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Vertical Tasting of Ridgecrest Pinot Noir, 1990-1999

These excellent notes were provided by James Tidwell, sommelier at Restaurant Serenade in Chatham, New Jersey. His commentary is both insightful and provocative.

General Notes

Prior to the wine dinner on Monday, September 10^th, we opened two bottles from each vintage. All wines were sound with no "off" bottles noted. Some bottles did have leakage, but fills were good for all bottles. Variations between the two bottles of each wine were surprisingly slight.

After tasting all of the wines, I believe that I have a clearer understanding of the Ridgecrest vineyard signature. First, the wines have briary, dark berry or black cherry aromas and flavors to them. Harry claims this is from the Willakenzie soil of Ribbon Ridge. I can’t comment on the origin of the flavors, but they are definitely of a type in all of these wines. Second, the wines have good extraction of fruit, fine tannins and balanced acidity. They seem to be accessible when young, but also made to age for some time. Third, the wines have a distinct spicy, herbaceous quality to them. In the most obvious examples this was a woodsy, cedar aroma while in other years a vague kirsch or fines herbes aroma shone through. This would lead me to conclude that a decent amount of oak was used on these wines. However, I would not describe them as over-oaked, but rather appropriately oaked. All of these qualities are well-integrated into the wine and well-proportioned for each vintage. In other words, the wines are well put-together.

1990

A medium intense bright ruby core that fades to a raspberry tone. The clean, fairly intense nose has delicate dried black cherry and blackberry aromas with cedary notes and a touch of earth. The wine is medium-bodied with silky, very fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity. Luscious flavors of sweet cherry fruit and juicy, ripe blackberries. Goes on and on. Plenty of life left in this wine.

1991

A light brickish-ruby core going to brick at the rim gives an indication of later stages of maturity. Intense aromas of sweet clove cigarette, tarragon and peat, reminiscent of Scotch. Medium intense spicy flavors of white pepper and clove, somewhat muted at first but broadening on the mid-palate. Short finish. The wine is in its declining years and is drying out.

1992

Deep purply-red core with little fade indicating youthfulness – surprisingly so. Highly aromatic, dense nose of ripe, crushed dark berries, cassis and spicy cedar with a hint of vanilla. Lush nose reinforced with lush flavors. Medium-bodied wine with flavors of juicy dark berries and cassis. Little tannin and low acidity yields a short finish. Gorgeous and opulent while it’s there, but fades fairly quickly. Still quite youthful.

1993

Low intensity core of ruby with the barest fade. Some alcohol fumes on the medium intense nose. Aromas of kirsch, sour cherry and red fruits. Fruit flavors of sauteed sweet and sour cherries with burnt orange on the finish. Smooth with some tannin and noteworthy acidity. Lingers for a long while. Seems a perfect accompaniment to salmon.

1994

Brilliant ruby core with a pinkish-purple rim. Low intensity, slightly medicinal nose of fines herbes and cherry fruit. Spiciness reminds me of fresh chopped cedar from my childhood. Medium-bodied with lush flavors of over-ripe black fruits. Fleshy from low acidity and low tannin. Nice length. Still has life, but nice now. Despite the low acidity, a nice pairing for foie gras.

1995

Low intensity core of brick fading to a dilute, watery rim. Fairly closed nose of herbs and dark cherry with vanilla accents. Light-bodied and pretty with cranberry and raspberry flavors. Medium length. Drink now.

1996

Looks much the same as the 1995, but with color at the rim. Intense nose of herbs, tobacco, cedar and holiday spices. As with the 1993, an element of kirsch comes through. Sweet fruit and good extraction of dark berry flavors, especially on the mid-palate and the finish. Moderate, but balanced acidity, and fine tannins. Certainly the most interesting wine from the rain years of 1995, 1996 and 1997. Drink now or hold a short time.

1997

Raspberry/strawberry red core with a slightly watery rim. Very low intensity aromatics of black cherry and vanilla. Muted. Low intensity flavors of blackberry broadening at the end. Balanced acidity and a short finish. Is this wine going through a dumb phase or is this characteristic? I find it uninspiring. Drink now or possibly hold a bit to see if it develops.

1998

Very dark, dense red-purple grape juice color with no fade. Extremely youthful-looking. Highly aromatic nose of dark berry liqueur, cassis and fresh blackberry with some cedar and leather. Wonderful structure to the medium-full body. Flavors of ripe, ripe blackberry and a viscous, glycerin quality. Balanced acidity and good length. Wonderful to slurp now, but hold some for about 10 to 12 years.

1999

Even more of a true purple color than 1998, but not as dense. A completely different wine from the 1998. Laser-like focus to the aromatic, perfumed nose of blackberry and black cherry. Almost piercing. Fine, focused structure and flavors of fresh, tart blackberries and a touch of bitter chocolate. Perfectly balanced tannins and acidity with a medium-long length. A magnificent wine. Hold for 12 to 15 years. Hold both 1998 and 1999, opening the 1998 slightly ahead of the 1999.