New Scores from Vinous
Vinous Media
November 2023
Whether you’re receiving a club shipment, hunting for a gift, or simply exploring the range of RIDGE offerings, this list of new scores & reviews from Vinous is for you. Featuring nine noteworthy scores, Antonio Galloni writes, “The range at Ridge continues to expand with a number of vineyard-designate bottlings that offer something for every palate. The 2021 reds I tasted for this report are all terrific and worth seeking out.”
Read the Reviews
2021 Lytton Springs | 95+ points
“The 2021 Lytton Springs is fabulous. Bright and vibrant to its core, the 2021 impresses with its poise. Readers will find a Lytton Springs that is very much in reserve, as opposed to the rest of the 2021s in this report, all of which are more approachable. Salivating acids and veins of tannin lend shape and persistence, but the 2021 needs time. Red cherry fruit, blood orange, rose petal and sage are some of the notes that linger on the close.”
2021 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel
95 points
“The 2021 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is a wine of tremendous stature. Vertical and composed in bearing, the 2021 has a ton to offer, but is also a bit reserved today. Time in the glass brings out a mesmerizing range of red/purplish fruit, spice, cedar, new leather, tobacco, mocha and dried flowers. Pagani Ranch remains a beacon for Sonoma County Zinfandel-based field blends. This is a fine rendition.”
2021 Evangelho
94 points
“The 2021 Evangelho is a gorgeous wine that beautifully captures the personality of this Contra Costa County site. A burst of sweet red fruit makes a strong first impression, followed by sweet floral and spice notes that lend complexity. The 2021 is 58% Carignane, 22% Zinfandel and 20% Mataro, with the Carignane very much front and center. Deceptive in its mid-weight frame, the 2021 possesses tons of depth and persistence. Give it a few years to soften.”
2021 Ponzo Zinfandel
94 points
“The 2021 Zinfandel Ponzo screams out of the glass with varietal character. Ripe red cherry fruit, kirsch, menthol, spice, rose petal and star anise all grace this exotic, medium to full-bodied Zinfandel. The purity of the flavors is compelling. Silky tannins and lifted florals frame the finish.”
2021 Rockpile
94 points
“The 2021 Zinfandel Rockpile is packed with black fruit, cedar, tobacco, incense, graphite and grilled herbs. This potent, brooding Zinfandel is endowed with tremendous explosive energy. Firm but well balanced tannins wrap it all together. This big, full-bodied Zinfandel delivers the goods.”
2021 Benito Dusi Zinfandel
93 points
“The 2021 Zinfandel Benito Dusi is a classic Paso Robles wine. Tasted next to the other Zinfandels in this range, it presents a riper profile along with more overt American oak sweetness. It’s a style that works well, especially in terms of giving the wine tons of immediacy. The Benito Dusi is not the most complex wine in this range, but it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.”
2021 Sandy Lane Carignane
93 points
“The 2021 Carignane Sandy Lane is supple, juicy and wonderfully delicious. All of the exuberance of Contra Costa County comes through in a racy, forward Carignagne packed with bright red/purplish fruit. Spice, tobacco and dried flowers add nuance, punctuated by bright saline notes that lend energy as well as complexity. The 2021 is such an inviting wine.”
2020 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah
93 points
“The 2020 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate is superb, and also the highlight of the 2020s at Ridge. Deep and resonant in the glass, the 2020 impresses with its balance, something that was very hard to achieve in 2020. Scents of blackberry, grilled herbs, menthol, lavender and mocha are immediately alluring. There is maybe a bit of graininess in the tannin, but that is a pretty small critique within the context of the year.”
2021 Blasi Zinfandel
92 points
“The 2021 Zinfandel Blasi is bright, nervy and super-expressive. Red cherry fruit, pomegranate, rose petal, spice and a kick of blood orange all run through this wonderfully vibrant, mid-weight Zinfandel. I especially admire the energy here. Best of all, the Blasi offers tons of vintage 2021 character, but can also be enjoyed pretty much upon release.”
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