2008 Ridge Lytton Springs Proprietary Red Wine
RATING: 93 points
PRODUCER: Ridge
FROM: Sonoma, North Coast, California, USA
VARIETY: Proprietary Blend
DRINK: 2011 – 2018
ESTIMATED COST: $23-$46
SOURCE: WA, #193
Feb 2011
Striking, intense black cherry and blackberry fruit with some spice and earth jump from the glass of the 2008 Lytton Springs, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignan. Dark ruby with a nice tannic overlay, the wine was aged 15 months in American oak. Spicy, impressively rich, with good acids and loads of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 5-7 years.
-Robert Parker
2008 Ridge Zinfandel York Creek
RATING: 90 points
PRODUCER: Ridge
FROM: Napa, North Coast, California, USA
VARIETY: Zinfandel
DRINK: 2011 – 2021
ESTIMATED COST: $26-$30
SOURCE: WA, #193
Feb 2011
Another iconic site from Ridge, the 2008 Zinfandel York Creek (79% Zinfandel and 21% Petite Sirah, tipping the scales at 14.9% alcohol) displays plenty of boysenberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit notes, a healthy dark ruby/purple color similar to the other wines, but more earth, tannin, structure and grip. This is not as forward and elegant as the Lytton Springs, nor as exuberant and flamboyant as the Pagani Ranch. It is almost a Zinfandel with a Cabernet Sauvignon soul and structure. Give it another year or so of aging and drink it over the next decade.
-Robert Parker
2008 Ridge Zinfandel Pagani Ranch
RATING: 94 points
PRODUCER: Ridge
FROM: Sonoma, North Coast, California, USA
VARIETY: Zinfandel
DRINK: 2011 – 2019
ESTIMATED COST: $30-$33
SOURCE: WA, #193
Feb 2011
The 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is a blend 85% Zinfandel, 10% Alicante Bouschet, and the rest Petite Sirah that tips the scales at a lofty 15% alcohol. Possessing ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit intermixed with some wood spice, earth, and subtle herbs, this wine cuts a broad, rich, full-bodied swath across the palate. More exuberant and richer than the more elegant Lytton Springs, this is full-throttle Zinfandel at its best, but beautifully pure, textured, and long. It should drink well for 7-8 years.
-Robert Parker
2007 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello
RATING: 92+ points
PRODUCER: Ridge
FROM: Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, California, USA
VARIETY: Chardonnay
DRINK: 2011 – 2021
ESTIMATED COST: $75
SOURCE: WA, #193
Feb 2011
The 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello (100% Chardonnay, 14.4% alcohol) has a floral nose of white flowers, honeyed citrus, subdued, almost indistinguishable oak, but complex aromatics. Medium to full-bodied and bottled unfiltered, this is one of the more impressive Ridge Chardonnays I have tasted. The oak has been pushed to the background, and the floral, honeyed citrus fruit notes dominate. The wine is beautifully textured and capable of lasting up to a decade or more.
-Robert Parker
2007 Ridge Monte Bello
RATING: 92+ points
PRODUCER: Ridge
FROM: Santa Cruz Mountains, Central Coast, California, USA
VARIETY: Proprietary Blend
DRINK: 2016 – 2041
ESTIMATED COST: $98-$150
SOURCE: WA, #193
Feb 2011
A retaste of the flagship wine, the 2007 Monte Bello (a blend from this famous estate of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense ruby/purple wine with a floral, blueberry, and earthy cassis nose and elegant mid-weight flavors with impressive purity and classicism. There is good acidity, firm tannin, and modest alcohol (13.1%). This is not the most concentrated or powerful Monte Bello, but one built on finesse and elegance. According to the back label, only 41% of the production made it into this wine from the 103-acre estate vineyard. Give this wine another good 5-7 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
-Robert Parker
