Willie Carter

9.1

An immediately attractive light gold color in the glass. A fine, persistent mousse with a terrific amount of tiny bubbles. Very fresh aromas on the nose with honeysuckle, apricots, and plenty of chalk. Roasted nuts are dominant here after some time with fresh cut flowers joining in.

100% Chardonnay aged up to five years on lees. The 8 g/l does show itself but never in a cloying manner. The 40% of reserve wine from Mesnil sur Oger and Avize also clearly show. This is a very mature and earnest champagne. The minerality and exquisite tension set it apart from so many others.

Nice integration and structure here. The high acidity is balanced by the softness of the fruit and the more savory characteristics. The palate follows the nose closely with more toast, citrus, and nice chalk. Long finish that you really don’t want to end. — 5 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.1

Well, it took me an extra day to fully enjoy it, also too in order to make vanish the clear sensations of the 2 pinots I drank just yesterday and the day before which were delicious
Unfortunately I keep comparing them
Day 1: Felton Rd was so much fleshier, even a little hot. I know it had to be different, but in the comparison it definitely lacked elegance, harmony and enjoyment. Though it had personality
Day 2:another wine, fully enjoyable, very defined, focus, pleasant. Not hot anymore. Still thousands of kms away from Burgandy, like it should be (but also so apart from others Central Otago pinots)
More than decent after taste — 6 years ago

Tyler Martinelli

9.5

Juicy and easy drinking! — 7 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2009 vintage. Uncommon Syrah (65 %) - Cabernet Franc (35 %) blend. Single vineyard Sugarloaf Mountain — 7 years ago

Cameron Myhrvold

9.6

Intense and delicious barolo. Yes, consuming way to young but a classic in the making. Had this at a friends 50th birthday party so he paired this with the 1968 vintage. Amazing but you coukd tell the wine were cut from the same cloth though 49 years apart. Super fun tasting. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Artesa (ahr TESS uh) means "craftsman" and connotes "handcrafted" in Catalan, language of Barcelona and their owner, Codorníu, one of the world's largest and oldest wineries. Ruby with sweet berry fruit aromas and floral notes. On the palate cranberry and cherry flavors with spice. Fine savory tannins medium finish ending with mineral notes, nice value. — 8 years ago

Felipe Zardo

9.7

Bar none, world's greatest muscadet!!! — 9 years ago

with Malee

A. R.

9.3

Too young.... needed a solid 3 hours in a decanter to open. Beautiful fresh vibrant fruit, acid and tannin to hold it all together. There’s a certain completeness that Ridge has that sets them apart. Very few wines can compete with mouthfeel, fruit, structure, finish and ageabilty. I’d give it another 5 years. — 5 years ago

Olga

9.6

So delicious;) — 6 years ago

with Matthew

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

A pre-tasting of my heavy meat red sauce in order to fine tune the spices and seasoning it before serving for 30 people for our friend’s 60th birthday party tomorrow night.

The sauce is 9 cans of whole tomato’s crushed & drained, 9 can cans of tomato sauce, 3 cans of tomato paste, 6.5 pound whole pork roast braised in diced garlic & olive oil that falls apart & shreds when done, 5 pepperoni sticks sliced, 4 pounds of meatballs (with Italian bread crumbs, garlic salt, coarse black pepper, eggs with warm water) and 14 seasonings & spices slow cooked over 36-48 hours. It’s a blend that once it’s done is magical harmony in the mouth like a well crafted & aged wine.

The wine works well but, I’ll have better pairing wines tomorrow night.

The nose reveals; dark, sweet & slightest sour dark cherries, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, ripe, bright blackberries, baked black plum, ripe, juicy, strawberries, slightly candied black raspberries, blue fruits, mixed berry cola, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry stems, soft, leaner, sweet, tarriness, touch of dry herbs with the most amazing, bright, red, dark blue florals, violets and shades of lavender.

The body is medium full, round with great mouth presence. The tannins nicely, rounded, slightly tarry and baby teeth. The tension, structure, length and balance have just started to tango. Dark, sweet & slightest sour dark cherries, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, ripe, bright blackberries, baked black plum, ripe, juicy, strawberries, slightly candied black raspberries, blue fruits, mixed berry cola, medium intensity dark spice with a little palate heat, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry stems, leathery, dry tobacco, shades of graphite, soft, leaner, sweet, tarriness, nutmeg, clove, a touch of dry herbs with the most amazing, bright, red, dark blue florals, violets and shades of lavender. The acidity is nicely executed. The long finish is nicely knitted, balanced fruit and earth, polished with soft, brilliant florals and persists minutes.

Third largest Co-op in Europe and they produce some quality wines. Especially, for the volume the make.

Delectable has this @ $99. I bought it at Costco upon release for $28.99.

Photos of, the beautiful, quaint hilltop town of Barbaresco, my meat sauce, their tasting room just to the right at the feet of the clock tower with Gaja just a little further down to the right of there and the best Michelin star restaurant we’ve experienced for lunch. We dined there right after our visit to Gaja. What service, food and a day!
— 6 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.2

Crushed dried flowers, vegetables, and earth which somehow works and smoothly went well with turkey sandwiches. deep and good. Green Valley unique-ness sets it apart from its surrounding RRV. — 8 years ago

Thomas Brenner

9.3

Drinking the 2 decade old product of the masterful collaboration of the new world (order's) master, Robert Mondavi, and the old world's (puppet) master, Baron Philippe Rothschild was a dream cum. True, I may be biased, but after recently tasting the 1996 and 1997 vintages of Robert Mondavi's Napa Can, I can see how much RM benefitted from Rothschild's involvement in the 1998 Opus One. He must have felt like the Cleveland Orchestra in Michael Jackson's Will You Be There (Free Willy Song). Really good, aged, mellow cherry juice. This one has quite a few years of life left in it. Mmmmmm. — 8 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

Less Riesling in this vintage... so less distinctive and different and interesting than the corresponding 2013.
Still a very, very well made Napa Chardonnay, low acidity, lots of vanilla. — 9 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A fav, Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches and Asian pears. Slight earthiness with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. Very nice! — 6 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.1

Second bottle of this vintage - six months apart. Decanted for an hour left us with a nice opening salvo. Mocha, dense cherry, soft waves of black fruit. A pleasure. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Founded in 1986 by Josep-Maria Raventos, member of the Codorníu family, creating a small, quality-oriented winery standing apart from the large co-ops. A blend of 40% Xarel-lo, 36% Macabeu, 18% Parellada, 6% Monastrell. Red berry and floral aromas with fine bubbles. On the palate strawberry and cherry with mineral yeasty notes on the lingering finish, good balance. Hand harvested and secondary fermentation rests for 15 months before disgorgement. A nice bargain. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Carsten Rudolph

9.2

Not so full as expected - Fell apart after 2 hours in the decanter — 7 years ago

Jonathan Salky

9.2

Went great with ribs — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

My notes on this from May of 2017 still apply. Popped and poured. Drank well over two days. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours and longer. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.

As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon. — 8 years ago

Brenda C

9.6

Mmmmmm! Yummy! Had at a bar, not sure the vintage 🙁. But had a little, hmm? Strawberry maybe on the middle palate. Just that something extra to set it apart from just your typical cab. — 9 years ago