Originally posted 2/18/02
Boy is it fun going to a Geyserville offline with a bunch of rabid Ridge fans! Its amazing the excuses one hears about the wines! Now, truth be told my palate has certainly moved away from Zinfandel over the past couple of years due to oak content, alcohol levels and pricing, but when I want a Zin I will still try to seek out a Ridge to try and do consider myself a fan of Ridge Zinfandels, though with each wine I taste of theirs, the more of a fan I become of their wines prior to 93 with the exception of their 95s.
What happened to Ridges Geyserville seems fairly obvious and indeed it clearly seen in Californian wines as a whole. Simply put, the oak treatment was increased. This tasting clearly illustrated that. Some prefer this style, I do not, so keep that in mind as you read my notes. I was out of step with the rabid rowdies that gathered, though I do think I had one or two people that felt the way I did.
Brad
2000 Olga Raffault- Chinon Champ-Chenin
Greenapple aromas and, unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the wine. All acid on the palate. Lemon pith without any lemon sweetness. Dilute as well. No redeeming qualities here. Best to cook with. Sorry Joe. D+ .
1998 Dirler- Gewrtztraminer, Saering Grand Cru
Fairly light on the nose with soft lychee and rose petal aromas. A bit messy on the palate. Limpid and diffuse, the alcohol also sticks out. Light fruit and spice with a jarring metallic taste that shows up on the finish. B-.
1998 Jean-Luc Colombo- Ctes-du-Rhne, Les Figuires Blanc
Ive never been much of a fan of Rhone whites and this wine did little for me. Fat fruit and spice. Rather non-descript and boring, if not particularly offensive. B/B-.
1978 Rutherford Hill- Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Mead Ranch-Atlas Peak
A complex and intriguing nose of ripe fruitcake with sweet pipe tobacco, spice and earth. On the palate, theres still a bit of upfront ripe fruit sweetness along with tobacco and tar, but it becomes austere in the middles and fades on the finish. Still has firm structure, but the fruit is pretty much gone. Sort of reminded me of an old, dried out Barolo. Needs food to show its best, but those that are into dead wine with ephemeral notes enjoyed it more than I did. Still, there were some interesting things going on in it, but its pretty well faded. B-/C+.
1991 Ridge- Mataro, Evangelo Vineyard
Some people loved this wine, others hated it. I was in the latter camp, Decomposing animal aromas with tomato and red fruit. Mercifully diffuse on the palate with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of a nasty plastic note on the finish. Yucko! C.
1983 Ridge- Geyserville
95% Zinfandel 5% Petite Sirah
It seems half the group thought the bottle corked, the other half thought it was damaged, but not from TCA. Rotten wood aromas with some soft red fruit. Candied fruit on the palate with a dash of menthol and licorice. Theres an unpleasant austereness to the wine and it dies on the finish. Damaged goods. C+.
1984 Ridge- Geyserville
90% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah
Killer nose. Plenty of sweet black fruit and spice with more complex aromas of earth, leather and toffee. Still offers generous fruit on the palate, but also has plenty of secondary, tertiary elements. Tannins are a little dry, but the wine is well balanced. A touch past peak from how I like my Zins, but this is very enjoyable. A-/B+.
1984 Ridge- Zinfandel, York Creek
Tighter and denser on the nose and palate than the 84 Geyserville. It shows less fruit and more earth/leather and with a firmer, more focused structure. What fruit it does show is more raisined than the Geyserville. Not bad, but I prefer the Geyserville due to the fruit. B+.
1985 Ridge- Geyserville
85% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah 5% Carignane
An even better nose than the 94. A perfumed mixture of rich, briary black fruit, spice, mocha, earth and light tobacco. Still a relatively youthful bruiser on the palate. Plenty of structure here as well as fruit. The wine is gaining complexity, but also offers that full fruit rush thats wanted in a Zin. Well-stored bottles are in no danger of immediate decline. Delicious wine. A-.
1991 Ridge- Geyserville
50% Zinfandel 30% Carignane 20% Petite Sirah
We have a winner! Clearly best in show. Gobs of black fruit and spice aromas billow out from the glass. On the palate the wine has a liqueur quality to it. Decadent black fruit and spice thats just starting to take on some secondary earth and tobacco notes. Rich and well-structured. Terrific stuff and the best showing to date Ive had of this wine. A.
1992 Ridge- Geyserville
65% Zinfandel 20% Carignane 15% Petite Sirah
Shows more spice and more restrained and raisined fruit than the 91 on the nose and palate with much more pronounced oak. There was also a high-toned note that some were pushing off as Draper Perfume. Raisined black fruit, oak and spice. Less complex than the previous wines, but still enjoyable. Give it a little more time for the oak to integrate better, though I wonder if the fruit will dry out before the oak fully integrates. Low A-.
1993 Ridge- Geyserville
60% Zinfandel 22% Carignane 12% Petite Sirah 4% Alicante 2% Mataro
This marks what Ive long felt is the decline of Geyserville, save for the 95. From here on in I find the Geyserville too oaky for my tastes and whats with the funky blend? Here the nose is dominated by toasty oak with chocolate and briary red and black fruit. The oak is upfront on the palate and the fruit seems a little too delicate and dainty in comparison. Coffeed finish. B+/B.
1995 Ridge-Geyserville
62% Zinfandel 18% Petite Sirah 15% Carignane 5% Mataro
The last great Geyserville, imo. Yeah, theres a good wallop of coffeed oak on the nose and palate, but theres plenty of rich fruit to support it, an attribute I find lacking in all subsequent Geyservilles. Good materials here, but the wine is still showing very young and needs a few more years to get to where Id like it to be. A-.
1996 Ridge- Geyserville
75% Zinfandel 17% Carignane 6% Petite Sirah 2% Mataro
Green with lots of dill and oak on the nose and palate. What light red raspberry fruit is present is overwhelmed by dilled oak. Not a winning combination. C+.
1997 Ridge- Geyserville
74% Zinfandel 15% Carignane 10% Petite Sirah 10% Mataro
Id say a Tyson-sized wallop of oak on the nose and palate, but hes biting more than punching these days. Biting will still work as its an accurate description of the oak. Theres more fruit here than in the 96, but the oak dominates it too much and I doubt the fruit will ever be able to compete. Shows a jarring shallowness on the palate, as well. B-.
1998 Ridge- Geyserville
74% Zinfandel 15% Petite Sirah 10% Carignane 1% Mataro
Coffeed oak aromas with medicinal cherry and dill. On the palate, oak rules and theres less fruit apparent than in the 97. C+.
1999 Ridge- Geyserville
68% Zinfandel 16% Carignane 16% Petite Sirah
Similar to the 98 but with marginally better fruit. Theres still too much oak with a trace of mintiness and theres an unappealing lactic quality to the wine. C+.
1990 Baumard- Coteaux du Layon Paon
Rich tropical fruit, botrytis and mineral aromas. Quite sweet with the typical 90 fatness. Rich and lush with similar flavors as aromas with an interesting spice note. Could use more acidic verve, but its still a lovely dessert wine. Low A-.
1991 Baumard- Quarts de Chaume
Light in color with a bit of sulfur on the nose and mineral. A fairly light and delicate wine with acidity playing a major role. Theres a pleasantly light sweetness with yellow fruits, light honey, mineral and smoke. Finishes clean and minerally. Not one to make old bones as the Chenin scale goes, but offers immediate enjoyment. Solid B+.
Boy is it fun going to a Geyserville offline with a bunch of rabid Ridge fans! Its amazing the excuses one hears about the wines! Now, truth be told my palate has certainly moved away from Zinfandel over the past couple of years due to oak content, alcohol levels and pricing, but when I want a Zin I will still try to seek out a Ridge to try and do consider myself a fan of Ridge Zinfandels, though with each wine I taste of theirs, the more of a fan I become of their wines prior to 93 with the exception of their 95s.
What happened to Ridges Geyserville seems fairly obvious and indeed it clearly seen in Californian wines as a whole. Simply put, the oak treatment was increased. This tasting clearly illustrated that. Some prefer this style, I do not, so keep that in mind as you read my notes. I was out of step with the rabid rowdies that gathered, though I do think I had one or two people that felt the way I did.
Brad
2000 Olga Raffault- Chinon Champ-Chenin
Greenapple aromas and, unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the wine. All acid on the palate. Lemon pith without any lemon sweetness. Dilute as well. No redeeming qualities here. Best to cook with. Sorry Joe. D+ .
1998 Dirler- Gewrtztraminer, Saering Grand Cru
Fairly light on the nose with soft lychee and rose petal aromas. A bit messy on the palate. Limpid and diffuse, the alcohol also sticks out. Light fruit and spice with a jarring metallic taste that shows up on the finish. B-.
1998 Jean-Luc Colombo- Ctes-du-Rhne, Les Figuires Blanc
Ive never been much of a fan of Rhone whites and this wine did little for me. Fat fruit and spice. Rather non-descript and boring, if not particularly offensive. B/B-.
1978 Rutherford Hill- Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Mead Ranch-Atlas Peak
A complex and intriguing nose of ripe fruitcake with sweet pipe tobacco, spice and earth. On the palate, theres still a bit of upfront ripe fruit sweetness along with tobacco and tar, but it becomes austere in the middles and fades on the finish. Still has firm structure, but the fruit is pretty much gone. Sort of reminded me of an old, dried out Barolo. Needs food to show its best, but those that are into dead wine with ephemeral notes enjoyed it more than I did. Still, there were some interesting things going on in it, but its pretty well faded. B-/C+.
1991 Ridge- Mataro, Evangelo Vineyard
Some people loved this wine, others hated it. I was in the latter camp, Decomposing animal aromas with tomato and red fruit. Mercifully diffuse on the palate with similar flavors as aromas with the addition of a nasty plastic note on the finish. Yucko! C.
1983 Ridge- Geyserville
95% Zinfandel 5% Petite Sirah
It seems half the group thought the bottle corked, the other half thought it was damaged, but not from TCA. Rotten wood aromas with some soft red fruit. Candied fruit on the palate with a dash of menthol and licorice. Theres an unpleasant austereness to the wine and it dies on the finish. Damaged goods. C+.
1984 Ridge- Geyserville
90% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah
Killer nose. Plenty of sweet black fruit and spice with more complex aromas of earth, leather and toffee. Still offers generous fruit on the palate, but also has plenty of secondary, tertiary elements. Tannins are a little dry, but the wine is well balanced. A touch past peak from how I like my Zins, but this is very enjoyable. A-/B+.
1984 Ridge- Zinfandel, York Creek
Tighter and denser on the nose and palate than the 84 Geyserville. It shows less fruit and more earth/leather and with a firmer, more focused structure. What fruit it does show is more raisined than the Geyserville. Not bad, but I prefer the Geyserville due to the fruit. B+.
1985 Ridge- Geyserville
85% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah 5% Carignane
An even better nose than the 94. A perfumed mixture of rich, briary black fruit, spice, mocha, earth and light tobacco. Still a relatively youthful bruiser on the palate. Plenty of structure here as well as fruit. The wine is gaining complexity, but also offers that full fruit rush thats wanted in a Zin. Well-stored bottles are in no danger of immediate decline. Delicious wine. A-.
1991 Ridge- Geyserville
50% Zinfandel 30% Carignane 20% Petite Sirah
We have a winner! Clearly best in show. Gobs of black fruit and spice aromas billow out from the glass. On the palate the wine has a liqueur quality to it. Decadent black fruit and spice thats just starting to take on some secondary earth and tobacco notes. Rich and well-structured. Terrific stuff and the best showing to date Ive had of this wine. A.
1992 Ridge- Geyserville
65% Zinfandel 20% Carignane 15% Petite Sirah
Shows more spice and more restrained and raisined fruit than the 91 on the nose and palate with much more pronounced oak. There was also a high-toned note that some were pushing off as Draper Perfume. Raisined black fruit, oak and spice. Less complex than the previous wines, but still enjoyable. Give it a little more time for the oak to integrate better, though I wonder if the fruit will dry out before the oak fully integrates. Low A-.
1993 Ridge- Geyserville
60% Zinfandel 22% Carignane 12% Petite Sirah 4% Alicante 2% Mataro
This marks what Ive long felt is the decline of Geyserville, save for the 95. From here on in I find the Geyserville too oaky for my tastes and whats with the funky blend? Here the nose is dominated by toasty oak with chocolate and briary red and black fruit. The oak is upfront on the palate and the fruit seems a little too delicate and dainty in comparison. Coffeed finish. B+/B.
1995 Ridge-Geyserville
62% Zinfandel 18% Petite Sirah 15% Carignane 5% Mataro
The last great Geyserville, imo. Yeah, theres a good wallop of coffeed oak on the nose and palate, but theres plenty of rich fruit to support it, an attribute I find lacking in all subsequent Geyservilles. Good materials here, but the wine is still showing very young and needs a few more years to get to where Id like it to be. A-.
1996 Ridge- Geyserville
75% Zinfandel 17% Carignane 6% Petite Sirah 2% Mataro
Green with lots of dill and oak on the nose and palate. What light red raspberry fruit is present is overwhelmed by dilled oak. Not a winning combination. C+.
1997 Ridge- Geyserville
74% Zinfandel 15% Carignane 10% Petite Sirah 10% Mataro
Id say a Tyson-sized wallop of oak on the nose and palate, but hes biting more than punching these days. Biting will still work as its an accurate description of the oak. Theres more fruit here than in the 96, but the oak dominates it too much and I doubt the fruit will ever be able to compete. Shows a jarring shallowness on the palate, as well. B-.
1998 Ridge- Geyserville
74% Zinfandel 15% Petite Sirah 10% Carignane 1% Mataro
Coffeed oak aromas with medicinal cherry and dill. On the palate, oak rules and theres less fruit apparent than in the 97. C+.
1999 Ridge- Geyserville
68% Zinfandel 16% Carignane 16% Petite Sirah
Similar to the 98 but with marginally better fruit. Theres still too much oak with a trace of mintiness and theres an unappealing lactic quality to the wine. C+.
1990 Baumard- Coteaux du Layon Paon
Rich tropical fruit, botrytis and mineral aromas. Quite sweet with the typical 90 fatness. Rich and lush with similar flavors as aromas with an interesting spice note. Could use more acidic verve, but its still a lovely dessert wine. Low A-.
1991 Baumard- Quarts de Chaume
Light in color with a bit of sulfur on the nose and mineral. A fairly light and delicate wine with acidity playing a major role. Theres a pleasantly light sweetness with yellow fruits, light honey, mineral and smoke. Finishes clean and minerally. Not one to make old bones as the Chenin scale goes, but offers immediate enjoyment. Solid B+.