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This is a very enjoyable annual event--a celebration of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA's greatest wine, and one of California's most ageworthy, with a track record back to 1962 for Ridge (1892 was the very first vintage from the vines planted on this beautiful mountain top). The Monte Bello Vineyard ranges from 1300 to 2700 feet above sea level, and is planted on green stone and clay soils layered on top of decomposed limestone.
Ridge Monte Bello is a Bordeaux style blend, the precise components of which vary with the vintage. The 2007, for example, features all four of the Bordeaux varietals available from the Monte Bello Vineyard--with 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc--whereas the 1977 is almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, with only 3% Cabernet Franc. Monte Bellos generally require 10 years or more in bottle before they really enter their ideal, long drinking window. On this day, we tasted the 2007, 2005, 1995 and 1977 vintages, along with the final assemblage of the latest vintage, 2010. I had tasted all of the older Monte Bellos previously, and these were all showing as well as usual, with the exception of the 2005, which seemed quite shut down. I'm a huge fan of the 2007, and it is continuing to show great richness, power and depth. It may be my favorite Monte Bello of the last decade. The 2010 edition we tasted was a barrel sample of the final assemblage of that wine, and it's going to be an awesome member of the long Ridge lineage as well. It has a lifted nose, that strong pencil lead aroma from the 4% Petit Verdot that was so tasty at March's component tasting, a sense of gun flint and green herbs along with plenty of rich cassis and black plum fruit, all supported by sweet, firm tannins that should carry the wine for decades. My write up on the component tasting for the 2010 Monte Bello from two months ago is here. Paul Draper was clearly very excited about the final version of the 2010, predicting, uncharacteristically for him, that it would be even more ageworthy than most 2010 Bordeaux.
My gang usually arranges to get to Monte Bello when the tasting starts, at 11 am, and after the tasting we do a picnic on the tables across from the Monte Bello tasting room, accompanied by some older Ridge wines that we've brought with us. There was fabulous charcuterie from The Fatted Calf and cheeses from Cow Girl Creamery to accompany the Monte Bello tasting, and to serve as appetizers before our picnic. Other memorable wines from the day, besides the Monte Bellos, included the 2008 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello, and the best of our several aged bottles of Ridge Zin--the 1990 Alegria Vineyard from the Russian River. Our oldest wine, the 1976 Lytton Springs, was also hanging in there, as Ridge Zins and precious few other Zins are capable of doing after 35 years.
For those of you who haven't been to the Monte Bello Vineyard yet, it's well worth a pilgrimage--ideally on component tasting or final assemblage weekends--but the tasting room, headed by the affable and endlessly articulate Christopher Watkins, is open most weekends and by appointment weekdays.
Chardonnay starter 
Karen, Matt, and the newest Ridge fan, Bryant
- 2009 Ridge Chardonnay Jimsomare Ranch - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Very light lemon yellow color; yellow apple, lemon gelee, vanilla oak nose; tight, tasty, tart pineapple, tart apple, lemon gelee palate; needs 1 year; medium-plus finish 91+ points (91 pts.)
Monte Bello vertical   
- 2005 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Dark ruby color; cassis, toasty oak nose; tight, tannic, cedar, tart cassis palate; needs 8-10 years, very shut down from when I first tried it a few years back; medium-plus finish 91+ points (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc) (91 pts.)
- 1995 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Dark red violet color; lovely cassis, slightly herbal, plum, cedar nose; tight, youthful, tart cassis, red plum, cedar palate with a touch of herb; long finish 92+ points (69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc) (92 pts.)
- 1977 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bricking medium ruby color with 4 millimeter clear meniscus; nice mature, mushroom, cedar, cassis nose; tasty, mature, poised, tart cassis, cedar, tart currant palate; should go another 8 to 10 years; medium-plus finish 93+ points (97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot) (93 pts.)
- 2007 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Very dark red violet color; elegant, plum, cedar nose; tasty, poised, tart plum, cassis, cedar palate with structure and elegance; needs 8-plus years; long finish (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc) (95 pts.)
2010 Final Assemblage 
Winemakers Eric Baugher and Paul Draper
- 2010 Ridge Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Barrel sample (final assemblage) - purple red violet color; lifted, richly herbal, pencil lead, dark plum nose; delicious, very young, rich, red currant, cassis, red berry, green herb, gun flint palate with black plum undertones and sweet tannins; needs 10-12 years; long finish 94-95 points (74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc) (94 pts.)
Picnic wines 
- 2008 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Light lemon yellow color; nice lemon, lemon gelee, tart pineapple nose; tasty, elegant, creamy textured, medium-bodied, pineapple, lemon gelee palate; medium-plus finish 92+ points (92 pts.)
- 1977 Ridge Zinfandel San Luis - USA, California, Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County
Bricked medium dark red color with pale meniscus; very mature, beef gravy, beef brisket, sage nose; mature, oxidized, beef jus, gravy, sage palate; medium finish (60% Zinfandel, 35% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane) (83 pts.)
- 1990 Ridge Zinfandel Alegria Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Bricking medium dark red color with 5 millimeter clear meniscus; aromatic, dill, tart currant nose; rich, tart plum, currant, green herb, charcoal, gun flint palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.)
- 1976 Ridge Lytton Springs - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Bricked medium red color with 3 millimeter clear meniscus; nice, mature, earthy, beef brisket, smoky, roast coffee nose; tasty, mature, smoky, beef jus, sage, elegant palate; medium-plus finish (90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah) (90 pts.)
- 2007 Ridge Zinfandel Old School - USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Very dark red violet color; stewed berry, raisin nose; ripe, stewy, black fruit, berry, oak palate; medium finish (nowhere near as good as the bottle I tried the previous year) (85 pts.)
- 1996 Ridge Geyserville - USA, California, Sonoma County
Dark red violet color with 2 millimeter clear meniscus; tart plum, currant, black fruit nose; tasty, red plum, currant, charcoal palate; medium-plus finish (75% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro) (89 pts.)
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