Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Château dates back to 1560, records suggesting back to 12th century making it one of oldest estates in the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC region near Avignon. Ruby with aromas of red fruit. Blend of about even amounts Grenache, Syrah, Mouvèdre & splash of mostly Cinsault. Aromas of berry fruits, oak & sweet spice. On the palate flavors of raspberry, cherry & blackberry, hints of oak, leather, vanilla spice & black pepper, aged in 20% new oak, complex & elegant, fine soft tannins, long finish, will age well. — 4 months ago

GHol

9.3

Decanted for 24 hours so that it could open up as it’s so young.
Incredible flavour, complex, red fruits but not too bold and some nuisance too.
Time will serve this well. A winemaker who dances to his own tune and making great music. — 4 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

Forgotten bottle at my in laws. What a good surprise! Didn't know I had left it there 🤷🏻‍♂️.
This is again a very biaised review as this comes from a vineyard located 10 miles away from where I grew up. A blend of negrette and syrah.
There is a strong violet, blackberry, irony, pepper nose. Very inviting. The palate is very much defined by its acid backbone and its vibrant blackberry and cherry note. There is a huge tannins wall in the middle here, drying up everything in its wake but making way to a fruity, peppery finish with a fruity twist. Huge wine for less than 10 euros — 4 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.5

I’ve become such a fan of this wine, having the ‘18 multiple times, and blown away by it. This is my first ‘11. Structure is pretty close to solid, a bit more acidity would be just right, but the fruit is ripe, black and blue, the tannins have softened up beautifully making it drink so easily. The finish is medium. While not up to the ‘18s, for an ‘11 this is a great wine. And both vintages, still offering great value. I have some ‘16 and ‘19 that I looked forward to comparing. — 2 years ago

Michael Herzog

9.0

Just when I think this is maturing quickly, I get notes of making me think the opposite. Nice ripe fruit. Typical salinity and minerality. — 4 years ago

Leo Gentile

9.5

Pale straw color beautifully clear and no honey or brick. Apple and pear faint lemon peel. In magnum aged exceptionally. Amazing wine making. — 4 years ago

ESF

8.9

Not sure if Draper is still making these wines, but Ridge has been so consistent & solid over the years... and this affordable kitchen sink blend is delicious: dark & rich, big extraction here w/mouth coating tannins and gobs of brambly red & black berry fruit. Def some oak in this bad boy, hi ABV as well. Bit unruly right now - probably needs a nap for a few years. — 4 years ago

Martin Mazner

9.3

Enjoyed on Naveen’s birthday in 2021. Zesty zin grapes had mellowed into a beautifully balanced, rich wine with layers of smooth fruit tinged with earth and a touch of oak. A spectacular example of Ridge wine making. — 3 years ago

with Naveen

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

After pressing dried grapes from making Amarone, Valpolicella wine is passed over the still warm skins of Amarone for 2nd alcoholic fermentation, increasing the alcoholic content, aromas and color. Blend of 85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta. Deep Ruby with aromas of sweet dried berry fruits and pepper spice. On the palate ripe blackberry, currants and sweet cherry with complex spice. Well balanced with acidity and alcohol, full-body with soft tannins on long finish. Nice value. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

One of the few producers that I purchase each and every vintage. I find that Laurence Feraud’s wines are consistently some of the more interesting and enjoyable wines made in all of Chateauneuf du Pape; particularly when value comes into play. This bottle is my first experience with her 2018 vintage and the first bottle of a small tranche that I swooped up upon release. Popped and poured; consumed over 5 hours. The color is deep ruby with a near opaque core; glossy and gorgeous to behold. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this is classic Pegaü with loads of dark cherry and bramble fruit, a veritable hillside full of garrigue, lavender, black pepper, and something that reminds me of old books. On that palate, the fruit is equally generous, brambles and cherries, exotic spices, Herbs de Provence and a somewhat sanguine-like character to it. Substantial structure, though it seems to be a notch lower than the previous three vintages at this point in its young life. The tannins are very sneaky. Almost imperceptible for the first hour and yet, by hour four, they were very much making themselves known (in the Medium+ range). Acid is also Medium+ indicating these have an exciting life ahead. The finish lasts for well over a minute. All in all, another lovely Pegaü that will likely live in the shadow of some of the more heralded vintages in the last ten years however, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a stunner. Absolutely lovely stuff and I very much look forward to enjoying these well into the 2030’s. — 4 years ago