Ridge, Independence School Zinfandel, Sonoma County

This has turned a pale ruby color. It shoes clear signs of maturity with undergrowth, cherry fruit, fragrant herbs and rose petal. Surprisingly slender on the palate, with tannins mostly attenuated. There’s umami (soy sauce), prominent herbs (tomato leaf) and more delicate floral notes interlaced with red berries. I don’t notice the 15.1% heat here, although it does lack some acidity. Really very fine, I would not wait any longer.

2005 vintage

Lacks depth and structure.

2005 vintage

quite good; 91; smooth, full

2005 vintage

A little bricking. Plum and currant flavors.

2005 vintage

Popped and poured. Medium crimson color, fading toward the rim. Nose of earthy, wet leaves, some black plum, currant, and faded hints of sweet oak in the background. More savoury than fruity on the palate, not much in the tannin department left. If this had more acidity, I would say it can still go a while but to me this was slightly past peak by a few years. I would drink up.

2005 vintage

At a nice place...expressive plum and blackberry fruit, a little cedar. Firm and compact with a long perfumed finish. yummy and long. Bordelaise style.

2005 vintage

Drinking like a much younger wine with no evident browning around the edges or in the nose. Still a big tasteful gulp of Zinliciuosness, balanced, with spice and brambleberry fruit. Very nice and still has many years ahead of it. Well integrated flavors with a long finish. I see that other recent reviews have had difficulties with their bottles. Storage, storage, storage! That under the counter, behind the stairs, in a corner of the basement stuff is all well and …

2005 vintage

Dark garnet in color. no fruit Over the hill.

2005 vintage

I'm with sbfern on this one. Definitely over and done. Ridge claimed it was tasting nicely right now. These notes are for the replacement bottle I got since the first one tasted the same as this one.

2005 vintage

Delicious Zin with character and finesse. Dusty red and black mountain fruits around a core of plums along with some real earthy qualities and plenty of spice. This was medium bodied and showed a really nice structure where the tannins and oak fully resolved themselves. American Oak, yes, but not overly sweet or domineering due to some of the wine being cellared in second and fourth use oak. Rather long and spritely finish with a good acidic kick and very …

2005 vintage

Reticent at first, fruit came forward after long decant. Just a wee bit oxidized. This is a dark, concentrated zin.

2005 vintage

Soft caramel and apple skin, cracked pepper, soft fruit flavours. Tannin has smoothed nicely. This needed no time at all. Elegant and pretty. Blue and soft red fruits, hints of baking spice. Excellent

2005 vintage

Plum, dark berries, and pepper on the nose. Some cherry and red berry flavors on the palate. Well balanced, but the finish is rather short.

2005 vintage

Plum, dark berries, and earth on the nose. Still high but soft tannins. Nice finish. Beautiful mature Ridge Zinfandel.

2005 vintage

Rich, ripe, extracted fruit and perhaps a bit hot. Medium body, perhaps, but comes across as richer. We couldn't decide if the fruit is a bit raisiny or just fading? this is good but not one of their best.

2005 vintage

Intense dried red and dark fruit with leather, elegance and with long finish. Need to decant it for longer than we did. It really developed with time, and we wish we had waited longer to start drinking it.

2005 vintage

These are just really good zinfandels!

2005 vintage

Four months ago I found the color to be a deep burgundy. It still is. But the similarity between that bottle and this bottle, ends there. This wine put out a plume of Draper perfume; it was huge. Then followed a deep and lovely rhubarb, cinnamon, violet, vanilla cherry and frit compote of scents that never stopped coming. The abundance of scents stuccoed the palate with distinct hits of flavor. The finish is herbaceous with perhaps rosemary. Zin funk comes …

2005 vintage

Two cups of this formed the base for the sauce in the Coq au Zin. But the cooks needed a marinading also. The color is a deep burgundy. No raisin flavors or scents whatsoever (which a bottle showed earlier this year). The nose is all brown sugar and rhubarb. The nose suggests a young wine with a deep perfume. The palate is all about more brown sugar and rhubarb with mere supporting appearances by rosemary and a distinct earthiness on …

2005 vintage

Raspberry, earth, leather, white pepper, menthol. Fruit that reminds me of Mendocino zins. Firm acids, good structure, drinking perfectly. Had side by side with Ridge 2005 Mazzoni home ranch.

2005 vintage

Drinking well with just a little age, not too hot, but big and lush.

2005 vintage

A bit past its prime unfortunately. Little to no bouquet left, fairly short finish, a little acidic on the palette.

2005 vintage

Needs at least 90 minutes to decant

2005 vintage

nice value in zinfandel

2005 vintage

Fairly rich, bramble and red fruit. Good, but with less complexity and interest than other Ridge wines.

2005 vintage

Drinking perfectly right now. Beautiful wine.

2005 vintage

Needed to breathe for 90 minutes. Paired well w BBQ ribs.

2005 vintage

Another thin rim of maroon, but this quickly fades to plum. Had I known I would pull this, I would have tasted this prior to the LP version. But tasting this after the LP, it seems thin and acidic with insufficient tannins. The initial raisin flavors clear out with a little time. The wine is loaded with Zin funk, rhubarb and plum notes. The finish is more brown sugar than most anything else .... but for the ever present delicious …

2005 vintage

Incredibly reliable quality zinfandel

2005 vintage

If the plum and rhubarb dominated the nose 7 years ago when I first tasted this wine and then shifted to rhubarb, coffee and toffee two years ago, well, this is now back to plum, rhubarb and toffee with a balanced dose of Zin-funk for good measure. The tannins are fully resovled and this takes on a very claret-like body, mouthfeel and style. However, it still lacks balance. The alcoholic heat has dissipated, but still leaves a heaviness on the …

2005 vintage

Great wine! If you follow Paul Drapers notes on the back of the bottle, he recommends when the wine is ready. This has paid off for us, although you have to be patient. Fruity aroma, with something I'll call caramel, or maybe vanilla. Really soft tannins, with a complex finish. I agree that it won't last much longer now that the tannins have softened. Definitely worth the "long" wait.

2005 vintage

Lots of ripe red fruit and pleasant hint of brush on the nose. The palate follows with a bit darker fruit, just short of jammy. This wine has softened quite a bit, and while still a nice pairing with some brisket and ribs, it's time to start drinking up.

2005 vintage

Lovely bottle of mature Zin. Sun-warmed cherries with a bit of must and some basil notes jumped out of the glass after 30 minutes in the decanter. In the mouth blue fruits from the Petit Sirah as well as black cherries from the Zin were paired nicely. Just enough acid left to balance things out. Feminine, round, and harmonious. This wine is in a great place. Drink now.

2005 vintage

Deep ruby color. Nose of black fruits and spice. Pleasant but a bit thinned out through the finish.

2005 vintage

Well aged and drinking beautifully. Nose shows dark plum fruit & hint of leather / anise. Fruit is starting to fade but still blueberries & cherries clearly come through when a hint of acid is added to the paired dish. Hint of pepper of the finish. Drink now.

2005 vintage

Agreed. Fading. Drink up.

2005 vintage

With Sirloin Steak and roast carrots. Clear medium ruby, good color to the edge, still youthful. Spicy nose, peppery bramble berry. Big, powerful wine, this, no wilting lily; pepper, intense fruit softening to blueberry on medium-long finish, balanced but with some power. I think this particular bottle aged well, and was hit at peak.

2005 vintage

Fading. Drink up.

2005 vintage

Light and a bit fruity. Lacked depth and definition. Probably past due.

2005 vintage

quite nice, a bit ripe, but decent acidity.

2005 vintage

Complex and complete. Still young, but beginning to strike a claret like note. Zin funk and loads of Draper perfume, but also rhubarb, tobo, anise and a velvet-like texture. With some of the best (beef) burgers we’ve ever made; grilled of course. Recommended.

2005 vintage

Textbook zin showing really well right now. Not going to fade soon but no reason to wait.

2005 vintage

Gave as a present to Steve L. 6/9/12

2005 vintage

Medium red color, limited transparency. Aromas of red berries, chocolate, vanilla, and a little sweet cinnamon. Palate is initially chocolate with blackberry and raspberry carrying into a medium finish. The chocolate notes distract, to my tastes. Structurally fine, but the flavors aren't as sharp as I'd like them to be. Drink.

2005 vintage

No great notes as it was one of many. I do recall lots of pepper and some creaminess. An enjoyable bottle of wine.

2005 vintage

Truly delicious. Vanilla, courant, leather.

2005 vintage

Not bad, just at the end of it's life. Resolved, some secondary flavors, just getting a bit raisoney..

2005 vintage

Deep color, fruit forward and very much in it's prime right now.

2005 vintage

P&P - Impressive. Cracked this w a half thought that it would be off, dead. Dark purple, nice. Smells like a perfectly ripe Zin w some creme de la something in there. Love the mouthfeel, good weight, finishes a bit bright, then some nice tannins and lingering strawberries pie cherries and the like, some pumpkin pie spices thrown in. This is in a great place and I think on first sips this has some development ahead.

2005 vintage

In its prime. Deep garnet. Jammy red fruits, toast, vanilla. Long finish. Perfectly approachable now and very rounded. Sad we only have one of these ATP bottles left!

2005 vintage

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Ridge, Independence School Zinfandel, Sonoma County

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