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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 254 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by fredb on 3/31/2024: Decanted off moderate crust in bottle and small amount of fine sediment. Dark garnet red with limited transparency. Aromas of smoke, sous bois, plum, and currant. Palate is initially very dark with plum and smoke dominating. Left in decanter for 3.5 hours before meal service. Time did open this up and more red fruit elements came out along with some vanilla and cedar notes. Finish is medium and a bit tart. Expect this has more upside for my tastes but fully resolved and ready now. Drink at leisure. (342 views) | | | Tasted by Zazzaman on 3/10/2024 & rated 91 points: Antepenultimate bottle of 6. Decanted 2 hours, some age on rim, nose complex - vanilla / tar / tobacco, blackcurrant and cedar wood on palate but not very complex. Grabs your attention but doesn’t wow! (464 views) | | | Tasted by vvWine.ch on 3/1/2024 & rated 90 points: (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% Alkohol) Dichtes Rubin. Die Nase ist fordernd, gereifte Frucht, ätherische Noten, etwas Gummireifen, Medizinschrank, Minze, Eukalyptus, sehr reiffruchtig und für Montebello erstaunlich warm anmutend. Im Gaumen dicht, konzentriert, reife Frucht, viel Struktur, etwas ruppig, wild, sehr lang in der Aromatik, jedoch mit weniger Finesse als die letzte Flasche. Vermutlich keine Top Flasche, dennoch hohes Niveau. (647 views) | | | Tasted by ohne_musik on 2/22/2024 & rated 96 points: Terrific! This was ready to go from pnp, but develops additional depth over the course of 2 hours. Aromatically, this smells like an old school right bank (Figeac?) with plush Merlot fruit, tobacco, and a twinge of green. Only a little bit of cassis. In the mouth this is both mellow and expansive, fanning across the palate with layers of luxurious kirsch, plum, cedar, hay, and wet clay. A whiff of harmonious American oak. Medium bodied and held up by Fresh and vibrant acidity bolted to lightly raspy tannins than are not yet fully resolved, leading to a long savory finish. At peak and probably will stay here for another 10 years easy. This is a masterclass in low alcohol, old school mountain cab. (582 views) | | | Tasted by robmatic on 6/18/2023 & rated 96 points: Stellar. (2063 views) | | | Tasted by Erik Doyle on 4/15/2023 & rated 97 points: Drank with boys in Hawaii…spectacular!! (1958 views) | | | Tasted by shafer1994 on 12/16/2022 & rated 94 points: No decant. Fabulous wine. Quite youthful at age 22! Super dark color, nearly black. Opened up after roughly half an hour: notes of blackberry and cassis but very reserved, conservative. Some tobacco, even hints of dark chocolate. You are getting an impression of the power of the wine, although it’s elegant at the same time, wonderful. Medium to long finish with some remarkable but silky tannins, concentrated and harmonious. Deep. Well done in that difficult year! I think the wine has many more years of pleasure to offer. (2288 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 11/23/2022 & rated 91 points: Tasted double blind. This showed quite complex and elegant although there were some first signs of oxidation distracting although not yet to the amount that the wine is tainted. This won‘t be one of the long-lived MB vintages.
TN: Medium expressive nose only but on the palate there’s an explosion of red berries, dark berries and spices and loads of herbs. Anis and some oxidation notes. Very intense. Fine, velvety structure. Good freshness. Very elegant and round.
Decanting: Not decanted, no decanting needed. (2889 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 11/12/2022 flawed bottle: During a blind tasting dinner. This bottle unfortunately had oxidative notes of Maggy beef stock, so I won't be rating it. A pity as Monte Bello is consistently my favorite American wine. (2804 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 11/11/2022 & rated 90 points: Tasted blind. Not decanted. Very ripe and concentrated, even jammy fruit with plenty of sweet Christmas spices, gingerbread, smoke and dark mineral notes. The density and concentration quite atypical for this estate, I found. The palate dense but surprisingly fresh. unfortunately this can‘t hide the onset of beef juice like notes - at this point can still be seen as a feature, but it‘s a close call already. (1842 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/6/2022: Funny that it tastes ripe and a little ripe. Young. Funny, the others are so elegant and this isn't. Just needs time. (1543 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 10/22/2022 & rated 95 points: Fantastic dinner for 10 at Joe and Wendy's. This was my contribution in anticipation of their visit to Monte Bello. From a magnum I purchased at auction in 2014. Decanted 2+ hours prior to drinking
Dark garnet color, no signs of age. Nose showing dark berries, cedar, leather, mineral notes. Silky palate of dark cherry, plum, blue fruits, tobacco, graphite, savory notes. Tannins still present, starting to resolve. Medium body, medium/long finish,
Texture is notable, smooth and sophisticated. If tasted blind it could be mistaken for Bdx. Nicely aged at this point, secondary flavors give it some real depth. The magnum may have it at a younger point in its evolution, but based on this bottle it has a long arc ahead of it. If someone has a few bottles, it worth opening at this point. Easily 10 more years drinking at this level...but why wait....:) Crowd loved it, as expected a fantastic showing Decant is a must!! (1088 views) | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 8/7/2022 & rated 91 points: BTG at 67PM: Cool dark red fruit, lots of earth and tobacco. Won't mistake this for a Bordeaux but very classically proportioned, the oak has integrated nicely here. (1887 views) | | | Tasted by llink on 6/16/2022 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 2 hours. Medium level of sediment, decanted the last 5 ounces thru an unbleached coffee filter. Black red color, no sign of age. Youthful nose showing cedar, cassis, blackberries and a bit of licorice, vanilla and coconut. The palate is sublime, deep without being over the top with a velvety texture, lively acidity and complex fruit and spice elements. Some grippy and chalky tannins on the finish. Outstanding. (1664 views) | | | Tasted by soyhead on 6/4/2022: end of the night , so limited notes.
nose - earth, mushroom
mouth - fleshy, ripe cherry fruit, sleek and impressive (1815 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 3/11/2022 & rated 90 points: Wine Tasted at Acker Auction (Ci Siamo - New York NY): Small pour, brief note. Lots here, black fruit, leather, nuanced spice hints. Moderate concentration, good depth. I haven't had this wine in over a decade and like it mor enow than ever before. (2421 views) | | | Tasted by Simon Scriven on 3/6/2022 & rated 96 points: Was worried that I might have left this last MB 2000 too late, but worries were misplaced. Plenty of west coast style and body left, and superb companion to Fillet Steak Diane. On to my 2003s. (2004 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 11/27/2021 & rated 92 points: Coravin 2 glasses. Dry and lots of tannins. Over time developed in the glass nicely. Will decant the remainder in the future. (2334 views) | | | Tasted by zimmy07 on 6/25/2021 flawed bottle: Phil in Town; 6/25/2021-6/26/2021 (Matts House): off bottle. not corked, tasted burnt. dumped the entire bottle (3019 views) | | | Tasted by Wineisfordrinking on 6/16/2021 & rated 94 points: Showing perfectly to my taste. I love Monte Bello, I believe it is the best and the archetypal fine California Cabernet. Like the best MB vintages, this one has an aristocratic, secondary Bordeaux-like character and also uniquely American with a bolo tie and boots gentleman cowboy style. I always want to both savor it and just plain kick back and enjoy it. I’ve tasted 3 times in the past 4 years from different sources and it is wonderfully consistent. (2732 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 5/7/2021 & rated 95 points: Lunch beyond Superlatives (The RAC, London): Decanted for a good hour and definitely helpful.
This is the 7th time we try this wine over the last 10 years ( recently has been a consistent 94-95) and what was more Fascinating to try this side by side with the 2008 ( Papies 93).
Definitely evolving nicely and we saw a much more earthy side to it ( or maybe was the comparison with the younger 08) , silky, soft fruit but with a lot of presence for sure. Leathery, soft spice and with a nice herby edge. So elegant and really as we say many times this is akin to a classic Bordeaux with a dollop of extra ripeness. Easy 95 (3040 views) | | | Tasted by mye on 4/20/2021: New world cab made in a very classic way. Blackberry, vanilla, with noticeable oak, but things are kept in balance with good acidity and structure. Started to show some integration, but dang did not seem 20 yrs old. Still a long runway ahead. (2948 views) | | | Tasted by Satoshi Nakamoto on 4/19/2021 & rated 97 points: I need more of this pronto. Persistent, rich, and old school. Everything I’m looking for in a classic, well-made Cabernet. Has even more stuffing than some older Diamond Creek and Forman I had recently. Only a 90s Caymus SS (pre-Parker) felt as full. Tons of longevity left. Wow. (2575 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 3/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Dbl decant. Had with sirloin. Had that Bordeaux smell either with the cab franc or the integration of cab franc and merlot, light browning on her edges, in a good spot, heavy perfumed nose at the end. DRINK. (2260 views) | | | Tasted by HDW55 on 2/28/2021 & rated 94 points: Decanted 1 hour. The nose is alive and vibrant. Black cherry, plums, blue fruit, tobacco, spice. The wine is medium to full bodied at this age, with old world flair. On the palate dark currant, cherry, tobacco, spice and hints of wet leather. Medium tannins. not as long of a finish but starting to show some age so it's forgiven. Great wine!! Drank for my daughters 21st birthday. This Mag was purchased when she was born in 2000. (2080 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By William Kelley
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello Vertical (11/27/2017)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Cruz Mountains: California’s Best Kept Secret (Jul 2013)
(Ridge Monte Bello Monte Bello) Subscribe to see review text. | By Alex Hunt, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/6/2012)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2006
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/25/2006)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2002, IWC Issue #102
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2001, IWC Issue #96
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/17/2011)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Slightly bricking dark ruby color; lifted, herbal, thyme, tart cassis, roasted plum nose; mature, tart cassis, thyme, iodine, tart plum, graphite palate; should go 15-20 years; medium-plus finish (more mature tasting than the bottle I tried six months earlier; 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/10/2010)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Nearly opaque red violet color; green tobacco, cassis, currant nose; tasty, plush, youthful, cassis, currant, tobacco palate with depth and body; medium-plus finish (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/17/2010)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Dark red violet color; rich cassis, berry, raspberry, vanilla nose; tight, ripe cassis, blackberry, ripe plum, herbal, menthol palate; medium-plus finish (my #5 of the flight, group's #8 out of 8) 92 points | By Lyle Fass
Rockss and Fruit (4/21/2003)
(Ridge Montebello) Cassis, chestnuts, mint, leather, tar and smokey oak out of the gates. After aeration a touch of green peppercorn arrives. I thought it might be green but it really works with all the other aromas. Also there is not the slightest hint of green on the palate. Lots of currant, cassis and cherry fruit with some spicey oak tones. Perfectly balanced. Really glides across the palate. This was great for the first five minutes, then shut down for the next two hours and then slowly started to sneak back and fill out. Even though, the fruit never made it's real presence known. This needs time but will be fantastic when it get's there. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and RJonWine.com and Rockss and Fruit. (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.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.Monte 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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