Vintage Ridge

Fonseca

Vintage Port Blend 1977

1977 vintage. Last tasted 12.23.23 (9.6). Opened and filtered into a decanter. Tons of chunky sed trapped in the bowels of the bottle thank goodness. Tasted after 1 hour. Still top-notch and still going to outlive your born/unborn children. Great vintage port has a way of eliminating your rationalizations, excuses and contrived nonsense and cutting immediately to the bottom line. Prepare to be boarded. 8.1.26. — 10 days ago

Ruud, Jeroen and 15 others liked this
Ruud Verhagen

Ruud Verhagen

you’re damn right 👊🏼
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

100% agree on your general observations about vintage Porto, as well as the 1977 Fonseca!!

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1987

Magnum - vintage wine — a month ago

Peter, Freek and 1 other liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2006

Somm David T
9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking.
— 11 days ago

Tom, Jay and 8 others liked this

W. & J. Graham's

Vintage Port Blend 1977

[8 hour decant] This is from a very fine lot of 1977 Graham’s I purchased in the mid-to-late 1990s from a small Napa importer, and is at the level of the 1977 Fonseca we drank last week, sweet, nice weight and balance, long, lingering finish, very nice!! — 2 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Bob, Tom and 16 others liked this

Pine Ridge Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Buttery feel and slight peppery flavor, light tobacco smell. Light dryness to the tannins, beautiful wine. — 2 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Blend 2023

Found it! This is a light-handed Zin, and very delicious. Thanks for the recommendation! @Doug Powers @Anthony De Blasi
Listening to a little Depeche Mode!!
— 3 months ago

Ray, Tom and 15 others liked this
Anthony De Blasi

Anthony De Blasi

@Dave sorry, today is the first time in weeks that Delectable kind of works again…it’s a pleasure to see that you play Depeche Mode at one of my recommendations 🤩

Ridge Vineyards

Geyserville Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend 2016

You can always count on Ridge — 4 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Blend

Mo
9.2

A superb Zinfandel blend that tastes great now and possesses the requisite structure to age. Ridge sets the standard in American winemaking. Their corpus of high quality wines is unmatched in America and challenges the entire industry worldwide. — a month ago

Dow's

Vintage Porto 2003

That’ll do — a month ago

Jenks and Tom liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Three Valleys Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend

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.
— 2 months ago

Ted, ESF and 1 other liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1999

1999 vintage. Nice fill. Used a Durand. Solid cork with approx 50% saturation. Decanted and tasted after two hours. That decided Lynch-Bages medium heavy bod. Has dropped some, not all, of the overt primary fruit load. Pleasant spices and feminine characteristics easily noted and cataloged. Pretty harmonious now tho with a little chunkiness/tannic blessing as more of a fleeting kiss vs a big hug. Could easily go another decade in this ensemble. 6.14.26. — 2 months ago

Daniel, Jeroen and 9 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2023

2023 vintage. 6.3.26. — 2 months ago

Jan, Ray and 12 others liked this

Pine Ridge Vineyards

Clarksburg Chenin Blanc + Viognier Blend 2022

Our distinctive white blend marries the crisp honeyed citrus fruit of Chenin Blanc (80%) with the plush body, soft floral and juicy peach notes of Voignier (20%) for a lush, versatile and delicious wine. — 3 months ago

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

1982 vintage. Last tasted 6.1.24 (9.4) and nearly 9 years ago (9.0). Courtesy of Monsieur @Bill Bender. Sweet fill. Opened with a Durand. Cork 95% saturated. A little reticent in the early going and decanted a third of the bottle to see if that would pull the juice out of a sullen funk. It did, so the remainder got decanted whilst throwing much less sed than expected. Medium body still. Slightly brickish and plenty fleshy with well-integrated complexity. Very pleasant and lingering finish. A great bottle with more than could reasonably be expected at this juncture. Thank you, Bill! 4.24.26. — 4 months ago

Bill Bender
with Bill
Douglas, Tom and 9 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Tom Casagrande @Bill Bender said he tried but the app was down (as it has def been challenging in the last few months).
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego @Bill Bender : Bravo on the Prevost and the Mouton!
Neil Valenzuela

Neil Valenzuela

😱FOMO

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a purple rim.

Beautiful nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and light green vegetables.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This iconic Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Santa Cruz Mountains in California is still very young, but already delicious, even by itself.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 30 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Lamb chops.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in American oak barrels for 20 months.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$300.
— a month ago

Jay, Tom and 11 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2010

A perfect wine. Balanced and complex. A gorgeous first hit of plum with a hint of cherry. So broad fruit at first but then settles on the tongue with a noise terror of tannin. No bitterness just smooth and lovely. Girgeous wine. 2010 vintage gift bottle from Donna and Anders — 10 days ago

Paul, Dave and 1 other liked this

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2015

Leaning into a distinctly understated style, this vintage keeps things subtle rather than overwhelming. On the nose, it offers a gentle mix of dried herbs, earth, and soft red cherry. On the palate, the wine feels graceful and light, focusing entirely on proportion rather than heavy extraction or punchy concentration. While the tannins remain firm, it ultimately feels like an elegant wine where you just expected a bit more.
​The wine is perhaps at it's quieter window...well-made and structural, but lacking the mid-palate fireworks or dramatic nose you expect at that price point and prestige.
— 19 days ago

Joel liked this

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2010

2010 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately. Lean and mean. Medium body but only because of the concentration. Dark fruits and plenty of espresso influence evident. Slightly less delicate than other P-C efforts fortunate enuff to taste. Tighter than the outstanding 2009 upon initial impressions. Needed more time to coddle this one but couldn't carve it out. ***EDIT 6.27.26***Delectable was having a moment during the review process and couldn't access previous wines/research properly, so went with memory. Ha so bad. It WASN'T the 2009 I thought I previously had. Actually confused vintages and had this exact 2010 vintage on 12.5.25 (9.6) with enough time to appreciate properly. The 2010 quickie was still nice at 9.4 but not nearly as good as being 9.6 romanced properly. 6.20.26. — 2 months ago

Joel, Jeroen and 14 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

I might have exited the planet by the time the well made 2010 Bordeaux’s peak.

Pine Ridge Vineyards

Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

A fruity brightness that finishes with a light dryness. Slight cherry flavoring and clean finish. Beautiful wine easily drank casually — 2 months ago

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Somm David T
9.2

This 2006 was a tale of 1/2 of the bottle decanted in a wide decanter and the other 1/2 left in bottle. The bottom 1/2 bottle better than the 2 hour decant. The decanted part lost complete Bordeaux character, mid palate and depth. A shorter decant was in order, but that doesn’t mean this 06 is waning. It has another 7–10 yrs from bottle.

2006 was the vintage that followed the grand 2005 vintage, not an entirely fair growing seasons. Based on the 2005 vintage, the Bordelaise overpriced the 2006 vintage. The Bordelaise disappointed in the price they sold 2005’s looked to make up their perceived losses in 2006. Except, the quality wasn’t the same. Not even close.

The nose shows brambly, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries and lean raspberry edges. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark chocolate bar, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather,. softy layered baking spices, black licorice-tarriness, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender.

The palate is ripe, juicy w/ medium, rounded tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries, strawberries and lean raspberry. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark & slightly melted chocolate, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather, softy layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, mid dark spices w/ some palate heat, black licorice-tarriness, dry herbs, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dry top soil, moist, grey, volcanic clay, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender, very nice acidity, nicely balanced, well structured/tensioned w/ an elegant finish that lasts a minute plus and lands on earth & spice with mid intensity palate heat.

92 decanted. 93 the bottom 1/2 of the bottle, not decanted.
— 3 months ago

Scott@Mister, Daniel and 9 others liked this