Paul T HB

9.6

The Vineyardist 2nd label.
This one surprised me by how much air it needed to open up. Had a splash on day 1 and immediately corked it back up for a day 2 decant. Definitely not an over extracted Cabernet just to please the masses. My ratings might be higher than others but I work these wines to get the best out of them.

Interesting note I found-

The Vineyardist is a Diamond Mountain property with a long history. In the late 19th century it was purchased by a Dutch shipping captain who planted vineyards and made wine. During prohibition the vineyards were replaced with nut and prune orchards. In 2000 the property was purchased by Dirk Fulton and Becky Kukkola, who began replanting some of the 80 acres to vineyards. — 16 days ago

Willie Carter

9.1

A pretty light gold color with sparse, tiny bubbles. The nose is instantly attractive with lemon peel and unmistakable chalk up front. The fruit here is pretty amazing with honeydew, pears, and a touch of mango. Green and red apples sing throughout, especially as the glass warms a bit. Floral accents are the showstopper here with pretty white flowers and delicate orchards. It’s all so very fresh with this wine, as befits a Hebrart champagne.

I’m a huge fan of all of the Special Club bottles that I’ve had the pleasure to try. This is easily one of the best. 55/45 PN/CH primarily from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Masterfully crafted, this is both sleek and comforting. Beautiful purity of fruit and laser like focus. Nice acidity, not racy or bracing but smooth. There’s an incredible level of depth here. Tasted blind, no doubt I would have named a much more expensive bottle.

The attack is focused with much clarity. It’s almost hard to put into words why this is so damn good but trust me, it is. A wave of tropical fruits like pineapple and kumquat along with more mangoes. Bread with a light dusting of cinnamon is a pleasant surprise to with dried herbs. Cherries begin to come into view on the long finish and you’re left smiling by the trace of warm spice. Normally I would say let these sit for a few years but don’t bother, this sexy thing is singing right now. — 3 years ago

David Ferguson

10

Great from first sip — 10 months ago

Steve Mitchell

9.1

Very drinkable zinfandel blend. Paired well with our Cornish game hen and potatoes. Reasonable price point.
Ridge consistently produces a nice bottle of wine. — 3 years ago

Kevin C

9.0

Straw, mild apple. Just a lovely sipping white. Mild, a tiny bit of acid. Good on its own or with a light dish: cornish hen, white fish, linguini and clams. — 4 years ago

Chris Niro

9.2

Paired with Cornish Hens and calvados sauce. — 5 years ago

Peter Coulthard

9.5

Cornish Pinot Noir. Excellent! — a year ago

Austin Hohnke

8.9

This is the “La Caniere” Chassagne-Montrachet rouge from Miolane. An hour in the decanter reveals cranberry, citrus peel, cherries, and iron with powdery tannins. The structure obscures the fruit a bit but there is some lovely nuance. This wants to be paired with pork loin or something ridiculous like Cornish hen. — 3 years ago

Ross Chernin

9.3

Beautiful and integrated. Tannins and settled in wonderfully but the structure still manages the high alcohol and keeps everything incredibly balanced.

Having with Cornish game hen with roasted butternut squash, onions and celery. Finally a cool evening in the summer. Taste like Thanksgiving.

This wine is like that perfect cranberry accompany to the meal. — 4 years ago

with Jazmina

Ely Cohn

8.9

Pleasant and simple. Chardonnay of the most commons - white flowers, orchards, some nice notes of tarragon and smokey tropical. Texture of sour cream and a squeeze of lemon. — 5 years ago