish. I think this may be in a quiet period, but more than anything, it’s young...I’d decant a couple hours if opening any time soon. — 4 years ago

Chris Bensick

9.1

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. — 5 years ago

Jesse Pender

Assistant Winemaker Delicato Family Vineyards

8.9

Incredible dense dark color. Very dense flavors. Could use another year or two of aging. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

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

Rich Bluth

9.0

Ridge delivers, ready to drink now but will improve for a year or two. — 8 years ago

Ben Christen

9.4

Cool climate cab. Delicious. One bottle became two. — 4 years ago

with Ellen

Jordan Wardlaw

9.3

Drinking again after two more years in bottle. Beautiful right now. Excellent tension between acid and big ripe, fleshy blue fruit. Ferrous, spicy, briary fun but with superb elegance. Loving this wine and very sad it is my last bottle. — 5 years ago

Ming L

9.0

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. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.3

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

with Will, Ryan and 4 others

John T

9.5

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

Joe Loughran

9.5

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

Sean Christensen

9.0

Amazing acidity. Very Burgundian. — 8 years ago