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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 113 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Wine_lvr on 4/20/2024 & rated 94 points: Tired bottle. At its peak. Drink up (335 views) | | | Tasted by Old Claret on 12/31/2023 & rated 93 points: good but not as spectacular as the last bottle several years ago (374 views) | | | Tasted by roddey3 on 11/17/2023 & rated 97 points: Unexpected win at fundraiser auction. Decanted 90 mins. March 21, 2021 & paired with lamb shanks: deep complexity & nose, extraordinary balance; drunk after more tannic 1990 Von Strasser Diamond Mountain Cab. Sauvignon; very little sediment; still good one day later. (1053 views) | | | Tasted by hadukla on 12/21/2022 & rated 93 points: Cork was depressed a bit but otherwise it held in great shape with seepage only about 2/5 of the way up. Bit of funk at the start but after some breath it came to life, well as much life as it had left in it. It was complex with a long finish, nice fruit but lacked the liveliness I was hoping for. I could tell this wine was once great but had seen better days.
At any rate, always special to have a birth year wine and I am glad I had the opportunity. The 60 day dry aged wagyu rib-eye certainly stole the show tonight. Once more bottle waiting in the wings but think I will drink it next year rather than wait for my 40th. (1953 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 5/16/2022 & rated 95 points: Medium reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of well developed & mature ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & cassis with overtones of cedar & floral notes, earthy/dusty, spices, dark cocoa, mint, herbs, bell pepper, tobacco, minerals, smoky with a slight hint of oak/vanilla. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, well-integrated & mature, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blueberries & plums, dark cocoa, herbs, spices & a hint of oak/vanilla. Long lingering & silky-smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present & may be at its peak of development but has the structure & fruit to last a few more years longer although I doubt any further development would occur. Fill was mid-neck level; cork was intact & stained on lower 1/4. (2905 views) | | | Tasted by clayfu on 1/13/2022: wine is in a great spot - everything you want from a well put together Montebello - fresh lively fruit intermingling with complex earth tones and pepper wrapped together in a velvet texture. (4009 views) | | | Tasted by Fiorano on 12/24/2021 & rated 95 points: Beautiful wine with years of life ahead. Excellent color, fruit and finish. (3353 views) | | | Tasted by jcoemd on 11/25/2021 & rated 99 points: An amazing wine! Notes of bay leaves, peppercorns and blackberry! It has aged wonderfully and paired nicely with a slow cooked beef. A lingering finish that fades into a wonderful memory! 5.0 Stars! (3200 views) | | | Tasted by MichielV on 10/14/2021 & rated 93 points: Opening night at Ridge weekend! Super good wine. Very smokey but great fresh fruit flavors and great balanced length! (2840 views) | | | Tasted by DBenke on 2/27/2021 & rated 96 points: Amazing nose. Solid fruit. Shocking how lively and fresh this was. Wish I had morw (2808 views) | | | Tasted by Silkeyj on 12/24/2020 & rated 93 points: So so good. Rich, smooth, lost some of its complexity but still super enjoyable. Plenty of depth and finish. (2214 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 10/18/2020 & rated 97 points: TobI's Firework (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): blind
I guessed California but has no hint to producer or vintage. I preferred it against the famous 74 in the same flight. It is fresher with more primary notes and a great balance. Doesn't reach his peak. 97 (2983 views) | | | Tasted by tmiller on 8/27/2020 & rated 97 points: Unbelievable bottle of aged californian wine, a perfect tribute to what Ridge Monte Bello can achieve in terms of quality and longevity. Ridiculously young colour, very dark, it comes across as a ten to fifteen year old wine. The first whiff after decanting, we knew we were in for a treat. Dark berry fruit, leather, cigar ash, beef stock, a touch of caramel, this was just so complex. Same on the palate with nice acidity giving the wine freshness. It held up strong and never let down so I assume this has at least a decade of great pleasure ahead. 97P (2547 views) | | | Tasted by napasoutherner on 3/19/2020 & rated 96 points: I’m just absolutely in awe of this wine. Had it twice (first time 10 years ago) and I remember how wonderful it was. Now it’s my second time and it was everything I remember plus more age. Lots of earth, pine, and dust on the nose. Some light floral hints, graphite and silk on the palette. Very long finish with that him you hope for. (2975 views) | | | Tasted by scamhi on 7/18/2019: tasted blind. I guessed it was a 2014 Chinon... huge green pepper upfront. Couldn't get past it (3322 views) | | | Tasted by The Beldens on 6/29/2019 & rated 80 points: My bottle was way past prime. (2903 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 1/12/2019 & rated 96 points: In my cellar since release. Double decanted and served at my daughter’s wedding for her and her new husband (and a few others) representing her birth year. This wine was wonderful, rich balanced layered and surprisingly youthful. Gorgeous, long and great on the finish with blackberry, mint, graphite and chocolate being the main flavors and aromas. (3823 views) | | | Tasted by kronfeld on 9/15/2018: My last and best bottle. A little tired and faded, but complex and well balanced. Drink up soon. (4090 views) | | | Tasted by PanosKakaviatos on 2/1/2018 & rated 94 points: California Dreaming (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church (VA)): At first, it seemed a bit lean. “Not a great bottle,” said our host. “It should have a nose that just jumps out of the glass.” But as it sat in glass, it got better and better; we simply popped and poured the wines … The palate is very elegant throughout and the alcohol is 12.9%. The wine revealed pleasing notes of leather, plum and tobacco and even some floral notes. It just opened up with time, and seemed juicier on the palate than, say, the Dunn, which we tried later and seemed at first more impressive. In the end, this wine proved to be the smoothest and most elegant of all over dinner. (4796 views) | | | Tasted by jgh123 on 12/17/2017 & rated 95 points: Last bottle. Sorry to see it go. This is what a mature California cabernet can really be! (3558 views) | | | Tasted by DougLee on 10/1/2017 & rated 92 points: Color was medium garnet. Nose of cedar, pencil shavings, red currant, earth, faint floral notes. Elegant, integrated flavors of currant, beef blood, black plum, tobacco, and barest hint of green pepper layering on the tongue with slowly building persistence. Plucky acidity and softened tannin leading to a long, whispery finish of stony sweet grip. We visited this bottle in its autumn phase but what a treat it was. (3991 views) | | | Tasted by kronfeld on 8/11/2017: Same as my March note although this time no seepage around cork and slight raisin notes. Shame. Should have been drunk years ago. (3867 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 6/24/2017 & rated 92 points: Drank from the bottle over 2 hours and continued to improve. Minimal sediment on the one with most sticking to the side and cork intact. Eucalyptus, spearmint, aged leather, and syrupy red fruit. Very vegital at first but blew off after an hour. Alive but not getting better. (4134 views) | | | Tasted by kronfeld on 3/10/2017 & rated 90 points: Deep red color, showing no sign of its age. Almost no sediment. Cork intact, with seepage outside almost to end. Drunk w/o decanting over about two hours. Muted smell and flavor. Elegant and restrained, with just vestiges of fruit. Didn't develop over the two hours but didn't die off either, so maybe decanting would add something. I would not wait long to drink. (3579 views) | | | Tasted by andreawine on 1/3/2017 & rated 97 points: Awesome, at full maturity but such a lively showing! Staggering complexity of wood smoke, cedar, fresh rosemary, sassafras, black olive, black currant. Generous and plush on the palate where the leather wafts into the back palate and finish. (3616 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2021, Issue #93, The 1984 and 1985 Vintages Of California Cabernet Sauvignon
(Ridge Vineyards “Monte Bello” Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Cruz Mountains)) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Cellar Favorites: Seven Classics from Ridge (Jun 2017) (6/17/2017)
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Central Coast Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/2/2010)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/11/2009)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2007, Issue #9, The Golden Age of California Cabernet Sauvignon :The Decades of the 1960s and 1970s
(Ridge Monte Bello) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, September/October 2000, IWC Issue #92
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of View From the Cellar and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Ridge Producer website | Wikipedia
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m) on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA near Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonMonte Bello On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. |
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