not showing much on the nose. Rounded and pure. Quiet. In good shape given its age — 19 days ago
This is the 2020 Late Bottled Vintage Port. Full bodied, medium sweetness, and alcohol at 19.5%. Alcohol not overly noticeable when served chilled. Notes of cherry, bittersweet chocolate, and almond liqueur, with hints of dried fruits. Enough acidity to provide good balance. Really tasty to drink for dessert, and also makes a good reduction sauce for pan-seared duck breasts. — a month ago
My last of three.
The 05 vintage is basically perfect fruit etc…
This started a bit slow from an hour decant. It really pick up steam w/ the Waygu Ribcap.
The Bordeaux elegance & earth profound. The fruits are floral-laden. Dry blackberries, raspberries, both plum, with skin, dark cherries, dry strawberries, baked rhubarb, hints of raspberry, dark chocolate bar, light caramel, dark spice with a little heat, dry limestone. topsoil, dry riverstone, cigar box with ash, old used leather, dark forest floor with leaves, clove, touch of cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg sweet graphite, used charcoal, black tea, mid berry cola dark wuthering flowers, hence of lavender and old violets, perfect around acidity with a well-balanced structured, evenly tensioned finish that last minutes and lands on dry earth and spice with florals — 6 days ago
09.12.26 Reims, France yes!!! — 2 months ago
Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago
Better with the Rib-cap. The 08 vintage was spotty to good. This one shows the shortcomings of the 08 vintage. Really good fruit, but lacks typical, depth, mid palate, and length.
The nose is class Bordeaux.Ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, forest floor with dry leaves, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, dry herbs, tomato, leaf, with dark and red flowers, framed in violets.
The palate is ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, deep, dark spice that expands wide, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, caramel and vanillin, dry tobacco with ash, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, dry crushed rocks, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clays, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, savory dry herbs, tomato leaf, dry oak barrel shaving to cedar with dark and red flowers, framed in violets, acidity is ok, just not right, finish is good, not great, it falls hard on spice and is short of a minute.
93 with the Rib-cap. Green Bean from my organic gsrden. Drink now through 2035. — 2 months ago
This is a nice and easy drinking Zinfandel based red blend from Alexander Valley. Tasty and easy drinking. Well balanced and complex.
Needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.
A blend of 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Aged in American oak barrels for 13 months.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$45. — 3 days ago
Big but hides abv. Smooth, dark fruits, some herbs and spices, overall a ton of fruit and bitter cocoa. It honestly needs more time. So good with steak au poivre at meritage St. Paul. — 14 days ago
Full mouthfeel with acidity, minerality, and tropical fruit notes exquisitely balanced. Or peach and honeyed citrus per label. Still lovely. — 21 days ago
Deep cherry red ~ black. Oak vanilla black cherry plum. Fruitiness M++ Sweetness M+ Acidity M Tannin M Smooth Bitterness M Body M++ Finish M % Powerful Concentrated jammy Juicy good balanced Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel @2800, Eva - BBQ, 260914-260915 — 2 months ago


Slight eucalyptus, strong tannic structure holding firm 10 years later! Deep dive with red pear, dried bing cherry, and toasted oak. Favorite pairing was the 18 month aged Gouda. — 2 months ago
I started to write a note for the 2014 and then, when I was nearly finished, I recalled that I had previously enjoyed this vintage a few years back. I went back to my notes on May 24, 2023 and I gotta say, my notes still nailed it. Liquid stars. Drink now until your last breath. — 2 months ago
Ridge Vineyards — Estate Chardonnay 2023
Monte Bello Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
100% Chardonnay from Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains and strongly influenced by the cool Pacific. The exceptionally long, cool 2023 growing season preserved freshness and varietal character, while barrel fermentation followed by nine months on the lees added texture and dimension. At 14.1% ABV, it carries surprising substance without sacrificing its cool-climate identity.
Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon, yellow apple, pear, citrus blossom, and subtle stone fruit unfold gradually, joined by mineral notes, gentle vanilla, and restrained barrel nuances. Air brings out additional layers without turning the wine overtly oaky.
Mouthfeel
Beautifully texturized yet remarkably fresh. Bright acidity provides tension while lees aging gives the mid-palate a gentle creaminess and polished weight. It keeps evolving after opening, moving between delicacy, mineral energy, and increasingly expressive fruit.
Food Pairings
Excellent alone, but equally comfortable with scallops, lobster, grilled halibut, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, or richer seafood preparations. Its combination of acidity and texture lets it pivot effortlessly between sipping and serious cuisine.
Verdict
A fascinating expression of mountain-grown California Chardonnay. Delicate yet substantial, refreshing yet textural, it demonstrates how a cool Pacific-influenced site can deliver ripeness without sacrificing precision or energy.
Did You Know?
Monte Bello sits high above Silicon Valley on the Santa Cruz Mountains ridge, with vineyards exposed to significant Pacific influence. Ridge notes that 2023 was one of its longest and coolest recent growing seasons; the extended harvest helped preserve acidity while allowing slow flavor development—the tension you can genuinely feel in this Chardonnay.
🍷 Personal Pick
This sits comfortably among my favorite coastal-influenced Northern California Chardonnays. What gets me is the evolution: refreshing and delicate at first, then progressively more textural and expressive as it opens. It has enough finesse to enjoy completely on its own and enough structure to sit beside fine cuisine. That versatility, without losing its cool-climate personality, is what makes this one special. — a month ago
Fully mature with resolved tannins, quite dry, easy going, medium length aftertaste. Very good wine from very good vintage. — 11 days ago
Excellent follow up to the classic 2016 Vintage. Blend of Mourvèdre (30%), Grenache (30%), Syrah (15%), Counoise (10%) and the balance (15%) made up of other approved CDP varietals led by Vaccarese’. Aromas of red and black fruit, garrigue, leather and earth. Flavors of black raspberries, currants and cherries, Asian spices, smoked meat and truffles. Long and lingering (slightly spicy) finish and beautiful balance. Full bodied and dense, but not overpowering. Fine grained tannins and amazing complexity. Great now, but there is another decade (or so) of aging potential. Just incredible. — 24 days ago
Presented double-blind at dinner. The wine pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core and a slightly orange rim with considerable variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated fruit: black currants, blackberries, plum, pipe tobacco, capsicum, pencil shavings, a touch leather, organic earth and a mix of dried herbs and some fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Really tasty stuff.
Initial conclusions: this is an old wine, likely 30-40 years old. That being said, it’s still very distinguishable as it’s showing varietal characteristics. This could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend thereof), Cabernet Franc (or a blend thereof), or Merlot (or a blend thereof). I can see this being Napa because the fruit is still showing some generosity. But there’s a lot of non-fruits there too. Regardless, this was giving Left Bank vibes so I could also see this being Bordeaux from a great vintage like 1982. And that’s my call, Cabernet Sauvignon-blend from France, Bordeaux, Saint-Estèphe, from a classified growth like Calon-Ségur. Shucks. But I’m not mad about my choice! Old Opus One’s are tricky to differentiate. Drinking very well right now but this will live well past 2035. — 2 months ago
"Odedi"
This is a very tasty and easy drinking Zinfandel blend from Sonoma County.
Fruit forward with nice complexity. Elegant and entertaining.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to get better in the next 7 years.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.
Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 5% Alicante Bouschet and 3% Mataro.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$36. — 6 days ago