Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate 2006, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA

Ridge Zinfandels have been one of my favourite Zins for quite some time now, but this is my first experience with a Bordeaux blend from this vineyard. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon at 56%, Merlot at 42% and as a supporting role, Petit Verdot at 2% with alcohol coming in at 13.7%, surprisingly low for a California wine. The best part of this wine is the aromatics, with aromas of red and black fruit, cassis, savoury and floral notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied with chalky tannins, very thin in mid palate with sharp acidity. Medium length on the finish with red cherry fruit, tart, dry with persistent tannins lingering. With these tannins you would think that this wine needs time to come around, but there isn’t enough fruit and structure for this wine to improve. At this price, not a good value, next time, I will stick with there lovely ripe zinfandels. Score 88 points.

This wine was purchased March 5, 2011 LCBO New Release (089284)at $49.95

Mount Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Santa Cruz Mountains, California

I had originally purchased two bottles of this from the massive LCBO New Release of December 11, 2010. Curiously, this wine is being re-released on July 23, 2011 and (surprise) at three dollars less, I was eager to taste this wine now and wondered if I would enjoy it enough to recommend it to you.

This wine is made with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot at 22% and Cabernet Franc at 3%.  Each element has spent 24 months in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels, of that 1/2 new oak, with no fining or filtration and the alcohol arriving at a very respectable 13.9%.

Aromas are a little muted at first but after taking some air, an expressive nose of blackberry, plum, dried currant, sage, leather and smoke. The mouthfeel is full bodied with spicy oak, savoury flavours, fresh acidity and firm tannins. A long finish with pepper, bitter chocolate, dark fruit all wrapped up in a fine dusty tannins. This Cabernet simply getst better and better over the evening and has all the elements to be an outstanding wine in a couple of years. Will definitely buy another one, so I can try this again next year and the following year. I would suspect that the Merlot and Cabernet Franc bring a great deal of complexity to this wine, absolutely superb. Strongly recommended

This wine was purchased on December 11, 2010 LCBO New Release at $52.95.