Ridge Fall Release Tasting 9/6/08

Note that this was a very hot day and the wines were served rather warm! Grrr!

'05 Chardonnay "Home Ranch"
Nose - rich, brown spice, tropical fruit.
Soft toasty oak, citric zing, complex, complete, notes of various stone fruit, good minerality, lingering spice. (93 pts.)

'06 Lytton Springs (16% Petite Sirah, 4% carignane)
Nose - warm red fruit, a little hot. The Zin and Carig really show. Hint of fudge, raspberry.
A touch of heat, zest, chalky mineral, roasted plum, boysenberry, dusty tannin, smoke. Needs time. (90+ pts.)

'06 York Creek (1% Petite Sirah)
Nose - warm dark berries, some plum.
Clean black fruit, grapefruit, grippy tannin. Seems well rounded, but served too warm! (89+ pts.)

'06 Pagani (7% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Petite Sirah)
Nose - pure purple fruit, hints of ethyl.
Draper oak, boysenberry, blueberry, orange, tart finish. (90 pts.)

'05 Monte Bello (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc)
Signature Monte Bello nose, with boysenberry, blueberry, Petite Verdot.
Smooth blue fruit. Sneak attack from dusty/gritty tannin. Tart and gritty on the finish with a complex spiciness. Seems very closed. (In March this was very fruit forward and showed incredible complexity.) I'd give it 5-7 years for the tannins to settle down, and wait 30 years for it to peak. (95 pts.)