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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.7 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 242 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 4/6/2024 & rated 96 points: Part of a trio of aged American Cab and Cab blends night with my wine group. It was opened and decanted for 90 minutes before pouring. Lots of fruit left, but the structure is beginning to weaken. I'm not sure how many years this has left. But this bottle was drinking great! Long finish, beautiful nose. The other 2 wines were a 2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet and a 1996 1996 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. As all 3 wines were drinking great, it was hard to pick a favorite. (388 views) | | | Tasted by jbaron on 3/30/2024 & rated 94 points: Quite nice. (438 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 3/12/2024 & rated 96 points: This was singing tonight and showing great maturity with just fabulous spicy dark berry fruits with and a wonderful lick of eucalyptus and superb floral lift. Layered with a gorgeously opulent texture and so giving now with superb concentration and complexity on the finish. Just a flourishing wine that's exciting to drink and yet so balanced and light on its feet. Certainly another decade of development here but I love where it is now. It was paired against the '96 Lafite and at least today, I slightly preferred the Montebello which is saying something. (611 views) | | | Tasted by Robert R. on 2/10/2024: A very fine wine. Decanted an hour (should have been more patient). Great nose. Full, smooth, well integrated, complex flavor profile. About as good as it gets in my experience from CA Bordeaux styled wines. Just a real pleasure. High marks. (739 views) | | | Tasted by roddey3 on 1/27/2024 & rated 98 points: Magnum bottle: decanted night before & left overnight back in uncorked bottle; initially quite closed up. Re-decanted next morning 5 hrs before serving at lunch with gougeres and veal shanks (M. Battali recipe): fully open and stunningly complete wine that matches flavor profiles of previous reviews. Terrific nose, body, structure, mouthfeel, v. long finish. Comparable to 1984 Ridge Montebello and 1967 Heinz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Jancis Robinson was on the mark. (870 views) | | | Tasted by essenceofreal on 1/13/2024 & rated 94 points: This was lovely. Double decanted then triple decanted 3 hrs before bringing to Farm in Napa. Then decanted again at the restaurant. After another 2 hours last glass was the best.
Went from 92 pts up to 94. However this was very much at peak. I can't see this getting better, now is a perfect time to drink these w a 4+ hour decant.
Evolved nicely into very Bdx qualities, usual suspects in the flavor profile. Very smooth and elegant. (922 views) | | | Tasted by Bigtuna on 12/4/2023 & rated 95 points: Was the WON for many. Surprising youthful, but definitely read to drink. Opened, decanted, best after 5 hours. Elegant, silky, balanced (1043 views) | | | Tasted by Lazlo Toth on 11/11/2023 & rated 97 points: Decanted and then poured. Deep garnet with some bricking and fading to the rim. However, still looks younger than a 27 year old wine. Black cherry, cassis, baking spices, star anise, apple jacks cereal, forest floor, new leather and maybe a whiff of coconut on the nose. It's very expressive. The palate is complex and feels "electric" confirming the bouquet with an incredibly textured mouthfeel. Ripe black cherries and star anise at the front with dried cassis, Asian spice (cardamom) and tobacco leaf flooding the mid-palate carrying through the finish. High acidity, medium minus alcohol, and medium plus body. Weightless, yet lingering. Fully integrated medium tannins. Incredible length with multiple minute finish. Very well balanced with resonant fruit matched by acidity and fine tannins. A truly great wine that is somehow delicate, refined, and yet persistent. The acidity and mouthfeel of this wine are unique and memorable. Paired very well with filet mignon and scallops with dill cream sauce. This wine is all elegance and stands with very best Cabs in the world. (1090 views) | | | Tasted by RayOB on 9/14/2023 & rated 94 points: Drank at 67
Perfectly mature and dancing (1254 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 6/29/2023: A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): Wow wow wow. This could end up being the wine of the weekend pretty easily. Out of magnum. It’s just humming. Starts with the nose which completely draws you in. We were all joking you could just smell this all day and be happy. It’s slightly herbal and black fruits. Reminds me of thyme and maybe some rosemary and all of that more interesting sets of flavors that you get from the Monte Bello site. A few weeks ago I was at a Margaux dinner and a person scoffed at the idea that there was any California wine tasted blind that could beat the big French ones but I wholeheartedly believe this wine can. (2043 views) | | | Tasted by viking92067 on 4/21/2023 & rated 99 points: This is what a first growth Bordeaux would taste like from CA. Never had a bad bottle of Monte Bello. This evening we all said this was a 10 on a 10 point scale. (1539 views) | | | Tasted by drdecanto on 1/29/2023 & rated 93 points: Had it on my 70th. Certainly more youthful at this point in its life than I am in mine. Brittle cork broke in half. No ullage. No leakage. Decanted for 30 minutes and then consumed over the course of 4 hours or so. Deep garnet with really no thinning at the edge. Heavy legs. Nose of deep red fruit; thinking currants. In the mouth, relatively bright and youthful with mostly fruit driven flavor. Long bright moderately tannic fruit driven finish. Lovely bottle, but not mind blowing. Bought it on release. (1946 views) | | | Tasted by Nothung on 12/31/2022 & rated 97 points: Sublime. From magnum. Opened for about 5 hours and then decanted for 2 more. The wine is in a great place right now. Don't think there is any rush, but don't think it improves much from here. Served New Year's Eve with chateaubriand in a black truffle Madeira sauce. Perfection. (1883 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 12/20/2022 & rated 96 points: High End Wine Night (Charlie Palmer Steak NYC): My second bottle for an auction purchase. Spectacular wine. Decanted for at least 45 minutes before pouring. A still youthful nose, on the palate it was a mix of fruit and spice. It is in a great balanced place right now, and should still have years of like ahead of it. A real treat! (1830 views) | | | Tasted by platpeeps on 12/13/2022 & rated 98 points: A textbook Californian Cabernet: vibrant and fresh, cassis and menthol, sweet fruited yet savoury and super tannins. Multi-layered and complex with a superb finish. It completely belies its age yet was absolutely ready to drink. A wine that deserves all the plaudits and more. A privilege to have tasted it. CHP 98pts (1668 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 11/6/2022: Odd that almost got Brett. (1829 views) | | | Tasted by Elpaninaro on 10/20/2022: deep young red color with no signs of age on the rim, on the nose a heavy sprinkling of bell pepper over substantial cassis, plum and cherry fruit, on the palate still young and tannic, cassis and blueberry the dominant fruits on the muscled and youthful palate, intense mineral streaks throughout, fine length, a robust young wine showing a good bit of detail- but still not ready in my view, superbly balanced for the very long term.
***(**), 2030++ (1500 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/1/2022 & rated 98 points: Beautiful classical bouquet with ripe dark berries and chocolate. Same on the palate, herbs and spices, red berries as well, beautiful acidity and soft, powdery tannin. Very full bodied. Nevertheless elegant and tempting. My red WOTN so far. Just great and so beautifully at its peak! (1384 views) | | | Tasted by hajoha on 9/4/2022 & rated 95 points: Ridge Montebello 1996
Stor vin!
Fortsatt på den ungdommelige siden, men nydelig å drikke nå likevel.
Kjølig pen frukt.
Stor konsentrasjon, fint syredriv og en herlig fruktsødme.
Svært lang. 95p (1826 views) | | | Tasted by LWI on 8/28/2022 & rated 94 points: BYO Homecoming: Blind. Dyp og sjarmerende, krydret, velbalansert. Vanskelig å tro at dette ikke er vestsidebordeaux. (1714 views) | | | Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 8/12/2022 & rated 90 points: Much improved after five hours of air. Opaque ruby and purple. Perfumed nose of black berries, leather, and some florals, -and tar? Mostly black and blue fruit, some sweetness from oak. Medium to full-bodied. Silky mouthfeel. Still some tannin but mostly resolved, medium acid. Not a great vintage of Monte Bello but quite enjoyable. Not much upside from here. Drink up. (1560 views) | | | Tasted by rcg62 on 2/26/2022 & rated 97 points: Wow wine. Still great color, high neck fill. Lots of sediment in the bottom of the bottle after a decant. Seriously opened after an hour or so. Nose pops, fruit + pine and camphor bits. Palate is loaded. Raspberry, and other tart red fruits, smoke, and earthy flavors. Drinking superbly but probably stays at peak another ten years. (2310 views) | | | Tasted by hajoha on 1/11/2022: Helt nydelig vin, men med noe mindre frukt enn forrige flaske. (2684 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 12/24/2021 & rated 96 points: The first of 6 bottles that I purchased at auction in December 2019. This was opened, but not decanted for over 50 minutes before pouring into glasses. A huge hit with my wine group, we had this alongside a 1995 Shafer Hillside Select. Comparing this to the Shafer, it was more delicate and better balanced. Which one members of my group preferred really depended on their tastes for 20+ year old CA wines. I preferred the Monte Bello, but it was so close, I gave both wines the same score. A very long finish. (2304 views) | | | Tasted by lozatron on 11/26/2021: Wimps Thankgsiving Lunch - Connor Table; 11/25/2021-11/26/2021 (La Trompette): Woof. For me - wine of the flight, wine of the lunch. Everything in place - super balanced, fully ready to drink but still a way ahead of it. I have a sense this might have been a weaker vintage in principle, and in a decade this would fall behind the 98 (and maybe even 97), but just perfect now. If you never drank better than this, you would have drunk very well indeed. What a treat. (2706 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello retrospective (10/25/2022)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello retrospective (10/25/2022)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/25/2022)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Lucia Highlands (2/14/2019)
(Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello Red) Login and sign up and 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 (4/2/2016)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1998, IWC Issue #78
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Red Blend) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/20/2010)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Dark red violet color; hrbal, marjoram, thyme, dill nose; a little tight but plush, tart plum, herbal, red plum, marjoram palate; medium finish 92+ pts. (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot) 92 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (7/11/2008)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Dark red violet color; great ripe plum, mulberry and eucalyptus nose; rich, ripe plum, eucalyptus, delicious structured palate; long finish 96+ pts. (decanted 4 hours) 96 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and RJonWine.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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