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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.8 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 23 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/1/2024 & rated 95 points: 23x California 1974: Do the legendary 1974s still hold up? The answer is a resounding YES, and not just for one or two top wines, but across the board. These best wines showed incredible complexity, with still vibrant fruit cores perfectly complemented by layers upon layers of tertiary aromas, a fully intact structural frame, stature, poise, and freshness. While many of these wines should continue to age well, I don't expect them to get any better than they are now. The top wines in the tasting were the Mondavi Cabernet and the Phelps Insignia (both 97pts), the Mondavi Reserve and the Mount Eden (both 96pts), and the Ridge Monte Bello (95pts). Many more wines scored in the 90-94 point range. I'm convinced that many wines would have scored even higher in a different tasting setting, where you can follow the wine over the course of an evening. Only 5 of the 24 bottles showed signs of weakness, with 1 of those already oxidized, but given the substance that could be tasted underneath, this is more likely due to weak corks or poor storage than anything nature delivered this year. All the wines had very good fill levels and had been quickly double decanted before tasting to remove the sediment.
TN: This Ridge Monte Bello showcased a bouquet with some impurities, that obscured its otherwise rich dark fruit and mineral profile. However, the palate was much more impressive, displaying intricate layers of cola, truffles, abundant black fruit, and minerals. Over time, complex meaty and bacon fat nuances emerged, enhancing its depth. Despite lacking some refinement compared to the top wines, it was still a standout, showing great potential for further development over many years. (362 views) | | | Tasted by G_H on 2/2/2024 & rated 96 points: A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich): Beautiful nose that has an intriquing mix of floral notes and an intense dark black fruit with some super ripe black cherries. What a fantastic nose.
The palate backs this up with a dense, velvety body and a long finish. (524 views) | | | Tasted by Montesquieu on 8/13/2023 & rated 95 points: Have you ever removed the foil cap on a wine only to discover there's no cork underneath? Well, this 1974 Monte Bello had no cork. The hard foil top was pristine. Fill level was lower than ideal, which is why the owner kept the bottle rather than re-selling it. Upon finding no cork below the foil or in the bottle, we expected the worst. Instead, beautiful smell suggesting it wasn't spoiled. The taste was excellent for almost 50 years of life. Given all that, I doubt this bottle is representative, but it definitely gave great drinking pleasure. (819 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 11/2/2021: Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): A few weeks ago we were at an auction where this came up and sold for more than >$3k and that was on my mind when I was drinking this wine. This is a great wine - beautiful and elegant and black fruits and floral and almost this nice cutting edge to it that is the acid tying it up at the end. It was very lovely. Hard to say that much more lovely than the other wines we tried which were also super spectacular, but definitely a real treat (esp in the side by side 74 line-up which was killer). (2622 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 10/18/2020 & rated 96 points: TobI's Firework (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): blind
for me a bit too evolved for a 74 but with great great acidity and tannin structure. Black currant still present and some ethereal notes not that explosive as Marha's vineyard. In same with 1984 I preferred a touch the latter one. At his peak. Other at the table rated 74 with higher points (till 100). 96 (3472 views) | | | Tasted by La Flama Blanca on 3/3/2020 flawed bottle: Ughh!!! Not corked, not VA, not even tired...just an off bottle. We begged and pleaded and waited, but it just never came around...the ultimate tease!!!
Served in flight with Heitz Martha’s and Mayacamas of the same 74 Vintage. (3091 views) | | | Tasted by nywine68 on 9/13/2017 & rated 93 points: 1974 California Tasting (Cafe Boulud): A very classic nose. Lovely complexity and maturity. Classic Ridge elegance with great purity and a long finish. 1974 Cali Cab tasting (6279 views) | | | Tasted by Blake Brown on 5/2/2017 & rated 96 points: 1974 RIDGE MONTE BELLO SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS CABERNET SAUVIGNON [3 btls]- stunning; all 3 bottles were absolutely fabulous with the 2nd bottle a tad better; it gave up mint and eucalyptus in the nose which continued on with loads of black currant, blackberry and plum within its full body; it was in perfect balance, held on for a long finish and just exuded class and royalty; my #1 WOTN although the 74` Petite Sirah still was singing to me. (5391 views) | | | Tasted by jdtonic on 12/12/2016 & rated 97 points: I defer to Antonio Galloni's note of this year.
Pretty cool to drink a Cali Cab made in Santa Cruz before the skateboard was invented, and some unpaved Norcal roads led to a brand new Circle K... (5262 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 11/3/2015 & rated 90 points: Fresher than 1978. (5846 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 11/23/2014 & rated 97 points: Slightly bricking dark red violet color; mature, aromatic, ripe black currant, black cherry, blackberry flavored tobacco nose; silky textured, youthful, black cherry, black raspberry, black currant palate; long finish (12.9% alcohol) 97+ points (806 views) | | | Tasted by raypedia on 10/12/2014 & rated 91 points: Sommelier said the cork was a little challenging to remove, but in mostly good shape. Very funky nose at first, a bit barnyard-like, but that dissipated after about 10 minutes in the glass. Rich color, no hint of age in appearance, only slight fading at the margins but no bricking at all. Tannins are still quite grippy, good acidity, black fruit fading a bit. Long tart finish. Showing very well. (6683 views) | | | Tasted by wpattison on 10/11/2014 & rated 92 points: Birthday wine. Celebrated my 40th with this, and I was very happy with it. Very little color fade around the edge. Aroma was a bit earth, but still had some black fruit to it and some tobacco, as well. Nothing denoting raisin or oxidation. The body still showed well, velvety and palette-coating. Still showing some grippy tannins, which was surprising to me. A nice acid backnote, but not overbearing. Balanced. Finish was slightly bright. Even though the Drink Window on here says 2011 on the outside, I still felt this bottle could still hold up to a few more years. Overall, I was quite happy with it, and it made a milestone birthday very special. (4471 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 5/13/2014 & rated 93 points: Burgundy Producer Dinner (Bistro de l'Hotel - Beaune): Only the 2nd time I've had this wine. First time it was corked and this 2nd wonderful bottle was opened in Beaune! Lots of black fruit, tobacco, spice. Very intense but with great overall balance, textures. Still fresh. (5589 views) | | | Tasted by GrapeScott on 3/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Purchased a few years back from Hi-Time, this bottle had a base neck fill and a pristine cork that came out easily with a screwpull. A nice ruby color with some bricking, this did not appear as youthful as a '75 Pontet Canet I had the other night. Red plum, forest floor, sandalwood and some "Draper perfume" on the nose. This shows similar flavors but with some blood orange notes also in the mix. Medium bodied with well resolved tannins, this showed its best with about an hour of aeration, and surprisingly the remaining 1/3 bottle was still holding up the next day. Nonetheless, I think this is at or past its peak, and was a very nice '74, but not as good as some others I've tried (Conn Creek and Mondavi Reserve are at the top of that list for now). (4049 views) | | | Tasted by pismo45 on 10/2/2012: I'm amazed at how well this wine held up after having had poor storage for about 15 years before going into commercial storage. One of six bought at the winery in 1977. Similiar to a 74 Mt. Eden we had a couple years ago, it was in good shape. I know it would be much better if it had had proper storage but it was still tasting good. Maybe more one dimensional than the Mt. Eden which I remember enjoying a little bit more. 100% cab at 12.9% back then. I figured the Mt. Eden was a fluke but this one gives me a lot more appreciation of how these wines were made. If in pristine shape, I'm sure it would be great. Litterally amazed at how well it held up. (4577 views) | | | Tasted by Wine_lvr on 9/29/2012 & rated 89 points: Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Likely a bottle which came out of a slightly too warm cellar. Still an intensive red showing some brick color at the corners. But youthful for its age. Taste of malt, eucalyptus and black tea. Acid is present but there is still a bit of sweetness remaining. For its age still in good shape. Maybe not the best bottle sd I already tasted well-stored bottles at solid 95 points. Drink now. (5779 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 10/6/2009 flawed bottle: Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 72-03 (Ken's house, northbrook IL): sadly the wine was corked. there was really good tones of red cherries, cedar and a bit of menthol, but the wet cardboard just stayed there and wouldn't blow off. drat. (my 7, the group's 7) (6569 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 10/6/2009 flawed bottle: Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 1972-2003 (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Corked, which was too bad because this showed great underlying fruit but the moldy cardboard smell just kept gaining stronger and stronger. (5508 views) | | | Tasted by Rupert on 6/30/2009 & rated 92 points: Ridge Monte Bello vertical 1964 - 2002 (Institute of Directors, London): High toned, pungent, a bit oxidised, lots of sweet ripe fruit, but earthy too, and a drying finish. Given others' enthusiasm, I went back to it, and it did grow in charm, but my glass ran out too quickly. [The group's WOTN} (6377 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 6/12/2008 & rated 93 points: Surprise Birthday Party for David Niederauer (The Plumed Horse Restaurant, Saratoga, California): Dark red violet color; cassis and plum nose; mature but deep palate of tart plum, berry, black cherry; medium-plus finish (5401 views) | | | Tasted by Russell Faulkner on 1/23/2006 & rated 97 points: The Full Monte - 35 Year Monte Bello Vertical (Alba Restaurant, London): 100% CS, 12.9% Alcohol
Very youthful ruby, almost purple. Very full bodied, strong fruit, high blackcurrent, very fresh with great acidity, a mushroom / fresh truffle element not noticed before on the other wines. Great depth of character, subtle tertiary oak adding complexity without being overpowering. (7027 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/2/2004 & rated 95 points: The color was dark. On the nose scents of cedar, flowers, mocha, chocolate and herbs filled the glass. Full bodied with a slightly tannic finish. The mouth rejoices in a bath of red & black fruit. The finish was long. (3959 views) |
| 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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