Ridge Holiday Tasting

• 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (12/7/2013)
  Lovely. Firm & friendly. Expansive, floral. Really nicely mature but still young. Can drink now or continue to cellar. Spicy, pepper. Beautiful. Very Ridge, represents just what I like in their wines.
  B+
• 2010 Ridge Zinfandel Lytton Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (12/7/2013)
  High acidity. Not as dense or friendly as other vintages. Nice floral notes, but a bit angular. A bit disappointing for Ridge.
  B/B-
• 2011 Ridge Carignane Triangle - USA, California, Sonoma County (12/7/2013)
  Firm and dark. Dried fruit, dark high acid. A bit on the simple side. Nice perfume, orange peel.
  B/B-
• 2011 Ridge Chardonnay Estate - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (12/7/2013)
  Classy with a bit of a soft side, malo, vanilla. A foot in Burgundy, a foot in California. Lovely.
  B/B+
• 2011 Ridge Geyserville - USA, California, Sonoma County (12/7/2013)
  Firm and soft at the same time. Black slightly sweet core. Good dark tannins. Spicy. Lovely.
  B+

[David M. Bueker]

Ok, so I am a bit confused. "A bit disapponting" gets B-/B, but "lovely" only gets B+. I've heard varying reports on the 2011 Geyserville, so that's why I am interested in your "scoring" methodology.

Yeah, my scoring makes no sense. I admit it. Don't get Jacques started about it.

I probably simultaneously overscored the 2010 Lytton Estate and underscored 2011 Geyserville.

Rest assured the 2011 Geyserville is the real deal. Pure Ridge all the way. Excellent wine. What are the negative reports?

Although what I bought on the night was the 2006 Lytton Springs and the Chardonnay as well as the Estate Cab. I passed on Geyserville because I figured it's easy to find.

Nice report.

I need to try a Ridge Chardonnay.

I purchased one bottle of the 2011 Ridge Geyserville. After seeing great reviews on it I tried to buy two or three more bottles and couldn't get them. The distributor for this area was out-of-stock.

Zins are too young IMHO.

10 years from the vintage is my rule of thumb. I've bought every vintage of Ridge LS and Geyserville since mid 80s.

Tom-

I have a lot of aged Ridge Zins, I'm currently drinking my 2001s. I like them aged, but honestly I think there is also something lost when they get that old. Like Riesling, I find that maturity and complexity of age comes at the cost of some of the wine's energy and youthful vigor. So I'll continue to drink Ridge young, middle age and old. I think my preference is about 5-7 years.