Community Tasting Notes 13

• kkazaks Likes this wine: 96 points

  November 26, 2022 - HTMS fill.
  
  Opened at home to ensure not corked. Quite fragrant, aromas of red fruits and wood and earth. Flavors of fruits, black olive, orange tea.
  
  An hour later at the restaurant (not decanted) the olive quaility faded away and became more of a distinct savory tapestry.
  
  Most of impressive of all was how with time the wine showcased a direct sense of sweet ripe fruit, while remaining dry.
  
  11.9% alcohol. 96% CS, 4% Merlot.
  
  If you have a bottle, enjoy - in a wonderful spot.

  Comment

• MC2 Wines wrote: flawed

  November 2, 2021 - Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): Corked as well. Pity, but if you're going to do a tasting with the number of old wines we were tasting it was likely you'd get at least one.

  Comment

• DaleW wrote:

  October 25, 2021 - Corked. Damn, I opened because Craig said he’s like to try since his last one was corked.

  Comment

• asteff wrote: 98 points

  April 2, 2021 - Was in amazing shape. Just fantastic in every way- such a wonderful nose and long mesmerizing finish.

  Comment

• Purple Grillz Likes this wine: 91 points

  August 17, 2017 - I have had Monte Bello before I understood what Paul Draper does with this wine. I was a fan of Lytton Springs, and Zins so I foolishly cracked a young Monte Bello. These wines are unrelenting beasts of acidity, tannins, and mouth puckering astringency. I finally gave this wine the respect it deserves. I bought a bottle old as me and drank some on my birthday.
  
  I don't think I will ever think a Monte Bello is delicious, it just seems that from the young ones I tried and the this one, they are just too subtle for my palate. Their acidity is so front and center without any black fruit, animal, cocoa, herbs, backbone that it's hard for me to love them. It's just an absolute party of sumac, rose petals, pomegranate, incense, and cured lemons that it begs to be drank with food. And we had it with freshly made stuffed grape leaves and summer tomatoes and Labna, it was a beautiful meal! I just can't wrap my head around paying the kind of money this juice costs when it's only enjoyable with food.
  
  I do see the quality of the wine making, 42 years old and it's still doing what it's much younger versions are doing but in a more harmonious way. The tannins have melted, the acidity has mellowed and whole has become greater than the sum of the parts.
  
  I also learned that he studied with Chateau Latour in some capacity before starting Ridge so I picked up a bottle of 1970 Latour and 1975 Les Forts and not surprisingly they both absolutely took Monte Bello apart. As they should but I did see the DNA of longevity. All 3 wines were so fresh, not a hint of tiring any time soon, all 3 were lively after 2 days of oxygen. If you can find a 75 Monte Bello in good condition, try one. They should all be drank soon.

  Comment

Pro Reviews 5

Wine Definition

• Vintage 1975
• Type Red
• Producer Ridge
• Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard Monte Bello
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Santa Cruz Mountains
• Appellation Santa Cruz Mountains

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 2 (1%)
• In Cellars 100 (69%)
• Consumed 42 (29%)

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