Absolutely delicious. The 27% Zin makes itself noticed on the nose, which has the telltale brambly blackberry competing with the deep red berries of the Carignane. And there’s a bit of the signature Ridge American oak adding a vanilla/smoky note on top of a little gravel. Texturally soft and mouthfilling, it’s ripe but in beautiful balance. Tangy acids from the Carignane. A bit of tannin, but it’s very soft. I don’t see this as a long ager, but really nice now. The finish is a little short, but that’s common in my view with Carignane, which tend to give a significant initial whack of flavor and then dissipates quickly.
Absolutely delicious. The 27% Zin makes itself noticed on the nose, which has the telltale brambly blackberry competing with the deep red berries of the Carignane. And there’s a bit of the signature Ridge American oak adding a vanilla/smoky note on top of a little gravel. Texturally soft and mouthfilling, it’s ripe but in beautiful balance. Tangy acids from the Carignane. A bit of tannin, but it’s very soft. I don’t see this as a long ager, but really nice now. The finish is a little short, but that’s common in my view with Carignane, which tend to give a significant initial whack of flavor and then dissipates quickly.
1 person found it helpfulJul 29th, 2022