Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Ridge Three Valleys 2023
Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Sonoma field blend composed of 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Crafted in Ridge’s signature transparent style, this vintage leans toward a riper and more fruit-driven expression than many of the winery’s other bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry preserves, ripe plum, black cherry, and raspberry compote dominate, supported by touches of black pepper and baking spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and a broad, generous texture. The fruit lingers across the palate with a warm, persistent finish.

Food Pairings
A natural companion for barbecue, smoked meats, burgers, and hearty pizza.

Verdict
While impeccably made, this is one of the few Ridge wines that didn’t quite resonate with my palate. It leans a bit too jammy and overripe for my preference, though lovers of rich, fruit-forward California reds will likely find plenty to enjoy.

Did You Know?
Ridge has long been one of California’s pioneers of ingredient transparency, listing the exact grape composition directly on the label.

🍷 Personal Pick
I truly love Ridge wines, but I’d still reach for Lytton Springs or Geyserville before this bottling. If bold, juicy Zinfandel blends are your style, however, this one could easily become a favorite. — a month ago

Scott Kahn

8.9

A young Napa cab with a lot of promise. Darker fruit and oak notes. Needs more aging for tertiary development. — 8 months ago

carl thornblade

9.0

A little green in flavor (as in unripe), too acidic, but had some elements of tropical fruit, just not full and ripe. Has potential but not the best. — 2 years ago

Joe Roth

9.0

Nice and crisp — 5 years ago

with Jeff and Michael

Joe DAscoli

9.3

Delicious and a touch more spice relative to the other duckhorn of the night — 6 years ago

Steve Haro

9.5

Beautiful nose! Smells like dessert pie baking. Blueberry and lots of baking spices. Chocolate on the long finish. Beautiful. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2014 Mouton Rothchild is a stunning wine that is already making its case for one of the wines of the vintage. Graphite, salted dark fruits, tar and mocha with a touch of red bell pepper all marvelously combine on the nose. Silky and marvelously textured, with an incredible complexity and viscosity, the wine shows wonderful brightness and a seamless quality that artfully dances across the mid-palate. Stunning and simply marvelous even at the five year mark, this is only an infant now and has decades of life to go. Try to resist this beauty for at least three more years. Drink 2021-2045- 98 — 7 years ago

Andrea Watt

9.2

Cherry, blackberry, and a touch of vanilla. A Pinot for people who like Cabernet! — a month ago

Robert Torretti

9.3

1990 Chateau Lynch Bages in Nebuchadnezzar. At a Lynch Bages dinner for the Commanderie de Bordeaux NY Chapter. Paired over the course of three courses vs the 1995, 1996 and 2000. The 1998 was also served earlier in the evening. So youthful, given the large format. Still got to experience different stages of evolution of the wine as it was poured throughout the night. Well balanced and beat out the other wines that night, with rhe 1996 showing more pepper and spice but also green bell pepper from the Cab Franc. The 2000 also showed strongly, but could not outshine the 1990. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — 2 years ago

Kristen Grimes

9.6

Very fruity. Black cherry and blackberry aromas and some notes of cinnamon, then balanced fruit and baking spices that tingle the tongue and linger on. What Goes with That: Fall Sweets Class, pairing: pumpkin pie. — 4 years ago

Antonio Galloni

Founder, Vinous

9.6

Fabulous. Rich, creamy and expressive, with tremendous energy underpinning it all. One of Napa Valley’s under the radar gems. Tasted during our St. Helena & Conn Valley Vinous Learn masterclass. — 6 years ago

Matt Richards

9.2

A little hot at first, but after an hour or so of air, the wine came together wonderfully. — 6 years ago

Thomas Epps

9.4

Very good, nice balance, good finish, nice oak and vanilla, had a little trouble with spicy pepperoni on pizza. But, not really a fault of the wine. — 2 months ago

with Jeannie

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

14 year old #mataro aged at a famous steakhouse. Substantial acidity up front, blackberry pie, warming spices and just an undertone of fig fruit from the time in bottle. Tannins must have been fierce upon release but now they are firm and well-integrated. Delicious. — 8 months ago

Cheri Coyle

9.2

Quite delicious. 2018 — 10 months ago

LaShondra Berman

8.9

Spiced jam with a hint of floral notes. Layered and hard to nail down the exact bouquet, but it’s delicious. — 3 years ago

Cindy Chiu

9.0

Delicious even though a young wine. Very clean with hints of dark fruit. No lingering aftertastes — 5 years ago

Mike Mayer

9.1

Deep ruby color. Faint hints of red and blue fruit as well as some earthiness on the nose. Maybe even a little herbaceousness. Flavors of dark cherries, blueberries, baking spices and dried herbs Very sleek tannins and nice acidity. ABV of 14.9 but it does not come across as too hot. I actually would like to try this again with a nice piece of grilled meat. — 6 years ago

with Lisa

David L

9.3

16’ Hartford Court Three Jacks Vineyard.
Better then my last bottle!! Medium/deep golden color to it. Tangerine, dried apricot, banana, a drop of caramel.
Medium+ bodied, vibrant & fresh, with good acidity & nice richness. No need to hold on to these wines. Enjoy! — 6 years ago