Community Tasting Note
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meatbomb013 Likes this wine: 96 points
January 5, 2021 - Decanted for 60 minutes.
Fabulous new world wine with old world bones. A wonderful wine experience with primary cabernet fruit and very little secondary cab characteristics. Blue and black fruit, baking spice, and forest floor. Tannins are very well integrated. Finish is long and pleasing.
I don’t have many bottles of Montebello but I will be searching for more.4 people found this helpful 4,009 views
3 Comments
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oldwines commented:
1/6/21, 5:48 AM - Ridge Monte Bello is surely one of the "Great Growths" of California, exactly as you describe..."new world wine with old world bones", over many decades now this wine exhibits age-worthiness, terrific balance and unique terroir expression. It's still made in the style pioneered by Paul Draper despite the sale to Japanese owners many years ago and Paul's recent retirement (not really I understand). Look for it from some of the shops that buy people's cellars...(Cana Wines in Nashville, Benchmark, Blacksmith Wines, Cellar-Raiders, etc) I find the 2001 especially wonderful, also the 1984 if you can find it is great, but most vintages soar, that's what makes it and the Santa Cruz Mountains so special. To boot it hasn't gotten into the stratosphere yet in price. Happy hunting!
Cheers!
"oldwines" aka Dave
www.dtpwineadvisors.com -
g-man commented:
1/7/21, 5:35 PM - If you really love it id sign up for the mailing list, especially if you're young enough to let them age. You pay much less as a future but you have to wait two years for delivery.
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lockestep commented:
1/11/21, 5:48 AM - Re: Paul Draper- he’s still involved, but the Monte Bello has been made by Eric Baugher since 2004. They share a common sense of what Monte Bello should be.