Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 1972-2003

Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL
Tasted Tuesday, October 6, 2009 by Burgundy Al with 765 views

Flight 1 (7 Notes)

  • 1972 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 92 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 vertical. Good aromatics of floral, cedar and some dark cherry and currant. Flavors of black cherry and background mushrooms. Good spice on finish. not powerful, but elegant balanced and almost lacy. I preferred this to most others in the group tonight.

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  • 1974 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello Flawed

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Corked, which was too bad because this showed great underlying fruit but the moldy cardboard smell just kept gaining stronger and stronger.

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  • 1988 Ridge Monte Bello 89 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Big fruit with some background spice, much of it from oak. Everything centered on Good (but simple) ripe black fruit and oak spice, this seemed far less interesting than most other vintages tasted tonight, with less balance or nuance.

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  • 1989 Ridge Monte Bello 85 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Quite austere with too much acid for the fruit and other flavor elements. Tannins dominate on finish.

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  • 1990 Ridge Monte Bello 95 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Nose of black cherry, black current, mint and tobacco, with a floral hint. Similar flavor profile with dense and pwerful fruit balanced with broad tannins and very good acidity. This is incredibly balanced, aging nicely with lots of go-forward potential. Big fruit, but not at all overwhelming, giving it a bit more of Bordeaux character and texture than most California Cabernet blends. My Wine of the Flight, I preferred this to most others in the group tonight. Fascinated contrast with the 1991 in the next glass.

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  • 1991 Ridge Monte Bello 91 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Aromas of black cherry, plum, cedar and green pepper. Ripe, fat fruit on palate, very opulent and rich, far more what you expect from a top California Cabernet-based wine than the 1990 in the next glass (which seemed almost more Bordeaux-like). Good textures and flavors from start-to-finish, I just found the fruit fatter and more flabby than this wine in other more balanced vintages. Group Wine of the Flight, but in the middle of 7 wines for me.

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  • 1992 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Black cherry and blackberry on nose. Same fruit on palate, very big, ripe, and primary, well situated in front of powerful and bold tannins. overall well structured for a long-term cellar hold.

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Flight 2 (7 Notes)

  • 1993 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight. Big dark fruit with some interesting earthy and green pepper notes. Similar flavor profile with lots of acidity and tannins, perhaps obscuring the fruit a bit today. I preferred this well structured wine to others in the group tonight.

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  • 1994 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight.Great aromas of spice, black cherry, kirsch and cedar. Nice fruit from beginning-to-end with great structure in excellent balance with the fruit. Just trace hints of secondary character starting to emerge, this seemed like a wine with significant potential. My Wine of the Flight, the group's wine of the flight.

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  • 1996 Ridge Monte Bello 91 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight. Big fruit, showed a more rsutic character on nose than most other vintages.Lots of structure throughout, mostly tannin. Showed more of its Petit Verdot than other vintages. Needs time to soften.

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  • 1999 Ridge Monte Bello 88 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight. Lots of oak, chocolate, vanilla and ripe fruit coming through on nose. started seeming more "modern" styled than the older vintages, making it easier for some people to enjoy, less interesting to me. black fruit and oak are very nice and enjoyable, providing easy pleasure, but little nuance or depth tonight.

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  • 2000 Ridge Monte Bello 87 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight. Simple black fruit and spice. Moderate length, just moderately interesting.

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  • 2001 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Powerful blackberry, black cherry, red cherry on nose with some mint and cassis, then spice in background. Lush and dense fruit on palate with powerful, elegant tannins and vibrant acidity. Just one step behind the 1994 in this flight, but perhaps with greater long-term potential, this is another vintage of Monte Bello hat has something for everybody. I would expect this to reach its full potential somewhere between 2020 and 2035.

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  • 2003 Ridge Monte Bello 86 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted single blind in 1993-2003 flight. Jammy on nose and palate, tough to find this interesting in the company of these other wonderful, more elegant vintages.

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