92 1994 Ridge St. Cruz Mtns Cabernet 12/12/09 ($24)
81% CS, 11% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot 12.8% alc
Color: Deep garnet. Looks mature, but has little onion skin and no clearing. Impressive for 15 yrs. old. (3.5) Bouquet: Some forestal nuances and black pepper tannins complement dried cherries and stewed plums. (3.0) Body: Solid middleweight, excellent tannin and acidity with VG fruit. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with a roasted chestnut component. Very tasty. (3.5) Finish: Parallels flavor, but not quite as forward and giving. (3.0)
Overall: This 15 year old Cabernet is peaking, but still has room to improve in the next 1-3 years. I doubt it will ever be great, the fruit's not sexy enough and the complexity's not compelling enough, but this is very high quality, classic Cabernet. The bottom of the bottle does show a sweet liqueur-like, gout-de-vieux complexity that would be impressive if it permeated the bottle. (16.0)
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