5/13/2024 - fredb wrote:

Medium red color with medium transparency. Aromas of red fruits and a bit of spice/smoke character. Palate is fully resolved with dust, a bit of meat, slight plum, cherry, and some dark chocolate notes that carry into a medium finish. Pretty typical old Ridge experience. Don't expect this to improve further, but also not any hurry. Drink.

5/8/2024 - fredb wrote:

Early look to assess how to handle this vintage. Decanted 3 hours before meal. Not a tremendous amount of change/development in the decanter over that time. Dark red, limited transparency. Plum, currant, smoke, and vanilla on nose. Palate has medium density with smoky cherry, currant, and plum character that carries into a medium-long finish. Oak sticks out at this point. 1/3 left for day 2 resample. Day 2 showed more of the oak and some acrid smoke elements, but not really showing outside of what I tolerate. Works ok with heartier fare. Either decant or wait for at least 5 more years to see where this lands. Hold.

4/8/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Pale yellow-green color. Aromas on the citrus/mineral/spring meadow end of the spectrum. Palate has green apple, lemon zest, yuzu, and a mineral streak that carries into a medium-long finish. Expect this to develop mature character at some point in the future, but still very fresh and young now. Enjoyable in that context. Drink or hold.

1/11/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow. Melon, pear, peach, pineapple fruit notes. Really pleasant and bright with medium density. Finish is medium. Good acidity makes it work with the meal. Drink.

4/4/2024 - fredb wrote:

Consumed over pandemic but memorably oxidized/cooked. Will give benefit of the doubt this was abused in supply chain somewhere, as it was an aftermarket acquisition.

4/3/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow color. Aromas of pineapple, pear, apple, and some citrus. Palate has bitter melon core with pear and green apple. Finish is medium-short with some lemon/pineapple character. Nice wine and worth the price for me. Drink.

3/31/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow/gold color, abundant medium-fine bead. Aromas of apple and pear with vanilla and ginger. Palate is full and round with yellow plum, apple, spiced pear, ginger, a hint of peach, and some citrus/mineral undertones that carry into a long, vinous finish. Notes of biscuit, bread, and pineapple come with some time in the glass. Really flashy and delicious now with plenty of evidence of a long life ahead. Drink or hold.

3/31/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Decanted off moderate crust in bottle and small amount of fine sediment. Dark garnet red with limited transparency. Aromas of smoke, sous bois, plum, and currant. Palate is initially very dark with plum and smoke dominating. Left in decanter for 3.5 hours before meal service. Time did open this up and more red fruit elements came out along with some vanilla and cedar notes. Finish is medium and a bit tart. Expect this has more upside for my tastes but fully resolved and ready now. Drink at leisure.

3/24/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Not as much gas escaping on opening, but pours with abundant, medium bead and bright yellow color. 2015 disgorgement. Aromas of ginger, citrus, jasmine, and chamomile. Palate shares these flavors with a bit of biscuit in the background. Finish is dominated by ginger and chamomile. Ready now for my tastes; structure to develop breadth but love the freshness.

3/5/2024 - fredb wrote:

Medium yellow color. Hay, wax, lemon oil, tangerine, and some herbal notes on the nose. Palate dominated by alcohol with wax, dandelion green, preserved lemon, and thyme that carry into an alcohol-dominated finish. After a 2 oz. sample, left corked in cellar overnight and revisited. Fruit more forward after this treatment, with alcohol providing more framing than flames, but still overt. Resample in 2-3 years. Hold.

2/23/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium yellow/light-gold color. Aromas have some floral/sweet lemon-lime and a hint of butterscotch. Palate still surprisingly fresh and showing good weight and density for the cru/vintage. Good example of Raveneau's ability to transcend vintage and maintain high quality and longevity. Drink.

1/29/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium yellow-gold color. Citrus, flowers, quince, wax, and some honey on the nose. On the palate, seems to have an extra flavor dimension that a lot of Condrieu I have had. Less floral than Guigal Doriane with the body and flavors reminding of Marsanne or Roussane. Like a hypothetical blend of white Hermitage and Condrieu. Drink or hold.

2/21/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Ruby color, medium transparency. Nose has cherry/raspberry with some spice notes. Palate initially shy but reveals cool blue and red fruits with air. Finish is medium. This one seemed to actually shut down after about an hour. Enjoyable now with food. Drink or hold.

2/20/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark red color, moderate transparency with some thinning at the rim. Smoke, loam, black cherry, and some strawberry on the nose. Palate has fully integrated with cherry and raspberry red fruit dominating over some earth and spice elements. Medium finish. Drink.

2/4/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow color, a bit deeper than a year ago. Lemon, butterscotch, and a touch of pear on the nose. Palate has citrus and apple with some vanilla on the medium finish. Mineral notes appear with time in the glass. Drink.

1/19/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Impulse pull on request. Decanted off moderate amount of sediment, bottle rinsed, and wine returned for service. Consumed in a relative frenzy by eight people, so this didn't get much evolution time. Medium-dark red color with some bricking starting to show up and medium transparency. Nose has plum and baking spice. Palate has fig, prune, plum, Christmas pudding, and some slightly medicinal notes that carry in to a medium-long finish. Purchased on release and ready to go now. Drink.

1/18/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark garnet color. Medium transparency. Sweet prune (not super stewed, but ripe), cherry, and floral elements on nose. Palate has tart cherry, smoke, chicory, and some fennel notes that carry in to a medium-long finish. Interesting wine. Drink or hold.

1/7/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium red with limited transparency. Ripe cherry, slight floral and vanilla nose. Palate has sweet cherry, rhubarb, and candied cranberry with a vanilla and hint of chocolate on a medium finish. This has fully integrated and developed into a well-balanced wine. Delicious now. Drink or hold.

1/2/2024 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium yellow-gold color. Pear, nutmeg, melon, and some floral notes on the nose. Palate has good density and a bit of oiliness paired with citrus pith, pear, and melon. Finish is medium-short. Drink or hold.

12/27/2023 - fredb wrote:

Pale lemon yellow color. Aromas of lime and peach. Palate is super stony and austere at this point. Needs time to flesh out and allow the fruit to overcome some of the structure. Did not budge much over the three nights I sampled it from a recapped bottle put into the cellar. Hold until 2030 at least.

12/7/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark red color, limited transparency. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, blueberry, and blackberry compote with some vanilla/smoke lurking. Palate has some anise and a core of red fruit with medium acidity to carry into a medium finish. Very much a cooler-climate rendition of Zinfandel. Pleasant and holds interest. Drink or hold.

12/17/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Garnet-pink color in the glass. Moderate bead. Lemon-strawberry fruit on the nose with some bread sweetness heading toward brioche. Palate follows nose. Plenty of breadth here already. Strawberries and cream and some cherry notes with a medium finish. Drink.

12/4/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium-gold color. Lemon-peach aroma. Palate has real density to it with lemon, lime, peach, and a strong mineral character that carry into a long finish. Compared to the d'Angerville Bourgogne Aligote of the same vintage, this is much more serious. Both delicious. Drink or hold.

12/2/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Crimson color. Limited transparency. Aromas of cherry, cranberry, and a hint of smoke. Palate is tart with raspberry, cherry, a bit of rhubarb and some tea notes toward a medium-short finish. Should flesh out with a year or two in the cellar, but I find it worth a look now. Drink or hold.

12/14/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Deep gold-bronze color (troubling, but age-appropriate). Aromas of lemon oil, some varnish, acacia, bit of honey. Palate is fully mature in a good way - preserved lemon, honey, nut, and mineral carry into a medium-long finish. Great with lobster dip and crab-stuffed branzino. Drink.

11/29/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium-bright gold color. Aromas of lemon, melon, pear, vanilla, and nutmeg. Palate has starfruit bitter notes on top of lemon, wax, pear, and a nutmeg-vanilla character that carries into a long, slightly alcoholic finish. Typical showing for young SQN white in my experience. Drink or hold.

11/30/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium rust red color. Medium transparency. Open for business from first pour. Aromas of currant and leather. Palate has mostly plum and currant with some pipe tobacco. Tannins are fully resolved and the medium finish shows nice acidity. In a great place. Drink.

11/21/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark purple-red color; nearly opaque. Nose of plum, spice, and a hint of vanilla. Palate has cassis, cinnamon, nutmeg, pencil lead, and plum that carry into a medium finish with tannic structure showing up. Needs some time to integrate for my tastes but enjoyable now. Drink or hold.

11/19/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow-gold color. Bright citrus nose with some honeysuckle notes. Palate has lemon, mineral, pear, vanilla, and pineapple notes. Drinking well at this point and could broaden and develop further. Drink or hold.

11/5/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark red color, limited transparency. Decanted off very small ring of tartrates in the punt. Palate is initially very closed with a lot of tannin on top of a leather, licorice, and currant palate. With air and food (chicken parmesan), this does open up to show more classic dust, cherry, licorice, smoke, plum, and a bit of vanilla. For my tastes, this needs more time or extended decanting. Hold.

10/30/2023 - fredb wrote:

No decant. Very small amount of sediment. Dark red color with limited transparency. Nose of cherry, spice, and balsam. Palate is fairly narrow showing cherry and spice notes that carry into a short to medium finish. This just seemed stripped either due to the winemaking or possibly some heat damage. I don't expect further development but also don't see this changing much anytime soon. Drink or hold.

10/30/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

No decant. Small amount of sediment in the punt after being stored upright in cellar for the past year. Poured cleanly. Strawberry red color with full transparency. Hint of brick at the rim. Initial bottle stink blows off to show tea, strawberry, and spice notes. Palate starts out with iron, blood, beef stock, and vitamin elements. Over time, this expands to include strawberry and sous bois. The finish is medium. This was pleasant and met expectations. A nice old Burgundy but not a transcendent experience. Drink.

10/22/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Brick red color with moderate transparency. Aromas of cherry, vanilla, a hint of smoke, dust, and balsam. Palate initially is a bit shut down but with some food and air this opens up to show pretty red fruit and Sangiovese "dustiness" and a slight vanilla/licorice note on the medium finish. Drink over next 5-10 years.

10/21/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark purple color, nearly opaque. Decanted and consumed over ~3 hours. Aromas blend blueberry, kirsch, and blackberry with some balsalm and allspice. Palate has boysenberry, creosote, and a grape that eventually starts to show more plum and currant character with air. The finish is medium. The alcohol pokes out but this works with food to complement it. Drink or hold.

10/5/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium-bright yellow color. Melon, citrus, and flowers on the nose. Palate has an interesting blend of bitter grapefruit and melon with lemon that comes into a long finish. Expect development in the bottle but fun to drink now. Drink or hold.

5/17/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow. Expressive lemon/sea breeze nose. Bursting with lemon, apple, peach, and melon fruit. Drink or hold.

9/24/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Bright yellow color. Aromas of lemon, peach, and melon. Palate has lemon, apple, some peach notes and a mineral infused finish. Very compelling value. Drink.

9/3/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Decanted off small amount of sediment. Dark plum red color. Aromas of vanilla, plum, and smoke. Palate has plum/cherry/vanilla core with some additional floral elements that emerge with time in the decanter. This seemed to be either shut down or simply frozen in time. Was expecting more development. Hold.

9/3/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Decanted off moderate amount of fine sediment and crust on side of bottle interior. Medium brick red color. Aromas of dusty plum and cherry with some cedar and leather notes lurking. Palate is on the dusty side with cedar, plum, smoke and some leathery/meaty notes that carry into a medium-short finish. Gets broader in the decanter over 3+ hours but overall seems past prime for my tastes. Drink.

8/28/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Pale strawberry color with some murkiness and moderate transparency at the rim. Aromas are strawberry, cherry, some herbal notes, and a bit of pepper. Palate has cranberry, tart cherry, black cherry, and some rust that carry into a medium finish. Darker fruited than the Angel Flower tried two days prior. Both ready to drink. Drink.

8/26/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Ruby/Garnet red with moderate transparency. Aromas of strawberry, cherry, flowers, and a hint of smoke. Palate is centered around strawberry, rhubarb and floral elements that carry into a medium-long finish. There is fine sediment that makes the final pour on the cloudy side. Fully mature and resolved to my tastes. Drink.

8/15/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium red color, medium transparency. This continues to drink really in the zone for my tastes. Purchased from the list at release. Pop and pour. Took about 10 minutes in the glass to open up. Cherry, vanilla, plum, slight smoke on the nose. Palate has vanilla, cherry, currant, some slight herbal (eucalyptus?) notes and a medium long finish with some tannins showing up at the end. Great aged expression of Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet.

8/4/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark red color with limited transparency. Plum, dust, blackberry, and cherry on the nose. Palate is chewy and rustic with plum, licorice, loam, and blackberry that carry into a tannic and acidic medium-long finish. This settles down over the course of 3 hours open but needs more time to really come together. Drink the normal 2013 Altesino Brunello over this right now if you have the choice between the two.

8/6/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Dark red color, limited transparency. Cherry, vanilla, slight licorice on nose. Palate has dark berry and slight red earth notes with a slightly spice medium finish. Floral and vanilla notes on the finish with time in the glass. Drink or hold.

8/2/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Has not changed substantially since last note in 2021. Nicely-balanced Riesling with light yellow color, peach and lime notes, some mineral and a medium-short finish. Drink or hold.

7/26/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium garnet color, medium transparency. Aromas of cherry and dirt. Palate has a little brett. showing with cherry, smoke, and earth being the main flavor profile elements. Time to drink up.

7/28/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Brick red, medium transparency. Aromas of iron, game, cherry, and smoke. Palate dominated initially by tannin and iron notes. Cherry and game elements poke through with some air. Later, some savory sous bois elements show up. Needs time to resolve the structure. Hold.

7/28/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Garnet red color; medium transparency. Aromas of raspberry, plum, and earth. Palate has blue fruits and some hard tannic structure still there. With 30 minutes of air, this opens up and shows more loam and plum notes. Finish is medium. Not clear if this develops further or will lose its fruit before the structure resolves. Drink or hold?

7/27/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Medium gold color. Rich aromas of peach, honey, and a slight hint of kerosene. Palate has burnt sugar, peach, lemon, and cherry notes that carry into a long finish where some kerosene elements are lurking. This has come together really well with cellar time. Drink.

7/27/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:

Pale yellow color. Aromas of acacia, honey, kumquat and a hint of lanolin. Palate is fresh with lime, a hint of wool, mineral, and some honeycomb notes. Finish is medium. Wonderful expression of aged chenin blanc. Drink.