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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.1 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 163 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by LIE-user on 4/20/2024 & rated 87 points: Rather disappointing. It has peaked some years ago. Drink very soon. Probably a bad bottle? (762 views) | | | Tasted by JS199 on 3/19/2024: Super young, even too tight for my tastes on day 2. Hold (880 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 12/3/2023 & rated 94 points: Characterful, similar in profile to the 1992 Monte Bello with black and red fruit, coffee, a little American oak which adds rather than detracts to its style. Fullish, good acid - well built. Drinking well now with a long life ahead. 94/95 (1786 views) | | | Tasted by spendergast on 11/12/2023 & rated 95 points: Great wine. Decanted 3 hours. Similar to my last tasting with notes of raspberry, cherry, mocha, spice, nicely balanced with firm tannins. Long satisfying finish. Paired with grilled veal chops. (1453 views) | | | Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 9/22/2023 & rated 95 points: wow wow wow!!... on a fishing trip, right after having an stellar bottle of 1999 Calera Reed Vineyard pinot, this came next (with basically only 20 minutes of decanting)... and tho I gave the Calera a 94 pt rating, this topped it by a hair... to my friend (who had been amazed by the pinot) this topped it easily... this had boldness but with good lift, it felt like it would be at peak in like ten years and yet it wasn't over the top in any way... felt like i absorbed it into the flesh in my mouth rather than drank it down, nice fruit, some umami (went well w/our small loin lamb chops), moderate acidity, and a hint of spice (cinnamon'ish?)... WOW (1571 views) | | | Tasted by Chekib m. on 9/5/2023 & rated 94 points: From magnum. Decanted 2hr.
Last time I tried this one was 5years ago.
Very deep crimson color. Doesn’t show age.
Very Intense wonderful nose. Cassis liqueur, blue Berry, cedar, cigar aromas.
Full body, still quite tannic, acidity still prominent. Still very young. Very fruity flavours similar to the nose with some licorice.
Very nice wine, still very young for my taste.
Would be perfect in 10 years. (1575 views) | | | Tasted by VinCA on 6/24/2023: This definitely has the typical Monte Bello character. Would not have wanted to wait any longer. Still had fruit (more cooked than fresh). Tannins have dissipated, acid has softened. Enjoyable ( primarily because of our association w/ MB) but not an outstanding bottle. We finished, the next night, what little was left. Consistent experience. (1767 views) | | | Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 4/20/2023 & rated 91 points: Tasted double blind from a small capped bottle (full bottles split for a zoom tasting). By the time I got to this others had already figured out that this was Monte Bello. With some air this is finally coming around. Was dumb for a while when poured. Very dark and wild and somewhat Brutish, like the 02 Martha’s. Dark and jammy and wild and brambly - spicy and berried a bit savage with hints of meat and blood. Palate enters a bit dilute compared to the 2020 - dark and murky. Mid palate is a bit coarse and blockish - Gets very spicy with more grip into the finish. A good but not great MB. Nose: 5-5.5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5-16/20.
Day 2: Dark dusty and brutish. This really reminds me of 02 Martha’s (1933 views) | | | Tasted by spendergast on 2/9/2023 & rated 95 points: This wine continues to drink well and is a bit less austere than my last tasting in 2019. Notes of raspberry, mocha, nicely balanced with firm tannins. I expect continued evolution over the nexts 10+ years. (1779 views) | | | Tasted by greedy on 12/10/2022 & rated 83 points: Very disappointing. Paid 586 cad for this. Bitter finish with little fruit. i’ve had so many wonderful experiences of this wine aged. This one did not live up to that at all. Maybe a poor vintage? (2190 views) | | | Tasted by greedy on 12/9/2022: Corked. (1938 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 8/19/2022 & rated 88 points: Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (R&D's): Double blind. Dark color. Ripe, with black fruit that trends toward raisin, and there's perhaps a touch of bouillon in there as well. Medium tannins & finish. Black fruit dominates the palate as well, but again there's a ripeness here that's a bit more than I care for, though I was clearly in the minority here as others liked this more than I. I never would have guessed MB here- an overly ripe Napa cab, sure, but not MB. Hopefully this was not representative as we have two bottles in the cellar destined to be opened next year when Domino and I each have a niece turning 21. (R&D) (2695 views) | | | Tasted by 2loyal on 7/24/2022 & rated 94 points: Drank from magnum (pulled cork for hour+ and decanted half - modest improvement suggest wine not fading). Clearly hitting its stride. Soft, round palate with long sweet finish that accomplishes “premier CA Bordeaux” objective that I always have in mind here. No need to rush, but enjoy anytime. (1998 views) | | | Tasted by lewisrise on 7/8/2022 & rated 100 points: Significantly exceeded expectations. Decanted for an hour and a half. The complexity on both the nose and the palate was striking.Medium garnett with developed aromas of sweet yet sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, violet, wet cedar, pencil lead, tobacco, mushrooms, forest floor. The body and mouth feel we’re outstanding and the balance of the fruit and the secondary and tertiary flavors was perfect. The finish was long and complex, I can’t see this wind getting any better than it is right now. This was a top three lifetime bottle for me. Thank you Patrick for the treat! (1813 views) | | | Tasted by Brendel on 4/12/2022 & rated 93 points: From a 375 thanks to the generosity of a friend: an excellent wine with a deep and lovely bouquet. We did not decant, but also the wine didn’t seem tannic or tight—but perhaps more air would have opened it up more. In any case, it has wonderful dark red fruit, beautiful structure and is well balanced. Drinks to me very much like a good Bordeaux. (2036 views) | | | Tasted by rmcnees on 12/24/2021 & rated 95 points: Tasted from the winelist at Italian Village Chicago.
Harmoniously polished and balanced, a symphony of complex flavors, and notably without flaws. Like a well orchestrated symphony the sum of the parts is greater than their individual totality, but no instrument or note stands out from the rest. Garnet colored, medium-full-bodied, expansive, deep and penetrating yet elegant, polished and superbly balanced and harmonious, Vinous wrote, 'it is all about understatement', layered, perfume, expressive flavors of raspberry, blackcurrants, notes of crème de cassis, bitter dark chocolate, spices and tobacco, framed by ripe, plush tannins, concluding with a lingering finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/12/merry-christmas-frozen-and-gala-family.html (2300 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 9/29/2021 & rated 94 points: Napa and Bordeaux gathering (Clarity - Vienna, Virginia): Medium expressive nose displaying very ripe sweet black fruit with a hint of red, blackberry, plum, cherry, licorice, root beer, American oak, caramel, dark spices and earth. Fully integrated mature palate, rich black fruit, round, soft and warm, medium acidity, earthy mineral, and a long ripe sweet black fruit driven finish with licorice at the end. This is more mature and less fresh than the 04. Both bottles clearly express the Monte Bello typicity. Drinking nicely. (2854 views) | | | Tasted by Mike Dildine on 7/11/2021 & rated 95 points: Very nice, still young with improvement ahead. (2720 views) | | | Tasted by curtr on 5/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Started drinking after 1 hr. in decanter. Still tannic and only partially resolved. I liked best at 2 hrs and felt it did not open more after that point. Drink 2028-36. Should move up in points in 8 or 9 years. (2520 views) | | | Tasted by Masburel on 5/2/2021 & rated 100 points: Amongst the best wines ever tasted. Power packed, dense with fruit, fabulous soft tannins. Almost too good to analyse. Pure joy. A triumph for Paul Draper. (2513 views) | | | Tasted by wchrisw on 4/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Magnum. I had a big build up for this wine as I started prepping for it 2 weeks ago. I went to my wine storage facility to stand bottle upright on 3/27 to let any sediment fall. I opened it 4/9 with ah-so opener in anticipation of drinking 4/10 so I wanted to do a slow ox for a couple hours before recorking and then decanting following day. Cork broke. Took a sip after 30 minutes to check it out. It was still very lively. Next day deanted for 5 hours. It didn't taste 19 years old at all. Classic Monte Bello minerality, "weightless" as those at Ridge say, cassis, good acidity, could still go several more years. Bottle threw no sediment. Wine was great however I was expecting something more. (2362 views) | | | Tasted by dharrison93 on 1/1/2021 & rated 97 points: Sublime. Drank with friends over Balthazar braised short ribs after s 3 hour decant but would have benefitted from 4-6 hours.
Fully mature with moderate sediment, this wine is fully mature.
Brooding comes to mind when I recall deep prunes, cherry and dark fruits on a dark chocolate stage.
Wine continued to improve throughout dinner, suggesting extended decanting will be rewarded
Currently at it's apogee, Napa's premier Bordeaux blend easily has 5-10 years of scintillating drinking ahead.
Easily our favorite wine of 2021 (thus far).
Highly recommended (2709 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 12/19/2020 & rated 92 points: Kleur: Diep donkerrood.. Aroma / bouquet: Vol en opvallend belegen bouquet maar minder tertiair dan de fles die ik in 2017 proefde. Belegenmaar geen spoor van maggi of marmite. Wel gedroogd fruit, vooral gedroogde pruimen. Smaak / Afdronk: In dit stadium is deze Ridge Monte Bello werkelijk briljant. Krachtig, een indrukwekkende vulling en tegelijker tijd harmonieus en zacht. Geweldig lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Ik blijf me verbazen over de drinkbaarheidshorizon van Robert Parker. Tot 2022? Absoluut. Tot 2032? Ongetwijfeld. Maar tot 2072??? Nog 50! Jaar???? 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: Deep dark red .. Aroma / bouquet: Full and remarkably mature bouquet but less tertiary than the bottle I tasted in 2017. Matured but no trace of maggi or marmite. Dried fruit, especially prunes. Taste / Finish: At this stage, this Ridge Monte Bello is truly brilliant. Powerful, an impressive filling and at the same time harmonious and soft. Great long finish. Overall / potential: I never cease to be amazed by Robert Parker's drinkability horizon. Until 2022? Absolutely. Until 2032? Doubtless. But until 2072 ??? Another 50! Year ???? 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + Overall / potential: 8 = 92/100 (2178 views) | | | Tasted by MariusA on 8/21/2020 & rated 95 points: Shared by fkaCondor and tasted at his house. Decanted for two hours.
First time I tasted a Monte Bello. This is not a typical California cab and if I had done my research ahead of time I would known that. Maybe this is why others don't score it as high?
It is silky smooth, light, and complex with perfectly balanced acidity and tannins. On the nose this could easily pass for a mature St. Estephe and in a blind tasting I would have been hard pressed to guess "new world". It drinks so well right now and it's hard not to fall in love with this wine. Just don't expect rock band - this is more like a string quartet. (2620 views) | | | Tasted by JS79 on 7/4/2020 & rated 94 points: Part of 67PM tasting with Eric Baugher.
A real treat. The match of Bordeaux. Velvet, silky tannins, fully integrated. Still fruit, possibly on the way down. Very long finish. Other notes suggest bottle variation definitely based on circumstances offer intervening 18 years. (2511 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (12/30/2022)
(Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Ridge Monte Bello Revisited: 1968 – 2012 (Jul 2016) (7/1/2016)
(Ridge Monte Bello Central Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/21/2015)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/25/2015)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2004, IWC Issue #115
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com 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.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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