2013 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (4/22/2016)
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc…13.8%…DARK and inky…wonderful rich nose of blackberry, creme de cassis, bing cherries, graphite powder, potting soil, dusty white pepper/American oak spice…LOTS going on! Just a huge creamy full-bodied mouthfeel…the Merlot smoothness shows…ripe and sweet(but not too sweet) dark berry fruits…liqueured and silky…same flavs as that awesome nose…as well as licorice, menthol, some pipe smoke…this isn’t flabby…good structure with crushed minerality, chalky tannins with big spice kick…only knock might be a short abrupt finish with some bitters…but it kind of works toning down the sweetness, which I’m sure will integrate nicely with some age. VERY tasty cab here that is accessible now, but should gain even further. (94 pts.)
We tasted this at the component tasting last month up at Ridge, and they were pouring this after the 2013 Monte Bello, so the order that the wines were presented did not do this wine justice. I agree with you that it is a very nice wine! I am going to hold mine for a few years before tasting again, as I think this vintage will have a very long drinking window.
If you read a lot of the posts here about 13 cabs they mostly lean towards the wines needing time and particularly MB needing time, now on this thread it seems that MB is ready to go.
With my limited experience i cant help but think that MB now would be a tannic austere unenjoyable wine, not saying it wont be great one day in 10+ years but i cant see opening anytime soon and enjoying
Hey Corey. I have several bottles of this - can you elaborate a bit more on what you mean by your comment? I didn’t quite get your meaning. Do you think they will improve by letting them age a few years?
Same question to anyone else familiar with the 2011.
Sorry, I was typing on my phone and forgot to add “vanilla”…see below.
2011 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (4/21/2016)
The nose screams vanilla with purple fruit dancing in the background. Palate is purple and black fruits with some vanilla, and a long, slightly bitter finish.
My previous bottle did not show the vanilla but it’s readily apparent now. Plan to hold my last for a while to allow it to integrate and hopefully dissipate. Tasty, but right now not in my wheelhouse. (88 pts.)
I drank two and think I’ll wait 5 years to open my last. The odd thing is that while I got oak on my first bottle, it was wood, not vanilla. I do think it will get better as that vanilla integrates.
I just had the 2011, 2012, and 2013 together last week. The 2013 was clearly the best wine, with pure gorgeous fruit. The 2012 was excellent too, but was more earth and character. The 2011 was eh… If you like minerally chards, you’d like the 2014 Estate. I just went back for more of the 2013 Estate Cab and 2014 Estate Chard with free shipping for the mothers day special.