93+ 1997 Ridge Santa Cruz Mtns Cabernet 1/10/09 ($31)
75% Cab, 12% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot, 2% Cab Franc 12.8% alc
Color: Very deep garnet. No onion skin. Still slightly young. (3.5) Bouquet: Concentrated black ink, graphite, cedar and a touch of red radish, complementing cassis fruit and lively acidity. (3.0) Body: Light heavyweight with excellent fruit and outstanding structure (plenty of tannin and acidity). Coats the mouth. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with sweet cassis and a Pauillac-like SCM terroir. (3.5) Finish: Parallels flavor, but could be more aromatic and has a touch of bitterness, but still long. (3.0)
Overall: This tastes very Pauillac with some bitter-sweet (Old World meets New World) fruit. A terrific Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend. It hasn't developed much in the last 16 months and probably needs another 1-3 years to be at its best. Impressive structure. (16.5)