Bob McDonald

9.0

Brief notes. Barb said sour cherry. My initial impressions - dried herbs, dried red cherry and black plum. Quite a big Pinot Noir. One could say a Shiraz drinkers Pinot, but it’s better than that and gives the wrong connotation. Have my next one in late 2025. As I have said in prior notes it lacks nuance. — 6 days ago

Lars Miller

9.0

Cherry and black pepper on the nose, with a hint of menthol (eucalyptus). More spice than fruit. And OMG. Gorgeous! Not sure if the alcohol content , but it seems higher. Fully flavored, silky mouth feel. More of the cherry with raisin, and again lots of spice. A winner!

After breathing a bit, getting strawberries and some cedar on the palate, along with the aforementioned cherry and black pepper. This is almost 15% alcohol, and it shows. I feel that the alcohol content competes with the luscious flavors, and would have been much better with lower alcohol, but California winemakers love their powerhouse wines. — 7 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

A few things; I still have not opened a bad bottle of Ridge, not even a corked bottle & I’ve had a number of them. First time having this bottling. I don’t drink a lot of Zinfandel or Zinfandel blends but when I do, I prefer Ridge’s style.

96% Zinfandel & 4% Petite Sirah. Decanted 40 minutes.

Intense nose of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries and hints of blueberries, incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty, dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice, some; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon. Liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers.

The palate shows; round, lush & juicy fruits of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, liqueured dark cherries. boysenberries, notes of poached strawberries and hints of blueberries. Incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice with some heat, a little; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, finely crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry twig, used iron pan notes, powdered minerals, liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers, excellent round acidity, tall structure & fairly big tension, well balanced and nicely, layered, polished finish that lasts nearly 90 seconds.

Still a bit young to me. Better in 5-7 yrs and will drink well for another 5-7 after that. More new wood use here than I am used to in their Zin & Zin blends.

Paired nicely with my Allen Brothers burger.

Photos of; the drive up entry to Ridge’s tasting room hilltop above Cupertino, cellar barrel, Ponzo Vineyard fruit and their tasting terrace. — 10 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy New Year! 🎉🎆🎈🎊 🧨

Excellent vintage. I think even better for Pinot than Cabernet in some cases.

Baked blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, black plum, baked, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, dry cranberries/rhubarb, maple syrup, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry, grilled meats, dry tobacco, wood shavings, anise, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg, dark spice, some black lichen, vanillin, warm caramel, sun tea, mid berry cola, dry twig, withering to decayed, dark, red, purple flowers, round acidity, well made, structured, balanced, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and lands on dark spice, earthiness. — a month ago

Jeffrey Trezek

9.0

Smooth, with a hint of leather. Silky mouth full of black fruit, jammy, but not sweet. Very sexy! — 8 months ago

Steve Messinger

9.3

Classic black cherry nose w hint of spice and oak. Great balance rich long finish — 10 months ago

Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2019 Vintage on 8/4-5/24. A fantastic RRV PN. Black cherry, black raspberry, Cinnamon, baking spice and cola. Medium bodied with a wonderful mouth feel. Smoothed out tannins with a nice finish. Would definitely buy more. I like this more than their single vineyard offerings — 6 months ago

Andrea Watt

9.0

Smooth with smoke and black cherry, black currant, raspberry, and allspice. Fruity and spicy with rich earthy notes. Fruit is handpicked. — 6 months ago

Scott E. Becker

9.3

[Tasted on April 26, 2024 at Tom’s House with Tom]

Wine is Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and is the inaugural release. Beautiful Anderson Valley Pinot. Blue fruit and black cherry with herbal notes. — 9 months ago

Eric

9.2

Deep and dark black cherry with some slight green, vegetal notes on the finish. Great structure and strong fruit makes this one for the cellar. Tight now, try again in 5-7 years. Very impressive and interesting…open this one if you’re interested in something different. — 2 years ago