One of three different 2006 wines opened for DV’s Super Bowl party. Decanted a couple of hours before kickoff. Massive sweet ripe cassis nose in the decanter. Beautiful garnet black in the glass. Promising aromatics but there is a lot of angularity here with all the right components but not integrated and complete as of yet. The tannins and the acidity are battling out alpha status right now resulting in a sour finish. The fruit layers are subdued. This wine will eventually rock - it needs another 4-5 years at least. Thanks for opening this rough cut diamond and it was a fun party, DV!
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Opened another bottle of the MB on Christmas Day. Cork was a little hesitant to come out. Opened and let sit for about 2 hours before serving. Deep purple color. Nose of dark cherries adn hint of leather and earth with accent of dried herbs. Good dark fruit profile with some mint and notes of licorice root and leather. Tannins nicely integrated. Shows class and grace. An outstanding bottle of wine.
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decanted for 2 hours and served with friends along with a 2006 Price Cab Franc. Delicious fruit and soft tannins but the Cab Franc was so good this didn't win for the night. Still have another bottle left and might give it a few more years before opening this vintage.
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Decanted 3.5 hours. Red fruit, some beautiful creamy currant stuff going on. An hour later, plums and pencil shavings. Would have scored higher if the finish was more pronounced. Enjoyed this while rewatching The Big Short. I wondered at my personal ethics in drinking a 17-year-old Monte Bello while bemoaning all the greed in the movie, but then I have no idea what a bespoke tranche opportunity is. So I got that going for me.
Decanted for 2 hours. Black red color. Sweet nose, red currant, coconut, cedar and spicy cassis. The palate still shows quite young, lively acidity, clenched fruit, slightly brooding with some burly, drying tannins. Not very giving on the palate, I’m assuming this just needs more time.
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Initial barnyard funk dissipated, but came back after an hour. Not the usual heady aromatic blue flowers one associates with this maker.
Blue flowers did came to the forefront after about an hour, but soon enough went away too to be dominated by that funk.
Milk powder and vanilla notes (97% new American oak barrels, 3% new French oak), sweet spices with some black fruits including blackcurrant and plums.
The tannins were not as rounded as I had wanted this to be, and it is still quite grippy at this point.
Thanks a lot brother LMC for cellaring this (Nice meeting you LN and Chef Julie, as well as the affable brother RN whom I will meet many more times later in the year), and so generously sharing this with all of us.
Sage at The Gardens, KL in Malaysia (Days before it closed for a one year major renovation!) 21st Mar 2023
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Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Polished oak, vanilla, sweet spice backed by a little cream and black hued fruits. With agitation the fruit and spice beings to pop; blackcurrant; blackberry; a little plum, very slight pyrazine. Slightly sour red and black fruit on the palate is joined by hefty, chewy, woody and grape tannic grip. All travel long, the sweet oak helps out that sour fruit and creates a more harmonious oral experience. Time but some promise.
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Double decanted to remove sediment. Group of 8, everyone praised it. Surprising amount of ripe fruit on the pallet. Tannins mostly resolved. A lush Monte Bello? Mostly secondary flavors. Wonder how the fruit develops going forward. Hope it doesn't develop any stewed fruit notes going forward.
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I have a fair amount of Monte Bello aging in my cellar, but not a great depth experience with it because I like my Monte Bellos well aged. For me, this is middle aged - some of the gorgeous perfume of aged Monte Bello is apparent, but it is still loaded with punchy lush fruit and tannins. Perhaps even too much ripe fruit... Some alcohol bite on the finish. This might hit my sweet spot in 5-10 years.
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Third bottle from my case and four years since my last taste.
At last, this wine has moved onto the plateau of maturity, The colour is still impenetrable but there are definitely signs of age creeping into those dark depths. The nose is all dark ripe fruit, sous bois, freshly picked mushrooms and kirsch liquor. Despite the maturity of the fruit, there is still quite a tannic charge here which suggests to me that this will age for many years to come.
However, it's delicious now and definitely open for business but as always with Monte Bello, no rush.
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Lovely example. Sweet pipe toabbco and balck fruit nose. Rather lush attack on the palate with the tannins kicking in on back end. Early maturity. Risge MB is awesome.
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From 375 Deep ruby, moderate sediment Some cedary candied fruit on opening, needs an hour decant, then thick rich, velvety smooth resolving curranty fruit. Quite remarkable stuff. 94+ (Cork was so stuck, I had to use a Durand to get it out in one piece)
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Reddish-blue, rich and impervious to light. This CA Boudreaux blend is hitting on all cylinders ! At ~14!years of bottle time this very pretty wine is aromatic, possesses a pleasant bouquet and has developed secondary cab characteristics. I really enjoyed Monte Bello’s when they are so well blended. This bottle was seriously delicious 96.
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Belle intensité, richesse et a la fois très suave. Sur du fruits assez mure sans aucune lourdeur ou impression d’être sur un Cali Cab. Au contraire c'est frais, profond, bien structuré et au combien délicieux ! Fais rougir plusieurs vins bordelais par son équilibre parfait. Un vin dans son sweet spot. Un des bons US cab dégusté depuis un bout. Bravo !
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Opened an hour or two before consumed w grilled steak. Smooth wonderful nose and taste. Dark berry color; developed fruit. Gone in a few or so it seemed
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From 375ml on. "date night" with simple lamb chops. I don't get a chance to drink Montebello much, but easy to see what the fuss is about. Abundant fruit, impeccable balance, and amazing elegant texture. Still on the upslope I would think.
Cork was friable, modest sediment, wine was terrific, still holding well. Bramble berries, smooth finish. Ready to drink but can hold several more years.
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Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
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Blackberries, currants, dark chocolate, and licorice in the nose with hints of floral. Blackberries and black cherries in the flavor. A rich, concentrated yet elegant wine with nice structure and complexity. Full bodied, well balanced and a long silky smooth finish. Definitely ready now and will last many more years.
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Dark ruby black with lot of sediment Thick rich dark fruit, mostly resolved, Lovely restraint, yet clearly pure Cali fruit. Lovely impeccable balance 95+
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From Coravin. Aromas of blackcurrant, cassis, vanilla, cream ,sweet spice, slight plums and dusty red berries in support with a little savoury/meaty underpin and a very slight tomato leaf note. With agitation red currant joins the other fruit and flavour components. On the palate it's fresh and ripe, juicy, with blackcurrant and sweet spice very much to the fore, tannins are chalky textured and in support but this is exceedingly well balanced. All travel long. Very nice indeed.
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Opened for one hour and quick (15min) double decanted to be consume 30 min later.
This is a medium plus wine with lots of tannins and acidity. It’s meant to go the distance. A little mute on the nose but very expensive on the palate. Leans more towards a French style of wine.
Very good now, possible better in 3-5 years and will go pass 2040 for sure…
Youthful nose with cedar, mint, plum, chocolate, blue and red berry. Nice structure, young with evolution ahead of it, good spine and balance with nice fruit profile and long youthful and dryish finish. Great alcohol balance (13.5) and acid and fruit. Very nice wine; no deficiencies but maybr slightly behind the oomph and dimensions of the top top years.
Still, very delicious and in real early days of a nice window. No rush
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Delicious. Showing maturity. Cork very soft, so concerned. But opened up on the nose beautifully. Restrained and balanced fruit. Great acid and tamed tannins. Integrated well and was a delicious partner to a grilled steak.
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Second bottle of six bought on release and stored at 56 degrees. The first bottle was undrinkably oaky. I'm inclined to think the wine may have been going through a dumb phase in 2010, as the fruit is now front and center. This was pop and pour. There's still plenty of oak, especially on the finish, which ends a little harshly. But there is ample primary, dark fruits and very lively acidity that is starting to balance it out. Best guess is that the oak flavors will continue to integrate into the background, while still providing the lifted texture that I have liked in earlier bottles of Ridge MB.
Drinking beautifully. Nice balance. Elegant. Worked wonderfully with lamb and rigo jancsi (chocolate cake). Soft but firm tannin. Nice red fruit. Layers of complexity. A very nice wine
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Random selection, as I asked my wife to blind me on something, and she picked this from half bottle. The aromatics said Ridge from the first moment, and because I know that I only had Geyserville and Monte Bello from half it was an easy trip to the Cabernet. What a nose - all deep red fruit and complex spice and herb. Gorgeous! Certainly still young, but the texture drew me in each and every sip. Silky on entry, and vibrant on the finish, the contrast was enthralling. Perhaps too soon from 750, but from half this was a treat!
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Decanted for 1 hour. Lovely nose, black fruits, dill, cedar and a minty note. Medium weight, fairly lush palate with a velvety texture and intense perfectly ripe black fruited flavors. A lot to like here, looking forward to many more years of positive evolution.
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Double blind. Dark garnet with thin clear rim. Rich nose, and my immediate reaction was Cali Cab, then on the palate however dry dark fruit with good depth, still a fair bit of toasted oak, quite forward, fine to medium tannins but still slightly sandy and drying, medium finish. Lovely Guessed left bank Bordeaux, 2006 vintage, Margaux appellation, and finally settled on 2006 Giscours.
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Dark ruby, youthful and shiny color still. The nose is Californian with ripe black fruit, blueberries, oak but also a whiff of Eucalyptus. The palate then is more similar to Bordeaux from a generous vintage. Plush and ripe buth with good structure and acidity. A very nice Cab Sav. Can be drunk now and age a lot further.
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Youthful highly perfumed nose dominated by ripe dark blueberries, lavender, cassis, minerals and a touch floral tones. Palate is balanced, with youthful fruit and well structured, but restrained. Combined with dryish tannins and good length makes this one that, while quite drinkable right now, would benefit from another 5 plus years.
A youthful purple, zero bricking, some sediment. A simpler vintage than 2005, but balanced with good fruit. Smooth tannins show how young this really is. Monte Bello is a twenty year wine. This 2006 is just too young right now. Leave alone until 2026. Double decanted. In the meantime, drink your Monte Bellos from the 1990s.
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Deep ruby color. Intense nose of smoky blackberry essence, mountain herb, and stone. Full bodied on the palate, still youthful through the finish with fine ripe tannins on the finish.
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Awesome wine from start to finish. Surprisingly accessible too, as it was a pop and pour and drank well—followed over 4hrs. Black Smoky fruit typical of MB, with some dill mixed in. Tannins rather soft, silky on the palate as if the merlot was higher was more than the listed 20%. Really holds the palate with a long finish. Depth/complexity/balance, this has it all. Will continue to age just fine as the fruit is rather youthful, but certainly enjoyable now.
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Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Very Christmas cake nose...initially with plenty of sweet baking spices and vanilla, cream, married to figgy, raisiny fruits. Then an impression of black currant and berry compote. This is followed by cedar, clay and woody notes. Lovely nose. Smells polished and expensive. And the palate is very much a reflection of the nose. Tannins are slight cat tongue raspy with an emery paper edge, it's broad across the mid palate and ridiculously long. Wonderful.
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Decades of 6 (67 Pall Mall, London): Opened and left to rest. This needs decanting and ideally unless once likes the younger and juicier and oakier side of this wine and style really another 5yrs is advisable. Barring the oak, american oak here , coconut and vanilla which at this time stands out and dominates the wine, the rest is classic quality and elegance associated with this great wine. The oak though is too much at the forefront at this stage and is a lot more than when we had it 6 month ago so we wonder if this woudl need a lot more decanting. Still a great experience of a wine and an easy 92-93. Needs time
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At peak. Classic old world style Bordeau blend. Dark ruby,semi opaque, great nose of vanilla and dark berries. Medium weight. Balance structure of soft tannins good acidity. Balck currantcs and vanilla on the palate.
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Shared with a few friends over dinner and alongside an Orgenon Pinot and a 375mL 13' Dominus.
Decanted for 1/2 hour and poured. Nose was a little lacking at first and the tannins were still evident on the palette which appears to be common in the 06 MB. Dark fruits, figs and a nice balance to the wine. Finish was above average. Got better over the hour and the nose started to show itself Paired nicely with a run of the mill steak.
This felt about average for this decade of MB, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Still had plenty of time to go. I would have been rewarded if I had waited another 5 years
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Enomatic sample. A clear step up in quality from the rest of this round of samples at the Hedonism wines. Deep dark fruit, figs, starting to show maturity and sweetness on the nose. Cassis attack that transcends into amore complex taste. High acidity, drying very fine tannins that are far from resolved. Lean and elegant. Starting to drink fine but this should benefit enormously from further cellaring. Give it another 10 years. 94-95p
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Aromas of cassis, blackberry and current along with a little mocha, the palate was rich and full with ripe black fruit, liquorice and allspice, the finish was smooth and long. Plenty of life still in this win, I believe the best is yet to come. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc aged in majority new American Oak (97%) for 18 months.
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Opened and left to rest for a good 40 minutes. Needed for the palate but the nose didn't really develop and the lack of a strong nose is the drawback of this wine. On the palate though its pretty much on the money and at a great time in its drinking window. On the soft and silky side, elegant wine and in a way classical and barring the richer fruit tit does feel very much old world. Light earthy tones, dark fruits, soft kiss of spice. Effortless wine and with an elegance that we will remember. Solid 93+
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Delicious, dark fruits, vanilla, some herbal notes, hint of chocolate, smooth tannins - we tasted blind with others, color showed age but the taste fooled a lot of us, thought it was younger, really nice and still has years left on it.
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Drank over a long holiday weekend. On second night it had opened nicely revealing dark red fruit, sage, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. There was very little tannin and a softer mouthfeel than I had expected. We are it with some slow braised lamb and it paired well. All around a really nice wine.
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Decanted for one hour. Cassis, plum, cedar, blackberry, blueberry on the nose and palate. Tannin still very evident with a medium finish. Drinking beautifully. Still has many, many years left.
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Either too young, not a long enough decant or both. Red and dark fruits, with hints of lavender. Lengthy finish and nice balance, but something seems missing. Never did put my finger on it though. Still excellent, just always expect more out of MB.
Two years since my last bottle and this hasn't moved an inch. Good, and destined to be great - but just not yet. Still closed and primary at twelve years old. I think this will be blossoming at 20 rather than the usual 10 years.
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Decanted from magnum. Cherry, dark berry and plum aromas and flavors. Soft with a medium finish. The wine still seems a bit closed and may need more time.
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at tasting room. from Coravin. lightly browned burgundy color. Nose intoxicating, plummy with faintest hint of lightly stewed fruits. Palate waves of cherry fruit, very tannic on finish. The nose/color were slightly concerning but it still has exuberant fruit on the palate, very drinkable now. 94 pts
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Clearly the best of three Monte Bello's tasted at Old Woodward Cellars. Much better than a 07 and better than a 95 vintage. Special, should drink well for another 10+years
Cassis, plum, cedar, blackberry, blueberry on the nose and palate. Tannin still very evident with a medium finish. This wine still seems very young to me. I'd give it a couple of years before opening another bottle.
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Second Sunday Group: Ridge Monte Bello 2005-2012 (Jeff's): Double blind. Perfumed, plummy and ripe, not overly so; pretty. Bright red fruit on the palate, with medium tannins and good underlying acidity. Adds a nice pine forest note as it opens. Finishes with nice length and balance.
My #3, Domino's #2 Group #2, 45 pts
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Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of cassis, cream, vanilla, spice, slightly jubey red fruit. Oh this is very good on the palate, still youthful but beautifully integrated fruit and oak. Yes, time required, but eminently approachable now.
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Steak dinner at B&E. Decanted for 2 hours. Strong blueberry aromas. Cherry, blueberry and strawberry flavors, light tobacco on the front, long finish with some pepper. Great wine.
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Quick Note. Tasted at the winery along with the 2005 and 2014 Monte Bello. Sixty-eight percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 10 percent Petit Verdot, and two percent Cabernet Franc. Good color. Nose and palate are still tight, but more open than the 2005 - of course, it's all relative. Notes of red and black licorice, plus tar dominate along with a touch of red apple. This bottling has four percent more Petit Verdot than the previous vintage, which may explain the abundance of dark flavors. A bit richer or sweeter than the '05. Like the flavors of this wine, but they seemed a bit compressed. Further, the 2005 has a "Mahogany" element that I found more seductive than the more primary dark notes of licorice and tar. Needs a good decanting. Still has more years in the bottle up through 2025.
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5oz glass from Coravin. Wow, what an amazing wine. Still just a baby at 12 years old. Nose shows the most age, with cassis, kirsch, and earth. Red fruit, tobacco and spice flavors. Tannins are very fine but quite present. Acid is still lively as well. Just a lovely wine with tons of evolution left.
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Ash, boysenberry, oak barrel and earth on the nose. This was still primary with oak in the flavor profile when opened. This calmed to reveal a nice boysenberry, ash, pepper and tannin profile. The tannins dried on the palate a bit to shorten the finish. Try in 12 months.
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Intimate Dinner Series: Cabernet Sauvignon (G&R's): Double blind. Similar to wine F with brown sugar, blue and black notes. Ther's also a bit of vanilla, adding a charred/toasted quality as it sits. Finely knit tannins; structured. There's a bit more acid showing in this wine too, and it stands out in the flight for this reason- will definitely revisit this with supper following the tasting.
Flight ranking: My #3, Domino's #1 Group #4, 19 pts
The individual who brought this indicated that it did not get much air prior to the tasting and decanting certainly would have helped. With steaks following the tasting this was much better, as the higher acid made this a terrific match for food. Let these ret, or give it at least four hours in a wide decanter.
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Dieser Wein wirkt am Anfang gefälliger, hat aber nicht die Struktur des 04ers. Aktuell einfacher zu trinken. Beide natürlich für einen Montebello zu früh getrunken. Mit Togni zusammen die Bordeaux’s unter den Kaliforniern. 93+
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Drinking OK now. Would not recommend aging much longer.
Tasted regularly throughout 5 hours of decanting. Lightly aromatic...dried fruit. Medium bodied. Thinner than I expected. Tight, ripe, lean, currant flavors resolve very quickly.
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Surprisingly aromatic nose of dark fruit, cedar, and mixed herbs, heavy on the lavender. On the palate, dark fruit and sage, quite grippy, drying tannins, framed by high acidity. The 2006 Monte Bello is open for business on the nose but needs time to soften those big tannins. Drink starting 2020.
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Great color, classic cassis cedar nose which surprisingly aromatic given track record on these wines. Also surprisingly smooth and delicious with great concentration of fruit, acid and tannins. Has years left in it for sure.
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With ten, almost 11 years on it, this is still tight as a....fill it in. The nose is quite expressive, with aromatic lift of underbrush, tea leaves and leather. Just so tight and taking a couple of hours, still tight, with chocolate, tannin, blueberry and sour cherry. Maybe will open up with time. I don't know where this is going?
Not as expressive as my last bottle with the oak and dill sticking out a bit. Still has delicious black fruit. Still surprisingly accessible at this young age. This was a retail purchased bottle so may be a bit more advanced than some.
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2006 anything goes dinner. This was decanted for almost 2-hrs, and served alongside the Sassicaia. Massive wine! Nose of black-currants, vanilla literally leapt out of the glass, followed by a palate of intense/concentrated dark-red-black-fruits that's beautifully balanced by good freshness/acidity. Needs more time, but a very good wine that will definitely get better!
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Tasted at 12 vintage vertical by Michel Jamais. Nose fresh of black currant/cassis, lavender, black cherries. Still young. Elegant Full body palate of cassis, plum, cedar, structure with high fine-grained tannins. Dry finish. 13,5%
Coravin fun - Ridge Monte Bello & others (Kennards, Waterloo): From Coravin. Massive primary fruit leaps from the glass backed by vanilla, biscuit, sweet spice and cream. On the palate concentrated juicy blackcurrant and savoury, ripe tannins travel hand in hand to nearly the end of time with no sign of quitting. Very good. So much potential here but currently vinfanticide.
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Amazing. Black berries, blue berries, toasty oak. Huge tannins but so balanced with the acid and fruit. Finish is long. Bought at the winery and regret I didn't buy more.
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A very dark ruby purple with really very little signs of age. Merlot heavy nose of sweet dark briary fruits. The typical Monte Bello mix of fruit concentration and plush mouth feel while remaining fresh and precise. Again, there's that sour cherry fruit that reminds me of a good Barbera. Plenty of tannins still and although this wine is clearly very young and years away from its peak, it's drinking very well now.
Another great example of why Monte Bello is my favourite Californian red. A blend of concentration, precision, effortless grace and charm and sensible alcohol. A masterclass in balance.
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The drinking window, averaged from 42 users, currently states 2014 to 2030. What would you say is the peak year, after which there is a plateau? Please comment if you have an opinion or any thoughts at all. Thanks, and cheers!
Light and herbacious. Drinking well now with at least an hour to open. Leather and cedar on the nose with hints of black pepper and cherries. Rich chocolate-covered cherry in the mouth with a long, albeit tannic finish. Some overripe/rotten fruit at the end, with hints of strawberry, sweet-tarts and chocolate-covered gummy bears lingering.
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Maybe just a hint more advanced than my last bottle with a hint of volitility on the nose, which may be a reflection of storage conditions rather than anything else (cooler in Total Wine). Great big smokey nose with hint of dill and black fruit. Tell tail bacl Santa Cruz fruit on the palate with an edge of acidity and freshness. Tannins were present but surprisingly soft at this stage. Long finish of smoke, flint, mocha, and dill. Really nice Montebello, solid as always.
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Twilight on the Terrace at Ridge: Lovely nose. Dense with dark fruit, good acid, tobacco, fine tannin. Great complexity. Tannins nicely resolved, this is about ready to drink and will hold or improve for years.
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Brawny nose, showing dill, currants and black fruits. Very young still. The petit Verdot aroma goes a long way and at 10% of the blend can almost can be mistaken for VA. Fairly tannic palate, showing medium grained tannins and appears youthful and in need of time. Good wine but I don't think this is a classic vintage for Ridge. Check back in 10 years.
Lovely old world style wine. Much more herbaceous and leathery and all of that. Pnp'ed and it actually worked quite well (would have assumed might need a decant and prob would have benefited from it, but it was drinking well from the start). Interesting comparison next to a 2008 Blankiet (which was more standard fruit forward Napa). Liked them both.
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Wow, great bottle. Explosive from the start with black fruits, cocoa, flint and fine acidity typical of Ridge MB. Oak still sticks out a bit, even with a little dill, but the fruit can carry all the components at this point and even has a little sweetness on the palate. Will probably improve but don't shy away if you have multiple bottles.
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PWTG Ridge Monte Bello tasting, Flight of four vintages: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006. Groups #2, My #3 A get a little VA and maybe some oak char in addition to red fruits on the nose. The palate is rich, deep and somewhat tannic with a classic texture and fine palate presence.
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Quite dark red towards black; pronounced blackcurrant nose; nice intense taste, but somewhat restrained and slightly on the sour / acidic side, tannic ending, intense condensed aftertaste; fine, but fruit subdued, powerful with vigour, but also too sour
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Wood, lots of wood. Tastes like a light, but pure Manhattan. Cherry, spices, and of course American Oak. Tannins still very firm. Hoping the wood will dissipate, my question would be whether the fruit was ripe enough to really come together.
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4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Mark & Rochelle's): Aromas of violets and lavender lead to black cherry, red currants and cedar. Impeccable balance on the palate, which is dominated by red fruit. Lavender, cherry, black currant and spice qualities as well. The finish lingers for well over a minute. Again, I had no doubt that this was the Monte Bello, and again, Rich and I both claimed this bottle as our own.
This had been decanted about four hours ahead of the flight being tasted. This is drinking very well for being so young (with a good decant, mind you) which leads me to believe the bottle we tasted from just last summer was a PnP and did not have the benefit of extended decanting. I would consume these prior to the 2001, which I think needs another 5 to 10 years, whereas this will drink well now and over the next 10 to 15.
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This is the first Montebello I've opened in a decade...Opened and decanted for 3 hours, was very surprised how soft the tannins were. Silky smooth with lush fruit. We were surprised the 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains that followed had much firmer tannins.
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Opened, poured into a decanter, rinsed the bottle to remove sediment, and poured back in. Served about three hours later. Served with food (roast pork, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry bread). Followed for about three hours. Dark color. Nose shows ripe plum, black cherries and an herbal component. Smells a bit boozy. Nice cedar/cigar box notes. Rich and flavorful, dark ripe fruits, with a mint and eucalyptus component. Delicious.
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Judgment of Paris (Washington DC): This was close to the consensus favorite of the night. I gave this about 5 hours of air prior to opening and it needed every hour. Very big, structured wine with a lot of fruit, oak, and tannin. A muscle-bound wine that should age well for a long time.
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Always a treat to crack a Monte Bello. Decanted, but probably should have done it a bit earlier. Currants, blackberries, tobacco, dark plums, and some spice. Intoxicating nose. Another winner.
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Just what I expected (and hoped for) - classy, elegant, complex, rich, ripe, juicy and long. Great nose of cassis, blackberry, earth, cedar, eucalyptus and with lots of licorice and tobacco after an hour or so. Very concentrated with a full body, good balance and a vibrant, fresh, mouth-filling character. Plenty of grip and firm, drying tannins. Delicious, fruity, satisfying, and very long finish. Still young and a bit tight with mostly primary fruits, but without any harshness, bitterness or rough edges. Drank a 2010 Caymus SS a couple of days ago and the Ridge was dramatically better in every respect. This is excellent now, and is going to be stunning in another 5-10 years.
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Mostly Napas and white Burgundies with Washington Winos (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): My overall favorite of the Napa Valley reds. Smooth and opulent. Smoky and cedar like with red and black fruit. The palate is full bodied yet nuanced, its 13.5% alcohol well integrated and leading to a long and lifting finish, with promise for aging but you can easily drink now with great pleasure. Thanks to Ken Brown for bringing this bottle.
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Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Courtesy of Jeff. Displays a mix of red and black fruit with floral overtones. Firm, fine-grained tannins with flavors of mixed fruit, vanilla, blue fruit and spice. Lengthy finish dominated by black fruit and tannin. Needs quite a few years in the cellar.
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Black fruits like plum and blackberry along with some earhty and oaky notes. Big in the mouth yet refined like some sort of hybrid between new and old world.
Still young, this tannic, fresh, crisp, crunchy, concentrated, full bodied wine offers a lot of potential. But 5-10 more years are needed before the blackberries, cassis, oak and earth come together, soften and become fun to drink. The wine was made from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
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Much bigger wine than I had expected. Rich dark black fruits on the nose, with some truffley earthiness and chocolate cocoa. Maybe some slight tobacco-y spice. Big on the palate with grippy tannin. Very rich and long finish. Better on day 1, as it didn't evolve much on day 2. Very nice wine, although close to being too big for my palate. Would like to see this in another 10 or 20 yrs.
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Ripe, juicy and quite showy at this point. The oak is sticking out a bit, but there is so much material here, that it is certain to be just a phase. Structure is mostly hidden behind the fruit and oak. Time, time, time for this, but certainly enjoyable to drink now. It just is not offering what it will in time.
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Via Alta: A treat to encounter this great wine twice in a short space of time. Graphite, tobacco, charcoal, chocolate and some floral notes. Dense fruit combines so well with gripping tannin structure that takes control and only grudgingly lets go as it moves into a long finish. Give it more time to show its very best.
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Decanted and enjoyed over an hour. Beautiful nose of dark and red fruit, oak, licorice and leather. Silky, elegant mouthfeel with tannins still prominent on the finish. Did not open up and express as much on the palate as I would have liked.
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This wine was surprizingly amazing - the bouquet was the green light that it was going to be a winner. Beautiful rich but full gentle flavors were nicely present. This wine is rated for drinking starting in 2013 so it was spectacular. Dark red colors with so many flavors its hard to count. Will buy this one for sure. Enjoyed this wine at Wolfgang Puck's Spago's Beverly Hills... the perfect wine to set the evening in the right direction!
Intense and complex nose, a step up from the other wines so far tonight. Tobacco, earth, blackberry, chocolate and high-toned perfumed floral elements. Screams quality on the palate, there is all important tannic structure combined brilliantly with bright, delicious dark fruit. Finely detailed and with great texture, this is lovely despite how obviously young it is. A wine with plenty of wow to it for sure.
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From cooking weekend at Hopkin's Ordinary; Tom brought a double magnum of this amazing red blend. Dark fruit and spice/pepper on the nose. On the palate loads of dark fruit, with an intriguing hint of sweeter red fruits as well; add to that a bit of tar and some pepper on the lingering finish and you have a very complex and satisfying wine.
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Somewhat ripe on the nose, palate is quite rich, with deep red fruit, a touch of sweetness, but excellent balance, hint of creosote, fabulous flavor. A young, vibrant, lush wine. Though I wouldn't hesitate to try one now (particularly with a flavorful grilled steak), it will certainly benefit from many more years.
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Great/ bright fruit and acidity. The fruit was a bit hidden by a very dry front-palate, but had a decent finish on the back. Looking forward to the next bottle in another couple of years after the tannins have softened some.
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S&E Wine Club - USA Night (At Home in the Cave): Spicy nose with a hint of caramel - enticing and mysterious. A light smokey hint on the nose too. Tannins 7/10. The "dryist" wine of the night.
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Part of a vertical tasting of recent Ridge releases. This bottle had been open for about 18 hours. My first experience with the Monte Bello, and I was blown away by the silky texture and massive fruit. The finish went on and on. Highly recommend.
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A tremendous showing from a wine that should soar even higher with a few more years' age. Smooth and profound in color and taste, with notes of berry, caramel and a touch of lavender, plus sweet, smooth tannins.
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Smooth, fragrant cassis and blueberry, hint of sherbert zest. Velvety texture, smooth and well balanced. Relatively light weight for cabsav, lots of similarities to mount mary, soft with excellent flavour intensity. Good amount of fine tannin and decent acidity. A lovely drink.
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Cream, vanilla, herbs and sweet spice over ripe blackcurrant, plum and cherry with touches of BBQ sauce and meaty notes. In the out there is medium plus juicy acid and medium plus fine elegant tannin underpin flavours of vanilla, black plum and currant, spice and slight leafy notes on the long finish that is a touch warm. it feels polished and impeccably made. very nice.
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decanted for 2 hours. complex nose of currant, blackberry, graphite, and tobacco. flavors lean toward the savory side with smoky herbs, leather, and a background of dark fruit. quite nice but the tannins are still very present and this will improve with more time in the cellar.
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That's a conservative score. Opened up in the glass. Very tannic, coating every inch of the mouth, but super velvety, too. Silk velvet, none of that cotton velvet stuff. Based on tasting various early 90s vintages of this, which were still quite youthful, I'd say it needs at least another decade to show it's stuff.
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This was quite simply an amazing wine. I'm writing these notes two days removed and so, can't possibly remember all the details. But can say that it was all we expected and then some. I was worried it was going to be way too young but with only an hour in the decanter, it smoothed out and showed nicely.
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Dill, red currants and a touch of VA on the nose. Very expansive and spicy palate that is mouth filling without being too rich or overt. Medium finish.
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Really enjoyed this wine. It has so much going on and is still just a baby. Firm tannins.The oak is very well integrated and the nose is sweet. Blew the 07 away.
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A California evening with Wolfgang Puck (Cut restaurant, 45 Park Lane Hotel, London): From magnum. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. So young, but a sensational wine. A profound wine, rich but with soaring minerality, eucalyptus, sweet blackcurrants, perfectly absorbed oak, spices; on the palate rich and velvety, beautifully extracted, great power and balance, excellent tannins, ditto length. All that is missing to me is a sense of place, but I do have to admit my experience with top Californian wines is limited.
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This wine has opened up quite a bit in the last six weeks. Much more black berry fruit apparent on the palate with that same velvety texture and spiciness. Tannins are still quite prominent, particularly on the back end. Good long finish. Definitely needs more time, but it's starting to reveal its potential.
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Somewhat lean, but well structured. Solid dark berry fruit, laced with minty notes and vibrant acidity. Maybe a touch lacking in secondary flavors, but still shows well and will probably get more complex as it ages.
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Deep violet with a touch of brick red. Intense nose of cedar chest and moss. Velvety texture beneath a sharp layer of acid and grippy tannins. Black cherry and berry fruit is in the background. Very young and needs quite a bit more time.
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Deep black red and not yet very expressive on the nose, this is just entering it's early stage of maturation. The palate offers bold fruits of plum and cherry with good freshness and still active and potent tannins. Medium plus finish. Could use extra bottle age but this is in the early stages of its drinking window.
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Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, hints of purple, slightly faded at the edge. Nose with ripe dark berries, spice, hints of barnyard aromas, slightly sweetish impression with hints of vanilla, some mint. Not as dark notes as the 2008, but slightly developed. Medium bodied+, palate with dark berries with some sour red berries, noticeable acidity, rather noticeable tannins. No quite as concentrated as the 2008, but elegant in style. Young, will probably develop well, 90-91+ p?
Could it possibly be in a slightly dumb phase?
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Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Dark garnet colour. Nose is brooding, inky, with black currant fruit, sultana raisins and some band-aid aromas. Palate is concentrated, powerful and full bodied, the wine enters the mouth like silk, however the finish is fiercely tannic! Inky, with licorice and tobacco it a complex wine with depth of flavor, amazing structure which is balanced excellently by fruit. Wine for laying down surely...
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Decanted for 2 hours. Not sure if that did the trick or not, but this did not seem nearly as young as I expected, and I only mean that as a compliment. No detailed notes, but I really enjoyed this wine tremendously.
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Warmer fruit than the 07 and 08 vintage of the Monte Bello. Ripe plums and vanilla mixed with minerality on the nose. Big acidity + the fruit from the nose is present on the taste. Long finish and overall a wine that to me tastes more like the 08 vintage, than the 07. A very well balanced wine with the familiar taste of Monte Bello.
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Tasted as part of a Sampler tasting. The nose is almost not there. Eventuallly a hint of blackcurrant appeared in ther background. On the palate however blackcurrant aromas are more prominent and so are the tannins which are balanced with good acidity. It has the potential to be lovely but too early to drink at the moment.
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Dark purplish ruby colour with a youthful nose; ripe primary fruit aromas of cassis, violet, mint and a touch of toast. The palate is dense and powerful with lovely intensity of flavour. Perfectly balanced with layers of sweet cassis fruit, mint, fine toasted oak and plush ripe tannins. Very good with 20+ years to go yet.
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Lovely, even when too early. Wonderful nose of well blended dark berries and moderate oak. Mouth feel is smooth, slightly sweet. Taste explodes with ripe dark fruit, cherries and blackberries, with chocolate and large tannins. Long finish with well balanced fruit flavor, oak and tannins. The flavor should continue to mature, so best to lay down, but drinkable even now.
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Opened for about five hours before drinking. Sight is typical of a young cab. I imagine there's a wine hiding under all this American oak, but I couldn't find it. Undrinkable. Someone please tell me the oak integrates with time because I have five more bottles and they were not cheap.
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Deep purple color. Black fruit nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, leather, and earth. Very well balanced. Green tannins. Nice oak backbone that seems to be somewhat well integrated already. Elegant finish that is quite closed down at this point in the wine's evolution.
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Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had had earth and black currant, chocolate and sweaty socks, and a little vanilla at the end. The palate was rich, with dirt and raspberry, mocha and black currant, and a big oak finish.
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From .375 at the winery. Surprisingly approachable. Beautiful color. Floral nose, sexy, can lay with this forever and just sniff her. Sweet/sour cherries. Excellent mouth feel. Acid, fruit, oak, tannins all balanced, drinks great but built to last. Palate just explodes, double swallow to get it all out and off the palate. Choking. Raspberry flavors just linger forever along with all the other little bits. Wow. 93 AND MOVING UP WITH A FEW MORE YEARS AND REGULAR FORMAT.
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California Wine Tasting Adventure; 8/2/2010-8/6/2010 (Napa, Sonoma): Tasted at winery. Very young and tight but drinking surprisingly well right now. This is a far cry from some of the over-extracted Napa Cabs you might find. The nose has a nice amount of red fruit, herbs, mint and chocolate. The palate is framed by oak, with nice fine tannins. The fruit is tough to find right at this moment, but there was nice chocolate, herb and a hint of blackberry underlying the oak. Nice finish.
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Classy wine! Nose and palate of dark and red fruits, some coco, spices, and oak, Dense flavours but wears themlightly. Medium + bodied wine, very elegant. I could drink this all day long!
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Nose - sweetish frosting, black plum and black cherry, delicate herbs, ginger, tarragon. Roasty toasty smooth dark fruit, black currant, elderberry, lime, hint of redwood.
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really nice, but young, needs time, first sip hmmm, wasn't so sure by last glass this was singing, the great thing about this wine is it rocks with food, this has really nice gripping acidity that so many CA cabs lack, it holds your interest, the balance of this wine is incredible, not huge over extracted or anything of the sort just good refined food cab. blend doesn't come across "made" or manipulated in any way, just pure fruit and good earth has the stuffing too last years, I'd guess a couple of decades no problem, best in 7-10 years
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Nose - deep concentrated purple fruit, chocolatey, nutmeg, white pepper. Dusty, smooth, smoky cherry, plum, round, touches of lime, elderberry and black currant.
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nose of clove and root extract. very aromatic. clove and vanilla. am i imagining a green nuance here? 2% franc. cola btl caps. quite slutty for such a young monte bello. drinking great already.
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Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): This was a smooth, elegant, rich wine. Classic Bordeaux blend in new world style. I'd love to see it develop over the next decade.
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Deep licorice, fig, bourbon and fennel flavors, impeccable structure and a long finish. Not a blockbuster, but a fine wine for sure. Needs time, obviously.
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Two of my favorites were the 2006, wtih 68% Cabernet Sauvigon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petite Verdot, and 2% Cab Franc. I found chocolate coverted cherreis, bright fruit, and dusty cocoa and really enjoyed it.
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Nose - smoky, peppery purple fruit, rich, touch of black currant, boysenberry, peach pie and black pepper. Dusty black currant, very full bodied, smoky, dried herbs, lime, orange zest, touch of PV, cedar. Drink '24-'44. 94+ pts
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I tasted this wine at Ridge's 1st Assemblage of the 2009 Monte Bello. This wine has a medium/dark purple color to it and a 13.5% alcohol. This wine has aroms of chocolate, allspice, minerals, blue fruits and some floral aromas. It tastes of raspberry, cassis, mineral and allspice. Still very tight, and it took some effort to get the profile, but after it sat in the glass, just like the '09 and '07 Monte Bellos it started to show hints of its profile. My trick was this, I got a glass each of the '06, '07 and '09 and went and hid the glasses(yes, I marked them so I knew what vintages they were), I got yet another glass and spent several hours tasting the wines and enjoying everything. When I was getting ready to leave, I went to where I hid my 3 glasses of the '06, '07 and '09 Monte Bellos, got what I could from their aromas and flavors. 2006 Monte Bello will be a very long lived wine, it has the acidity and tannin balance along with a strong stucture for very long term aging. Eric Baugher believes this is a 40+ year wine, and I have no reason to doubt him. From what I tasted, it needs at least 10 to 15 years of cellaring from vintage date, and should easily go 30 to 40+ years. In my opinion, I think some of the best wines are coming from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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Dégusté pour la quatrième fois cette année, le vin impressione par sa tenue en bouche. L'attaque est très épicée et semble moyennement corsée. L'acidité est fraîche et les tanins sont fermes. Le corps est plein, savoureux et dégage une élégance et une retenue certaine. Version très intellectuelle du Monte Bello. On se revoit dans 6 ans.
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There's a lot of material to this Monte Bello. Yes there is oakiness on the nose, but it has all the fruit needed to back it up. The alcohol and tannins are in balance, with a lingering black fruit finish that is accented by a bit of spice and vanilla. This is very young, but shows a lot of promise. Nothing is out of proportion.
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6 hours open. elegant vanilla and rich black fruit. a little note of creamy root beer in the nose and then continuing to the palate. this is VERY approachable for young monte bello. Such a pure blackberry expression right now. Big and fruity, but not jammy. It's got guts, but no gut. i like what DuVinMD said, 'an intellectual monte bello.' harrison ford as indiana jones perhaps.
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Tasted twice now with consistent markings. The wine impresses with its perfect balance and harmony. The wine is still closed up on the nose, with blackcurrants and a touch of toasted oak. On the palate, the wine is a harmoniously full-bodied, the acidity is fresh and the tannins are 'civilized'. The finish is quite smooth and still very fruit forward, but not very long. An intellectual version of Monte Bello.
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K&L Big California Cabernets (Redwood City, K&L wine store): Ruby. Really bright nose, with top note of brandy - or is it VA? The flavours are atypical and tend tend to cranberry. Fairly long, light bodied finish. Is this bottle flawed?
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Quite different from the other 'Big' California cabs that we had in this tasting (Spootswoode, Chappellet, Caymus, Snowden, Hundred Acre, Opus One, Insigna, Dominus). Good fruity nose (still medicinal). Somewhat short finish with no hints of creme brule. B+
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A bit lean and tart; shows vegetal elements. Cranberries, mint and cedar along with plum and oaky notes. Tannins are there as is the acidity. This needs time to come together. This is an 88 now but could go up a few points perhaps with time.
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Glunz Wines Fall Portfolio tasting (The Westin, Chicago IL): nose: lifting nose with well balanced tones of dark red cherries, sour cranberries, cedar, mint, black currants, and a touch of flowal tones. Has real good purity on the nose with real good depth that helps make a real classy nose
taste: great medium/full feel with big tannins and pure tones of dark red cherries, sour cranberries, mint, cedar, some leather, and black currants. Very polished feel, but comes off as extremely tight and young with medium acidity
overall: A baby, but this has the chance to be a real beauty in the years to come. The tannins are fairly chewy right now, so patience is needed, but one will be very happy to have this in about 13 years
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Tasted at the winery, too young to give it a numerical rating. In the small amount I tasted it was showing vanilla, black currants, and faint elements of tobacco. The structure and balance are there to see this turn into another great MB.
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50+5+12+16+8 Had a glass at Sandabs. Nice, fruity nose of blackberries, flowers and mocha. Full mouthfeel with layers of flavors. This wine is drinking well earlier than previous vintages. It's also a bigger wine than in the past. Very good. I may get more.
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K&L Charity Event. Nose of dark fruit. plum, cherry, earth, and spice, more of the same on the palate, refined, yet intense, elegant with finesse, medium/big body, lovely, long finish and aftertaste.
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68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. A far cry from the '05 as the oak is much better contained in this wine. Sweet and pure with cassis, boysenberry, chocolate a touch of spice and oak char on the nose and palate. Certainly primary, but it shows a pretty elegance to it that the '06 lacks and it should absorb its oak nicely. Solid A-.
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This wine should develop into something special. I'd give it a 90-92 for the time being, but could reach the heights of the 2001. Color is dark purple. Ridiculously young and oaky, but I knew that going in. Layers of red fruits and asian spices, mixed with some vanillin oak - make for an enticing nose. The mouthfeel is velvety despite the youth.
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3 stars our of 4 *** Tasted at the California Wine Futures Tasting in Washington D.C. in March. Very fresh, black and blue fruits, very sweet tannins. Just starting to show secondary complexity: cedar pine and resin, this has exceptional potential.
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Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (The Wine Summit, Lake Louise, Alberta): BARREL SAMPLE. 68% CS, 20% M, 10% PV and 2% CF – 13.5% ALC. This sample pulled just prior to bottling. Deep black/purple colour – pink rim; more scented than the 2005 – sweet berries, and a slight hint of cream soda, which disappears quickly; mouthfilling black currant fruit, completely coats the palate – full to the back; Very long rich finish – al black currant fruit. This wine a bit too young to separate its parts and will benefit from several years in bottle to evolve its personality. Components and early tasting suggests another fine Monte Bello.
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Barrel tasting weekend at Ridge, tasting the Merlot and Cab components and a proposed initial blend 71% cab, 27% merlot and 2% petit verdot. First up the merlot, rich blackberry fruit, extremely tannic and structured for merlot. The cab component is nicely balanced even at this stage, with cassis fruit notes, fine grippy tannins and a long finish. The initial blend is surprisingly drinkable at this early stage, and seems to offer a typical top notch effort, along the lines of 2004 and 2005. In fact the 06 was offering a very similar flavor profile to the 04 that was also open for tasting.
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4/22/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Wines Before / At / After a Passover Seder (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass from 375 ml bottle. Very impressive. Very rich, well spice, lots going on, unfolding in glass in front of us. Complex and very well balanced.
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2/25/2024 - greedy wrote: 98 Points
Near perfection. Can’t wait to drink the mag I have left of this vintage.
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2/11/2024 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of three different 2006 wines opened for DV’s Super Bowl party. Decanted a couple of hours before kickoff. Massive sweet ripe cassis nose in the decanter. Beautiful garnet black in the glass. Promising aromatics but there is a lot of angularity here with all the right components but not integrated and complete as of yet. The tannins and the acidity are battling out alpha status right now resulting in a sour finish. The fruit layers are subdued. This wine will eventually rock - it needs another 4-5 years at least. Thanks for opening this rough cut diamond and it was a fun party, DV!
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2/2/2024 - Philip67 Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Quite austere, not giving much pleasure. Pure blackcurrant fruit. medium body. medium finish, some complexity. Not sure if this going to improve.
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1/13/2024 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Cork pretty much broke up. Was ready to drink.
Might have given it a higher rating but we drank a 2016 as well.
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12/25/2023 - t_moderne wrote: 96 Points
Opened another bottle of the MB on Christmas Day.
Cork was a little hesitant to come out.
Opened and let sit for about 2 hours before serving.
Deep purple color.
Nose of dark cherries adn hint of leather and earth with accent of dried herbs.
Good dark fruit profile with some mint and notes of licorice root and leather.
Tannins nicely integrated.
Shows class and grace.
An outstanding bottle of wine.
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12/3/2023 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
decanted for 2 hours and served with friends along with a 2006 Price Cab Franc. Delicious fruit and soft tannins but the Cab Franc was so good this didn't win for the night. Still have another bottle left and might give it a few more years before opening this vintage.
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10/2/2023 - ERU wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3.5 hours. Red fruit, some beautiful creamy currant stuff going on. An hour later, plums and pencil shavings. Would have scored higher if the finish was more pronounced. Enjoyed this while rewatching The Big Short. I wondered at my personal ethics in drinking a 17-year-old Monte Bello while bemoaning all the greed in the movie, but then I have no idea what a bespoke tranche opportunity is. So I got that going for me.
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9/4/2023 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Black red color. Sweet nose, red currant, coconut, cedar and spicy cassis. The palate still shows quite young, lively acidity, clenched fruit, slightly brooding with some burly, drying tannins. Not very giving on the palate, I’m assuming this just needs more time.
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6/16/2023 - mlawren1 wrote: 95 Points
What an amazing wine. Deep dark cherries, plums and currants. Flavor just keeps going with long slow finish.
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3/21/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initial barnyard funk dissipated, but came back after an hour. Not the usual heady aromatic blue flowers one associates with this maker.
Blue flowers did came to the forefront after about an hour, but soon enough went away too to be dominated by that funk.
Milk powder and vanilla notes (97% new American oak barrels, 3% new French oak), sweet spices with some black fruits including blackcurrant and plums.
The tannins were not as rounded as I had wanted this to be, and it is still quite grippy at this point.
Thanks a lot brother LMC for cellaring this (Nice meeting you LN and Chef Julie, as well as the affable brother RN whom I will meet many more times later in the year), and so generously sharing this with all of us.
Sage at The Gardens, KL in Malaysia
(Days before it closed for a one year major renovation!)
21st Mar 2023
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3/13/2023 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Polished oak, vanilla, sweet spice backed by a little cream and black hued fruits. With agitation the fruit and spice beings to pop; blackcurrant; blackberry; a little plum, very slight pyrazine. Slightly sour red and black fruit on the palate is joined by hefty, chewy, woody and grape tannic grip. All travel long, the sweet oak helps out that sour fruit and creates a more harmonious oral experience. Time but some promise.
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3/4/2023 - deadwax Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted to remove sediment. Group of 8, everyone praised it. Surprising amount of ripe fruit on the pallet. Tannins mostly resolved. A lush Monte Bello? Mostly secondary flavors. Wonder how the fruit develops going forward. Hope it doesn't develop any stewed fruit notes going forward.
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12/16/2022 - jjct Likes this wine:
I have a fair amount of Monte Bello aging in my cellar, but not a great depth experience with it because I like my Monte Bellos well aged. For me, this is middle aged - some of the gorgeous perfume of aged Monte Bello is apparent, but it is still loaded with punchy lush fruit and tannins. Perhaps even too much ripe fruit... Some alcohol bite on the finish. This might hit my sweet spot in 5-10 years.
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12/3/2022 - moxielady wrote: 94 Points
Elegant, full bodied. Drinking well but opened and decanted 2h before drinking
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10/22/2022 - stuartwh wrote:
Bentleys is and kemp
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10/21/2022 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Third bottle from my case and four years since my last taste.
At last, this wine has moved onto the plateau of maturity, The colour is still impenetrable but there are definitely signs of age creeping into those dark depths. The nose is all dark ripe fruit, sous bois, freshly picked mushrooms and kirsch liquor. Despite the maturity of the fruit, there is still quite a tannic charge here which suggests to me that this will age for many years to come.
However, it's delicious now and definitely open for business but as always with Monte Bello, no rush.
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9/25/2022 - CGWIND Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious with brisket. Nice earth nose. Lovely balance with nice tannin and good acid. Still lush deep red fruit. Cork soft
Overall very nice bottle
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8/28/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely example. Sweet pipe toabbco and balck fruit nose. Rather lush attack on the palate with the tannins kicking in on back end. Early maturity. Risge MB is awesome.
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8/18/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 375
Deep ruby, moderate sediment
Some cedary candied fruit on opening,
needs an hour decant, then thick rich, velvety smooth resolving curranty fruit. Quite remarkable stuff. 94+
(Cork was so stuck, I had to use a Durand to get it out in one piece)
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7/11/2022 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Reddish-blue, rich and impervious to light. This CA Boudreaux blend is hitting on all cylinders ! At ~14!years of bottle time this very pretty wine is aromatic, possesses a pleasant bouquet and has developed secondary cab characteristics. I really enjoyed Monte Bello’s when they are so well blended. This bottle was seriously delicious 96.
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7/10/2022 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 95 Points
Belle intensité, richesse et a la fois très suave.
Sur du fruits assez mure sans aucune lourdeur ou impression d’être sur un Cali Cab. Au contraire c'est frais, profond, bien structuré et au combien délicieux ! Fais rougir plusieurs vins bordelais par son équilibre parfait. Un vin dans son sweet spot. Un des bons US cab dégusté depuis un bout. Bravo !
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5/31/2022 - hadlieh2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened an hour or two before consumed w grilled steak. Smooth wonderful nose and taste. Dark berry color; developed fruit. Gone in a few or so it seemed
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5/16/2022 - cweiss Likes this wine:
From 375ml on. "date night" with simple lamb chops. I don't get a chance to drink Montebello much, but easy to see what the fuss is about. Abundant fruit, impeccable balance, and amazing elegant texture. Still on the upslope I would think.
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5/15/2022 - moxielady wrote: 94 Points
Cork was friable, modest sediment, wine was terrific, still holding well. Bramble berries, smooth finish. Ready to drink but can hold several more years.
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4/30/2022 - Wizaard1 wrote: 95 Points
Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
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4/12/2022 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: flawed
Coreked.
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4/7/2022 - Don Roberto Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic balance of acidity and integrated tannins. Nuanced nose and palate.
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3/31/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberries, currants, dark chocolate, and licorice in the nose with hints of floral. Blackberries and black cherries in the flavor. A rich, concentrated yet elegant wine with nice structure and complexity. Full bodied, well balanced and a long silky smooth finish. Definitely ready now and will last many more years.
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2/14/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark ruby black with lot of sediment
Thick rich dark fruit, mostly resolved,
Lovely restraint, yet clearly pure Cali fruit.
Lovely impeccable balance 95+
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2/6/2022 - chatters Likes this wine:
From Coravin. Aromas of blackcurrant, cassis, vanilla, cream ,sweet spice, slight plums and dusty red berries in support with a little savoury/meaty underpin and a very slight tomato leaf note. With agitation red currant joins the other fruit and flavour components. On the palate it's fresh and ripe, juicy, with blackcurrant and sweet spice very much to the fore, tannins are chalky textured and in support but this is exceedingly well balanced. All travel long. Very nice indeed.
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9/17/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for one hour and quick (15min) double decanted to be consume 30 min later.
This is a medium plus wine with lots of tannins and acidity. It’s meant to go the distance. A little mute on the nose but very expensive on the palate. Leans more towards a French style of wine.
Very good now, possible better in 3-5 years and will go pass 2040 for sure…
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9/10/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant
Youthful nose with cedar, mint, plum, chocolate, blue and red berry. Nice structure, young with evolution ahead of it, good spine and balance with nice fruit profile and long youthful and dryish finish. Great alcohol balance (13.5) and acid and fruit. Very nice wine; no deficiencies but maybr slightly behind the oomph and dimensions of the top top years.
Still, very delicious and in real early days of a nice window. No rush
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8/23/2021 - CGWIND Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Showing maturity. Cork very soft, so concerned. But opened up on the nose beautifully. Restrained and balanced fruit. Great acid and tamed tannins. Integrated well and was a delicious partner to a grilled steak.
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6/29/2021 - JamesSanders Likes this wine: 91 Points
Second bottle of six bought on release and stored at 56 degrees. The first bottle was undrinkably oaky. I'm inclined to think the wine may have been going through a dumb phase in 2010, as the fruit is now front and center. This was pop and pour. There's still plenty of oak, especially on the finish, which ends a little harshly. But there is ample primary, dark fruits and very lively acidity that is starting to balance it out. Best guess is that the oak flavors will continue to integrate into the background, while still providing the lifted texture that I have liked in earlier bottles of Ridge MB.
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5/8/2021 - alfazed Likes this wine: 96 Points
Grippy tannins, tobacco, cigar, some black fruit, like velvet
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2/16/2021 - CGWIND Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully. Nice balance. Elegant. Worked wonderfully with lamb and rigo jancsi (chocolate cake). Soft but firm tannin. Nice red fruit. Layers of complexity. A very nice wine
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12/2/2020 - phandel wrote: 96 Points
Thanksgiving with F. … so good! Starting to show some age.
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12/2/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Random selection, as I asked my wife to blind me on something, and she picked this from half bottle. The aromatics said Ridge from the first moment, and because I know that I only had Geyserville and Monte Bello from half it was an easy trip to the Cabernet. What a nose - all deep red fruit and complex spice and herb. Gorgeous! Certainly still young, but the texture drew me in each and every sip. Silky on entry, and vibrant on the finish, the contrast was enthralling. Perhaps too soon from 750, but from half this was a treat!
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11/21/2020 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Lovely nose, black fruits, dill, cedar and a minty note. Medium weight, fairly lush palate with a velvety texture and intense perfectly ripe black fruited flavors. A lot to like here, looking forward to many more years of positive evolution.
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10/24/2020 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double blind. Dark garnet with thin clear rim. Rich nose, and my immediate reaction was Cali Cab, then on the palate however dry dark fruit with good depth, still a fair bit of toasted oak, quite forward, fine to medium tannins but still slightly sandy and drying, medium finish. Lovely
Guessed left bank Bordeaux, 2006 vintage, Margaux appellation, and finally settled on 2006 Giscours.
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10/23/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby, youthful and shiny color still. The nose is Californian with ripe black fruit, blueberries, oak but also a whiff of Eucalyptus. The palate then is more similar to Bordeaux from a generous vintage. Plush and ripe buth with good structure and acidity. A very nice Cab Sav. Can be drunk now and age a lot further.
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6/11/2020 - phandel wrote: 96 Points
So wonderful, as usual. Complex bouquet on the nose, velvet texture on the palate, fun.
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6/10/2020 - mchern02 wrote: 93 Points
1 hour decant
Youthful highly perfumed nose dominated by ripe dark blueberries, lavender, cassis, minerals and a touch floral tones. Palate is balanced, with youthful fruit and well structured, but restrained. Combined with dryish tannins and good length makes this one that, while quite drinkable right now, would benefit from another 5 plus years.
93 with upside
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3/30/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 90 Points
A youthful purple, zero bricking, some sediment. A simpler vintage than 2005, but balanced with good fruit. Smooth tannins show how young this really is. Monte Bello is a twenty year wine. This 2006 is just too young right now. Leave alone until 2026. Double decanted. In the meantime, drink your Monte Bellos from the 1990s.
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3/19/2020 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color. Intense nose of smoky blackberry essence, mountain herb, and stone. Full bodied on the palate, still youthful through the finish with fine ripe tannins on the finish.
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3/1/2020 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Bordeaux style. Muted fruit and still-softening tannins. Suggest waiting awhile.
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2/23/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome wine from start to finish. Surprisingly accessible too, as it was a pop and pour and drank well—followed over 4hrs. Black Smoky fruit typical of MB, with some dill mixed in. Tannins rather soft, silky on the palate as if the merlot was higher was more than the listed 20%. Really holds the palate with a long finish. Depth/complexity/balance, this has it all. Will continue to age just fine as the fruit is rather youthful, but certainly enjoyable now.
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1/16/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Very Christmas cake nose...initially with plenty of sweet baking spices and vanilla, cream, married to figgy, raisiny fruits. Then an impression of black currant and berry compote. This is followed by cedar, clay and woody notes. Lovely nose. Smells polished and expensive. And the palate is very much a reflection of the nose. Tannins are slight cat tongue raspy with an emery paper edge, it's broad across the mid palate and ridiculously long. Wonderful.
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12/11/2019 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Decades of 6 (67 Pall Mall, London): Opened and left to rest. This needs decanting and ideally unless once likes the younger and juicier and oakier side of this wine and style really another 5yrs is advisable.
Barring the oak, american oak here , coconut and vanilla which at this time stands out and dominates the wine, the rest is classic quality and elegance associated with this great wine. The oak though is too much at the forefront at this stage and is a lot more than when we had it 6 month ago so we wonder if this woudl need a lot more decanting.
Still a great experience of a wine and an easy 92-93. Needs time
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11/28/2019 - Don Roberto wrote: 93 Points
At peak. Classic old world style Bordeau blend. Dark ruby,semi opaque, great nose of vanilla and dark berries. Medium weight. Balance structure of soft tannins good acidity. Balck currantcs and vanilla on the palate.
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11/9/2019 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 93 Points
Shared with a few friends over dinner and alongside an Orgenon Pinot and a 375mL 13' Dominus.
Decanted for 1/2 hour and poured. Nose was a little lacking at first and the tannins were still evident on the palette which appears to be common in the 06 MB. Dark fruits, figs and a nice balance to the wine. Finish was above average. Got better over the hour and the nose started to show itself Paired nicely with a run of the mill steak.
This felt about average for this decade of MB, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Still had plenty of time to go. I would have been rewarded if I had waited another 5 years
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8/31/2019 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Violet and lavender, currant, cedar, tobacco and subtle cassis elements. Currant, licorice, cherry and black currant. Long balanced finish.
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7/24/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enomatic sample. A clear step up in quality from the rest of this round of samples at the Hedonism wines. Deep dark fruit, figs, starting to show maturity and sweetness on the nose. Cassis attack that transcends into amore complex taste. High acidity, drying very fine tannins that are far from resolved. Lean and elegant. Starting to drink fine but this should benefit enormously from further cellaring. Give it another 10 years. 94-95p
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6/28/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aromas of cassis, blackberry and current along with a little mocha, the palate was rich and full with ripe black fruit, liquorice and allspice, the finish was smooth and long. Plenty of life still in this win, I believe the best is yet to come. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc aged in majority new American Oak (97%) for 18 months.
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6/4/2019 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Opened and left to rest for a good 40 minutes. Needed for the palate but the nose didn't really develop and the lack of a strong nose is the drawback of this wine. On the palate though its pretty much on the money and at a great time in its drinking window. On the soft and silky side, elegant wine and in a way classical and barring the richer fruit tit does feel very much old world. Light earthy tones, dark fruits, soft kiss of spice. Effortless wine and with an elegance that we will remember. Solid 93+
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6/2/2019 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. From a .375. Mouth coating and plenty of polished fruit. Nose is pretty absent. This is really good and has plenty of time.
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4/22/2019 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Red and dark fruit, cassis, leather, and tobacco on the nose and palate. Medium finish with mild tannins.
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3/30/2019 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious, dark fruits, vanilla, some herbal notes, hint of chocolate, smooth tannins - we tasted blind with others, color showed age but the taste fooled a lot of us, thought it was younger, really nice and still has years left on it.
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2/16/2019 - azscot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over a long holiday weekend. On second night it had opened nicely revealing dark red fruit, sage, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. There was very little tannin and a softer mouthfeel than I had expected. We are it with some slow braised lamb and it paired well. All around a really nice wine.
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2/12/2019 - Forest Floor wrote: 90 Points
Winter Winetasting February 2019; 7 California Cabernet and 1 Merlot Blind; 8 Tasters: Nice nose, florals, violets? In the mouth, red-fruited, more muted, shy—never opens up. Perhaps not best bottle? A-
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1/29/2019 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour. Cassis, plum, cedar, blackberry, blueberry on the nose and palate. Tannin still very evident with a medium finish. Drinking beautifully. Still has many, many years left.
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1/19/2019 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Either too young, not a long enough decant or both. Red and dark fruits, with hints of lavender. Lengthy finish and nice balance, but something seems missing. Never did put my finger on it though. Still excellent, just always expect more out of MB.
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1/14/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bay Area Wine Tour; 1/11/2019-1/15/2019 (Bay Area, CA): Much different than 2007. Less aromatic but fresh and bright. Tobacco, leather, fruit. Perfect now.
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12/12/2018 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two years since my last bottle and this hasn't moved an inch. Good, and destined to be great - but just not yet. Still closed and primary at twelve years old. I think this will be blossoming at 20 rather than the usual 10 years.
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12/9/2018 - Wizaard1 wrote: 95 Points
Drinking wonderfully. Smooth tannin with good fruit and acid. Enjoy for years to come
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11/22/2018 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Dark cherries and dark fruits. Soft abs sumptuous.
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10/23/2018 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Decanted from magnum. Cherry, dark berry and plum aromas and flavors. Soft with a medium finish. The wine still seems a bit closed and may need more time.
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10/22/2018 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine; Flavors bounce around in the mouth
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10/22/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
at tasting room.
from Coravin. lightly browned burgundy color. Nose intoxicating, plummy with faintest hint of lightly stewed fruits. Palate waves of cherry fruit, very tannic on finish. The nose/color were slightly concerning but it still has exuberant fruit on the palate, very drinkable now. 94 pts
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9/21/2018 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 96 Points
Clearly the best of three Monte Bello's tasted at Old Woodward Cellars. Much better than a 07 and better than a 95 vintage. Special, should drink well for another 10+years
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8/11/2018 - mlawren1 wrote: 91 Points
Cherries and plums give way to earth and cedar. Secondary flavors taking over
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6/19/2018 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Cassis, plum, cedar, blackberry, blueberry on the nose and palate. Tannin still very evident with a medium finish. This wine still seems very young to me. I'd give it a couple of years before opening another bottle.
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5/13/2018 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Second Sunday Group: Ridge Monte Bello 2005-2012 (Jeff's): Double blind. Perfumed, plummy and ripe, not overly so; pretty. Bright red fruit on the palate, with medium tannins and good underlying acidity. Adds a nice pine forest note as it opens. Finishes with nice length and balance.
My #3, Domino's #2
Group #2, 45 pts
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4/8/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of cassis, cream, vanilla, spice, slightly jubey red fruit. Oh this is very good on the palate, still youthful but beautifully integrated fruit and oak. Yes, time required, but eminently approachable now.
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3/17/2018 - DrBad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Steak dinner at B&E. Decanted for 2 hours. Strong blueberry aromas. Cherry, blueberry and strawberry flavors, light tobacco on the front, long finish with some pepper. Great wine.
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3/10/2018 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quick Note. Tasted at the winery along with the 2005 and 2014 Monte Bello. Sixty-eight percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 10 percent Petit Verdot, and two percent Cabernet Franc. Good color. Nose and palate are still tight, but more open than the 2005 - of course, it's all relative. Notes of red and black licorice, plus tar dominate along with a touch of red apple. This bottling has four percent more Petit Verdot than the previous vintage, which may explain the abundance of dark flavors. A bit richer or sweeter than the '05. Like the flavors of this wine, but they seemed a bit compressed. Further, the 2005 has a "Mahogany" element that I found more seductive than the more primary dark notes of licorice and tar. Needs a good decanting. Still has more years in the bottle up through 2025.
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2/24/2018 - RPerro Likes this wine: 95 Points
5oz glass from Coravin. Wow, what an amazing wine. Still just a baby at 12 years old. Nose shows the most age, with cassis, kirsch, and earth. Red fruit, tobacco and spice flavors. Tannins are very fine but quite present. Acid is still lively as well. Just a lovely wine with tons of evolution left.
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1/18/2018 - KeithSurg wrote:
Identical notes from tasting over 3 years ago - apparently hasn't changed. Amazing nose.
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1/17/2018 - CGWIND Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravin - second half tonight. Held up fine
Lush red fruit - but restrained. Lovely long finish. Soft tannins. Great with a nice steak.
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1/1/2018 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ash, boysenberry, oak barrel and earth on the nose. This was still primary with oak in the flavor profile when opened. This calmed to reveal a nice boysenberry, ash, pepper and tannin profile. The tannins dried on the palate a bit to shorten the finish. Try in 12 months.
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12/17/2017 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Intimate Dinner Series: Cabernet Sauvignon (G&R's): Double blind. Similar to wine F with brown sugar, blue and black notes. Ther's also a bit of vanilla, adding a charred/toasted quality as it sits. Finely knit tannins; structured. There's a bit more acid showing in this wine too, and it stands out in the flight for this reason- will definitely revisit this with supper following the tasting.
Flight ranking:
My #3, Domino's #1
Group #4, 19 pts
The individual who brought this indicated that it did not get much air prior to the tasting and decanting certainly would have helped. With steaks following the tasting this was much better, as the higher acid made this a terrific match for food. Let these ret, or give it at least four hours in a wide decanter.
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12/11/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dieser Wein wirkt am Anfang gefälliger, hat aber nicht die Struktur des 04ers. Aktuell einfacher zu trinken. Beide natürlich für einen Montebello zu früh getrunken. Mit Togni zusammen die Bordeaux’s unter den Kaliforniern. 93+
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10/8/2017 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Spicy, still tannic. Needs time. But lovely.
Hints of mushroom.
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10/8/2017 - superflybaker wrote: 90 Points
Drinking OK now. Would not recommend aging much longer.
Tasted regularly throughout 5 hours of decanting. Lightly aromatic...dried fruit. Medium bodied. Thinner than I expected. Tight, ripe, lean, currant flavors resolve very quickly.
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9/30/2017 - ljones Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thinner body than the 2005. Tannins are less resolved. Needs another 5 years in the cellar. Great acid, redder fruit.
Tasted at Ridge.
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8/31/2017 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Surprisingly aromatic nose of dark fruit, cedar, and mixed herbs, heavy on the lavender. On the palate, dark fruit and sage, quite grippy, drying tannins, framed by high acidity. The 2006 Monte Bello is open for business on the nose but needs time to soften those big tannins. Drink starting 2020.
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8/18/2017 - michael47 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great color, classic cassis cedar nose which surprisingly aromatic given track record on these wines. Also surprisingly smooth and delicious with great concentration of fruit, acid and tannins. Has years left in it for sure.
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8/14/2017 - Ruthk603 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious now. Well structured.
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5/31/2017 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
With ten, almost 11 years on it, this is still tight as a....fill it in. The nose is quite expressive, with aromatic lift of underbrush, tea leaves and leather. Just so tight and taking a couple of hours, still tight, with chocolate, tannin, blueberry and sour cherry. Maybe will open up with time. I don't know where this is going?
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5/22/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not as expressive as my last bottle with the oak and dill sticking out a bit. Still has delicious black fruit. Still surprisingly accessible at this young age. This was a retail purchased bottle so may be a bit more advanced than some.
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4/24/2017 - scottbuc wrote: 96 Points
Shane says its legit
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4/13/2017 - etyc Likes this wine:
2006 anything goes dinner. This was decanted for almost 2-hrs, and served alongside the Sassicaia. Massive wine! Nose of black-currants, vanilla literally leapt out of the glass, followed by a palate of intense/concentrated dark-red-black-fruits that's beautifully balanced by good freshness/acidity. Needs more time, but a very good wine that will definitely get better!
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4/7/2017 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank in Boston
Mature nose of earth, tobacco and dark fruits. Long deep palate. Nice.
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3/23/2017 - POBlund Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at 12 vintage vertical by Michel Jamais.
Nose fresh of black currant/cassis, lavender, black cherries. Still young.
Elegant Full body palate of cassis, plum, cedar, structure with high fine-grained tannins. Dry finish. 13,5%
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3/17/2017 - moxielady Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well, but easily has a decade or more in it. Rich fruit and tobacco, volatile cherries and crisp but round tannins.
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3/3/2017 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge Monte Bello & others (Kennards, Waterloo): From Coravin. Massive primary fruit leaps from the glass backed by vanilla, biscuit, sweet spice and cream. On the palate concentrated juicy blackcurrant and savoury, ripe tannins travel hand in hand to nearly the end of time with no sign of quitting. Very good. So much potential here but currently vinfanticide.
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12/31/2016 - om42 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing. Black berries, blue berries, toasty oak. Huge tannins but so balanced with the acid and fruit. Finish is long. Bought at the winery and regret I didn't buy more.
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12/9/2016 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very dark ruby purple with really very little signs of age. Merlot heavy nose of sweet dark briary fruits. The typical Monte Bello mix of fruit concentration and plush mouth feel while remaining fresh and precise. Again, there's that sour cherry fruit that reminds me of a good Barbera. Plenty of tannins still and although this wine is clearly very young and years away from its peak, it's drinking very well now.
Another great example of why Monte Bello is my favourite Californian red. A blend of concentration, precision, effortless grace and charm and sensible alcohol. A masterclass in balance.
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12/2/2016 - Ombibulous wrote:
The drinking window, averaged from 42 users, currently states 2014 to 2030. What would you say is the peak year, after which there is a plateau? Please comment if you have an opinion or any thoughts at all. Thanks, and cheers!
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11/22/2016 - fluxcap Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raspberries and plums on the nose with cherries and strawberries on the mouth. Mossy too. Decanted for three hours.
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10/3/2016 - BuffaloBandit Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light and herbacious. Drinking well now with at least an hour to open. Leather and cedar on the nose with hints of black pepper and cherries. Rich chocolate-covered cherry in the mouth with a long, albeit tannic finish. Some overripe/rotten fruit at the end, with hints of strawberry, sweet-tarts and chocolate-covered gummy bears lingering.
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9/9/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Maybe just a hint more advanced than my last bottle with a hint of volitility on the nose, which may be a reflection of storage conditions rather than anything else (cooler in Total Wine). Great big smokey nose with hint of dill and black fruit. Tell tail bacl Santa Cruz fruit on the palate with an edge of acidity and freshness. Tannins were present but surprisingly soft at this stage. Long finish of smoke, flint, mocha, and dill. Really nice Montebello, solid as always.
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8/27/2016 - MRichman wrote:
Twilight on the Terrace at Ridge: Lovely nose. Dense with dark fruit, good acid, tobacco, fine tannin. Great complexity. Tannins nicely resolved, this is about ready to drink and will hold or improve for years.
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8/27/2016 - llink wrote: 92 Points
Brawny nose, showing dill, currants and black fruits. Very young still. The petit Verdot aroma goes a long way and at 10% of the blend can almost can be mistaken for VA. Fairly tannic palate, showing medium grained tannins and appears youthful and in need of time. Good wine but I don't think this is a classic vintage for Ridge. Check back in 10 years.
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7/16/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Lovely old world style wine. Much more herbaceous and leathery and all of that. Pnp'ed and it actually worked quite well (would have assumed might need a decant and prob would have benefited from it, but it was drinking well from the start). Interesting comparison next to a 2008 Blankiet (which was more standard fruit forward Napa). Liked them both.
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6/23/2016 - MengãoUSC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lively with acidity but still very refined with subtle layers of flavors exposing themselves over the course of the bottle. As expected from Ridge.
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5/28/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, great bottle. Explosive from the start with black fruits, cocoa, flint and fine acidity typical of Ridge MB. Oak still sticks out a bit, even with a little dill, but the fruit can carry all the components at this point and even has a little sweetness on the palate. Will probably improve but don't shy away if you have multiple bottles.
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5/15/2016 - llink wrote: 92 Points
PWTG Ridge Monte Bello tasting, Flight of four vintages: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006. Groups #2, My #3
A get a little VA and maybe some oak char in addition to red fruits on the nose. The palate is rich, deep and somewhat tannic with a classic texture and fine palate presence.
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4/29/2016 - Miceri Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite dark red towards black; pronounced blackcurrant nose; nice intense taste, but somewhat restrained and slightly on the sour / acidic side, tannic ending, intense condensed aftertaste; fine, but fruit subdued, powerful with vigour, but also too sour
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3/31/2016 - grantsky wrote: 91 Points
Wood, lots of wood. Tastes like a light, but pure Manhattan. Cherry, spices, and of course American Oak. Tannins still very firm. Hoping the wood will dissipate, my question would be whether the fruit was ripe enough to really come together.
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3/26/2016 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Mark & Rochelle's): Aromas of violets and lavender lead to black cherry, red currants and cedar. Impeccable balance on the palate, which is dominated by red fruit. Lavender, cherry, black currant and spice qualities as well. The finish lingers for well over a minute. Again, I had no doubt that this was the Monte Bello, and again, Rich and I both claimed this bottle as our own.
This had been decanted about four hours ahead of the flight being tasted. This is drinking very well for being so young (with a good decant, mind you) which leads me to believe the bottle we tasted from just last summer was a PnP and did not have the benefit of extended decanting. I would consume these prior to the 2001, which I think needs another 5 to 10 years, whereas this will drink well now and over the next 10 to 15.
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2/29/2016 - Cfooshsomm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth!
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2/13/2016 - team-blackburn wrote: 94 Points
This is the first Montebello I've opened in a decade...Opened and decanted for 3 hours, was very surprised how soft the tannins were. Silky smooth with lush fruit. We were surprised the 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains that followed had much firmer tannins.
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12/25/2015 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Opened, poured into a decanter, rinsed the bottle to remove sediment, and poured back in. Served about three hours later. Served with food (roast pork, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry bread). Followed for about three hours.
Dark color. Nose shows ripe plum, black cherries and an herbal component. Smells a bit boozy. Nice cedar/cigar box notes.
Rich and flavorful, dark ripe fruits, with a mint and eucalyptus component. Delicious.
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11/15/2015 - Matt T Likes this wine: 94 Points
Judgment of Paris (Washington DC): This was close to the consensus favorite of the night. I gave this about 5 hours of air prior to opening and it needed every hour. Very big, structured wine with a lot of fruit, oak, and tannin. A muscle-bound wine that should age well for a long time.
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10/31/2015 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Always a treat to crack a Monte Bello. Decanted, but probably should have done it a bit earlier. Currants, blackberries, tobacco, dark plums, and some spice. Intoxicating nose. Another winner.
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9/7/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 94 Points
Just what I expected (and hoped for) - classy, elegant, complex, rich, ripe, juicy and long. Great nose of cassis, blackberry, earth, cedar, eucalyptus and with lots of licorice and tobacco after an hour or so. Very concentrated with a full body, good balance and a vibrant, fresh, mouth-filling character. Plenty of grip and firm, drying tannins. Delicious, fruity, satisfying, and very long finish. Still young and a bit tight with mostly primary fruits, but without any harshness, bitterness or rough edges. Drank a 2010 Caymus SS a couple of days ago and the Ridge was dramatically better in every respect. This is excellent now, and is going to be stunning in another 5-10 years.
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8/6/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mostly Napas and white Burgundies with Washington Winos (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): My overall favorite of the Napa Valley reds. Smooth and opulent. Smoky and cedar like with red and black fruit. The palate is full bodied yet nuanced, its 13.5% alcohol well integrated and leading to a long and lifting finish, with promise for aging but you can easily drink now with great pleasure. Thanks to Ken Brown for bringing this bottle.
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7/27/2015 - AndrewR wrote: 91 Points
Still deep dark and primary but flashing undeniable class. Should go another 30+ yrs but entering a fine window now.
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7/10/2015 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Home
Quite a bit of earth and mature notes mixed in with the fruit. Lovely stuff.
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6/13/2015 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Courtesy of Jeff. Displays a mix of red and black fruit with floral overtones. Firm, fine-grained tannins with flavors of mixed fruit, vanilla, blue fruit and spice. Lengthy finish dominated by black fruit and tannin. Needs quite a few years in the cellar.
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5/24/2015 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow! Unbelievably lively, intense, much life left.
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12/25/2014 - Sjccmember wrote: 93 Points
Wait. This bottle has 4-5 more years at least.
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12/11/2014 - Yorgos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black fruits like plum and blackberry along with some earhty and oaky notes. Big in the mouth yet refined like some sort of hybrid between new and old world.
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11/15/2014 - seanb wrote: 95 Points
A bit chalky to start but opened up nicely after a couple hours decanting.
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11/15/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Still young, this tannic, fresh, crisp, crunchy, concentrated, full bodied wine offers a lot of potential. But 5-10 more years are needed before the blackberries, cassis, oak and earth come together, soften and become fun to drink. The wine was made from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
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11/11/2014 - jswanson wrote: 94 Points
Nice balance of, oak fruit and tannins. Very much a cab centered Bordeaux style. A must match with a big steak/food.
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10/6/2014 - 1981er wrote:
Much bigger wine than I had expected. Rich dark black fruits on the nose, with some truffley earthiness and chocolate cocoa. Maybe some slight tobacco-y spice. Big on the palate with grippy tannin. Very rich and long finish. Better on day 1, as it didn't evolve much on day 2. Very nice wine, although close to being too big for my palate. Would like to see this in another 10 or 20 yrs.
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8/23/2014 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
Ripe, juicy and quite showy at this point. The oak is sticking out a bit, but there is so much material here, that it is certain to be just a phase. Structure is mostly hidden behind the fruit and oak. Time, time, time for this, but certainly enjoyable to drink now. It just is not offering what it will in time.
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7/3/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Via Alta: A treat to encounter this great wine twice in a short space of time. Graphite, tobacco, charcoal, chocolate and some floral notes. Dense fruit combines so well with gripping tannin structure that takes control and only grudgingly lets go as it moves into a long finish. Give it more time to show its very best.
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6/11/2014 - KeithSurg wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and enjoyed over an hour. Beautiful nose of dark and red fruit, oak, licorice and leather. Silky, elegant mouthfeel with tannins still prominent on the finish. Did not open up and express as much on the palate as I would have liked.
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5/2/2014 - Kray07 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine was surprizingly amazing - the bouquet was the green light that it was going to be a winner. Beautiful rich but full gentle flavors were nicely present. This wine is rated for drinking starting in 2013 so it was spectacular. Dark red colors with so many flavors its hard to count. Will buy this one for sure. Enjoyed this wine at Wolfgang Puck's Spago's Beverly Hills... the perfect wine to set the evening in the right direction!
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4/14/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Intense and complex nose, a step up from the other wines so far tonight. Tobacco, earth, blackberry, chocolate and high-toned perfumed floral elements. Screams quality on the palate, there is all important tannic structure combined brilliantly with bright, delicious dark fruit. Finely detailed and with great texture, this is lovely despite how obviously young it is. A wine with plenty of wow to it for sure.
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3/29/2014 - SSGibson wrote: 93 Points
From cooking weekend at Hopkin's Ordinary; Tom brought a double magnum of this amazing red blend. Dark fruit and spice/pepper on the nose. On the palate loads of dark fruit, with an intriguing hint of sweeter red fruits as well; add to that a bit of tar and some pepper on the lingering finish and you have a very complex and satisfying wine.
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3/20/2014 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Somewhat ripe on the nose, palate is quite rich, with deep red fruit, a touch of sweetness, but excellent balance, hint of creosote, fabulous flavor. A young, vibrant, lush wine. Though I wouldn't hesitate to try one now (particularly with a flavorful grilled steak), it will certainly benefit from many more years.
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1/17/2014 - Dive Shark wrote: 93 Points
Great/ bright fruit and acidity. The fruit was a bit hidden by a very dry front-palate, but had a decent finish on the back. Looking forward to the next bottle in another couple of years after the tannins have softened some.
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12/6/2013 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
S&E Wine Club - USA Night (At Home in the Cave): Spicy nose with a hint of caramel - enticing and mysterious. A light smokey hint on the nose too. Tannins 7/10. The "dryist" wine of the night.
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11/22/2013 - Sandbar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Part of a vertical tasting of recent Ridge releases. This bottle had been open for about 18 hours. My first experience with the Monte Bello, and I was blown away by the silky texture and massive fruit. The finish went on and on. Highly recommend.
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11/13/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
A tremendous showing from a wine that should soar even higher with a few more years' age. Smooth and profound in color and taste, with notes of berry, caramel and a touch of lavender, plus sweet, smooth tannins.
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11/3/2013 - kcp Likes this wine:
Good fruit, good potential, but simply not yet ready to drink.
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9/21/2013 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth, fragrant cassis and blueberry, hint of sherbert zest.
Velvety texture, smooth and well balanced. Relatively light weight for cabsav, lots of similarities to mount mary, soft with excellent flavour intensity. Good amount of fine tannin and decent acidity. A lovely drink.
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8/3/2013 - chatters wrote:
Cream, vanilla, herbs and sweet spice over ripe blackcurrant, plum and cherry with touches of BBQ sauce and meaty notes. In the out there is medium plus juicy acid and medium plus fine elegant tannin underpin flavours of vanilla, black plum and currant, spice and slight leafy notes on the long finish that is a touch warm. it feels polished and impeccably made. very nice.
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12/25/2012 - kthornton78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
decanted for 2 hours. complex nose of currant, blackberry, graphite, and tobacco. flavors lean toward the savory side with smoky herbs, leather, and a background of dark fruit. quite nice but the tannins are still very present and this will improve with more time in the cellar.
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10/18/2012 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Much more open than last year but still holding back a little.
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9/29/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Intensive red. Tast of red cherries. Dark chocolate, black currant, very concentrated, tannins still present. Needs more maturity to "calm" down. Drink 2018 - 2030
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9/13/2012 - yofog wrote: 93 Points
That's a conservative score. Opened up in the glass. Very tannic, coating every inch of the mouth, but super velvety, too. Silk velvet, none of that cotton velvet stuff. Based on tasting various early 90s vintages of this, which were still quite youthful, I'd say it needs at least another decade to show it's stuff.
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8/31/2012 - golfwine wrote: 93 Points
This was quite simply an amazing wine. I'm writing these notes two days removed and so, can't possibly remember all the details. But can say that it was all we expected and then some. I was worried it was going to be way too young but with only an hour in the decanter, it smoothed out and showed nicely.
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5/19/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello Red and White-New Releases and Library Wines (Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California): Medium ruby. Clean dark fruit, middle weight, surprisingly resolved and accessible at this point. Some complexity, soft tannins. I very much enjoyed this.
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5/19/2012 - llink wrote:
Dill, red currants and a touch of VA on the nose. Very expansive and spicy palate that is mouth filling without being too rich or overt. Medium finish.
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5/5/2012 - aaronwine wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this wine. It has so much going on and is still just a baby. Firm tannins.The oak is very well integrated and the nose is sweet. Blew the 07 away.
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4/30/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
A California evening with Wolfgang Puck (Cut restaurant, 45 Park Lane Hotel, London): From magnum. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. So young, but a sensational wine. A profound wine, rich but with soaring minerality, eucalyptus, sweet blackcurrants, perfectly absorbed oak, spices; on the palate rich and velvety, beautifully extracted, great power and balance, excellent tannins, ditto length. All that is missing to me is a sense of place, but I do have to admit my experience with top Californian wines is limited.
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4/28/2012 - kosinski wrote:
This wine has opened up quite a bit in the last six weeks. Much more black berry fruit apparent on the palate with that same velvety texture and spiciness. Tannins are still quite prominent, particularly on the back end. Good long finish. Definitely needs more time, but it's starting to reveal its potential.
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4/4/2012 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Somewhat lean, but well structured. Solid dark berry fruit, laced with minty notes and vibrant acidity. Maybe a touch lacking in secondary flavors, but still shows well and will probably get more complex as it ages.
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4/3/2012 - facchair wrote: 90 Points
May need some more time but does not show signs of getting any better. Rated it a 94 in 2010 but slippling to the 90 range now.
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3/4/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Deep violet with a touch of brick red. Intense nose of cedar chest and moss. Velvety texture beneath a sharp layer of acid and grippy tannins. Black cherry and berry fruit is in the background. Very young and needs quite a bit more time.
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3/3/2012 - Foodievines wrote: 91 Points
Plum, cola, raspberry, and a hint of spice on the nose. Excellent red fruit, hint of oak, and long finish to this wine.
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2/28/2012 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 92 Points
Deep black red and not yet very expressive on the nose, this is just entering it's early stage of maturation. The palate offers bold fruits of plum and cherry with good freshness and still active and potent tannins. Medium plus finish. Could use extra bottle age but this is in the early stages of its drinking window.
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11/19/2011 - Vintomas wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, hints of purple, slightly faded at the edge.
Nose with ripe dark berries, spice, hints of barnyard aromas, slightly sweetish impression with hints of vanilla, some mint. Not as dark notes as the 2008, but slightly developed.
Medium bodied+, palate with dark berries with some sour red berries, noticeable acidity, rather noticeable tannins. No quite as concentrated as the 2008, but elegant in style.
Young, will probably develop well, 90-91+ p?
Could it possibly be in a slightly dumb phase?
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11/19/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 94 Points
Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Dark garnet colour. Nose is brooding, inky, with black currant fruit, sultana raisins and some band-aid aromas. Palate is concentrated, powerful and full bodied, the wine enters the mouth like silk, however the finish is fiercely tannic! Inky, with licorice and tobacco it a complex wine with depth of flavor, amazing structure which is balanced excellently by fruit. Wine for laying down surely...
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10/1/2011 - cos65 wrote:
just starting to open up. very full, sweet berry/cherry fruit, without kicking you over the head with oak ****+
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10/1/2011 - rrNYC wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Not sure if that did the trick or not, but this did not seem nearly as young as I expected, and I only mean that as a compliment. No detailed notes, but I really enjoyed this wine tremendously.
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9/9/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Very young and very concentrated for its 13 some alc. Delicious and wonderful.
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9/1/2011 - cos65 wrote:
From 375 - entering long drinking phase. sweet dark fruit, perfect for current enjoyment or over long period.
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9/1/2011 - cos65 wrote:
keeps getting better. sweet tannins, mouth coating, yet restrained for cali. *****
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6/18/2011 - ErnestWorthing wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at the sampler. Dark plum, sweet, liquorice, faint aroma, medium body, spice, good length.
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4/1/2011 - CerveloGuy wrote:
Obviously very young and needs a day to breathe before it shows much.
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3/23/2011 - askoje wrote: 93 Points
Warmer fruit than the 07 and 08 vintage of the Monte Bello. Ripe plums and vanilla mixed with minerality on the nose. Big acidity + the fruit from the nose is present on the taste. Long finish and overall a wine that to me tastes more like the 08 vintage, than the 07. A very well balanced wine with the familiar taste of Monte Bello.
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3/23/2011 - dustbuddy wrote: 88 Points
Tasted as part of a Sampler tasting. The nose is almost not there. Eventuallly a hint of blackcurrant appeared in ther background. On the palate however blackcurrant aromas are more prominent and so are the tannins which are balanced with good acidity. It has the potential to be lovely but too early to drink at the moment.
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3/22/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 94 Points
Dark purplish ruby colour with a youthful nose; ripe primary fruit aromas of cassis, violet, mint and a touch of toast. The palate is dense and powerful with lovely intensity of flavour. Perfectly balanced with layers of sweet cassis fruit, mint, fine toasted oak and plush ripe tannins. Very good with 20+ years to go yet.
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2/3/2011 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Tight! Opened up a little but it is too early on these.
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1/30/2011 - wehouck wrote: 95 Points
Lovely, even when too early. Wonderful nose of well blended dark berries and moderate oak. Mouth feel is smooth, slightly sweet. Taste explodes with ripe dark fruit, cherries and blackberries, with chocolate and large tannins. Long finish with well balanced fruit flavor, oak and tannins. The flavor should continue to mature, so best to lay down, but drinkable even now.
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11/25/2010 - JamesSanders wrote: 60 Points
Opened for about five hours before drinking. Sight is typical of a young cab. I imagine there's a wine hiding under all this American oak, but I couldn't find it. Undrinkable. Someone please tell me the oak integrates with time because I have five more bottles and they were not cheap.
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11/23/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple color. Black fruit nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, leather, and earth. Very well balanced. Green tannins. Nice oak backbone that seems to be somewhat well integrated already. Elegant finish that is quite closed down at this point in the wine's evolution.
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11/1/2010 - mmurry wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had had earth and black currant, chocolate and sweaty socks, and a little vanilla at the end. The palate was rich, with dirt and raspberry, mocha and black currant, and a big oak finish.
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9/1/2010 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
From .375 at the winery. Surprisingly approachable. Beautiful color. Floral nose, sexy, can lay with this forever and just sniff her. Sweet/sour cherries. Excellent mouth feel. Acid, fruit, oak, tannins all balanced, drinks great but built to last. Palate just explodes, double swallow to get it all out and off the palate. Choking. Raspberry flavors just linger forever along with all the other little bits. Wow. 93 AND MOVING UP WITH A FEW MORE YEARS AND REGULAR FORMAT.
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8/6/2010 - jrobs7777 wrote: 93 Points
California Wine Tasting Adventure; 8/2/2010-8/6/2010 (Napa, Sonoma): Tasted at winery. Very young and tight but drinking surprisingly well right now. This is a far cry from some of the over-extracted Napa Cabs you might find. The nose has a nice amount of red fruit, herbs, mint and chocolate. The palate is framed by oak, with nice fine tannins. The fruit is tough to find right at this moment, but there was nice chocolate, herb and a hint of blackberry underlying the oak. Nice finish.
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8/1/2010 - jjclips2 wrote:
Birthday Wines (Kruger's D*ck): I think we drank this, but I can't remember.
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7/16/2010 - TheEngineer wrote: 92 Points
Classy wine!
Nose and palate of dark and red fruits, some coco, spices, and oak, Dense flavours but wears themlightly. Medium + bodied wine, very elegant. I could drink this all day long!
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6/20/2010 - yhn wrote: 94 Points
Nose - sweetish frosting, black plum and black cherry, delicate herbs, ginger, tarragon.
Roasty toasty smooth dark fruit, black currant, elderberry, lime, hint of redwood.
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6/5/2010 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose -spice, tobacco. aromatic
mouth - full bodied, relatively closed. quite hard to evaluate.
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5/27/2010 - Joelene wrote: 93 Points
really nice, but young, needs time, first sip hmmm, wasn't so sure by last glass this was singing, the great thing about this wine is it rocks with food, this has really nice gripping acidity that so many CA cabs lack, it holds your interest, the balance of this wine is incredible,
not huge over extracted or anything of the sort just good refined food cab. blend
doesn't come across "made" or manipulated in any way, just pure fruit and good earth
has the stuffing too last years, I'd guess a couple of decades no problem, best in 7-10 years
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5/6/2010 - yhn wrote: 94 Points
Nose - deep concentrated purple fruit, chocolatey, nutmeg, white pepper.
Dusty, smooth, smoky cherry, plum, round, touches of lime, elderberry and black currant.
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5/1/2010 - KristianT Likes this wine: 94 Points
A vertical plus other goodies (Espergaerde): Served blind:
Great wine. Nailed it in first guess (not the vintage though).
Perfectly integrated spices and loads of structure. Elegant and surprisingly soft for such a young wine. Great now, but will be even better over time.
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4/30/2010 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Gorgeous and wonderful, of course.
Different than other Montes. Fatter, early.
Mint basil nose.
Awesome.
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4/19/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Drinking very well now. Towered over the other cabernets at the tasting.
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4/17/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
nose of clove and root extract. very aromatic. clove and vanilla. am i imagining a green nuance here? 2% franc. cola btl caps. quite slutty for such a young monte bello. drinking great already.
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4/13/2010 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ridge Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): This was a smooth, elegant, rich wine. Classic Bordeaux blend in new world style. I'd love to see it develop over the next decade.
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3/29/2010 - will2wine wrote: 91 Points
Deep licorice, fig, bourbon and fennel flavors, impeccable structure and a long finish. Not a blockbuster, but a fine wine for sure. Needs time, obviously.
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3/20/2010 - winebratsf wrote:
Two of my favorites were the 2006, wtih 68% Cabernet Sauvigon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petite Verdot, and 2% Cab Franc. I found chocolate coverted cherreis, bright fruit, and dusty cocoa and really enjoyed it.
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3/18/2010 - yhn wrote: 94 Points
Nose - smoky, peppery purple fruit, rich, touch of black currant, boysenberry, peach pie and black pepper.
Dusty black currant, very full bodied, smoky, dried herbs, lime, orange zest, touch of PV, cedar. Drink '24-'44. 94+ pts
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3/13/2010 - Renegade wrote: 95 Points
I tasted this wine at Ridge's 1st Assemblage of the 2009 Monte Bello. This wine has a medium/dark purple color to it and a 13.5% alcohol. This wine has aroms of chocolate, allspice, minerals, blue fruits and some floral aromas. It tastes of raspberry, cassis, mineral and allspice. Still very tight, and it took some effort to get the profile, but after it sat in the glass, just like the '09 and '07 Monte Bellos it started to show hints of its profile. My trick was this, I got a glass each of the '06, '07 and '09 and went and hid the glasses(yes, I marked them so I knew what vintages they were), I got yet another glass and spent several hours tasting the wines and enjoying everything. When I was getting ready to leave, I went to where I hid my 3 glasses of the '06, '07 and '09 Monte Bellos, got what I could from their aromas and flavors. 2006 Monte Bello will be a very long lived wine, it has the acidity and tannin balance along with a strong stucture for very long term aging. Eric Baugher believes this is a 40+ year wine, and I have no reason to doubt him. From what I tasted, it needs at least 10 to 15 years of cellaring from vintage date, and should easily go 30 to 40+ years. In my opinion, I think some of the best wines are coming from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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3/6/2010 - DuVinMD wrote: 93 Points
Dégusté pour la quatrième fois cette année, le vin impressione par sa tenue en bouche. L'attaque est très épicée et semble moyennement corsée. L'acidité est fraîche et les tanins sont fermes. Le corps est plein, savoureux et dégage une élégance et une retenue certaine. Version très intellectuelle du Monte Bello. On se revoit dans 6 ans.
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2/26/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
richly fruited monte bello. intensely structured, yet pleasurable and accessible to drink now. thank god people just keep on opening this up.
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2/21/2010 - Rieslingfan wrote: 92 Points
Tasted from half bottle with a medium rare steak.
There's a lot of material to this Monte Bello. Yes there is oakiness on the nose, but it has all the fruit needed to back it up. The alcohol and tannins are in balance, with a lingering black fruit finish that is accented by a bit of spice and vanilla. This is very young, but shows a lot of promise. Nothing is out of proportion.
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1/16/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
6 hours open. elegant vanilla and rich black fruit. a little note of creamy root beer in the nose and then continuing to the palate. this is VERY approachable for young monte bello. Such a pure blackberry expression right now. Big and fruity, but not jammy. It's got guts, but no gut. i like what DuVinMD said, 'an intellectual monte bello.' harrison ford as indiana jones perhaps.
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12/23/2009 - DuVinMD wrote: 93 Points
Tasted twice now with consistent markings. The wine impresses with its perfect balance and harmony. The wine is still closed up on the nose, with blackcurrants and a touch of toasted oak. On the palate, the wine is a harmoniously full-bodied, the acidity is fresh and the tannins are 'civilized'. The finish is quite smooth and still very fruit forward, but not very long. An intellectual version of Monte Bello.
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12/5/2009 - KVM wrote:
K&L Big California Cabernets (Redwood City, K&L wine store): Ruby. Really bright nose, with top note of brandy - or is it VA? The flavours are atypical and tend tend to cranberry. Fairly long, light bodied finish. Is this bottle flawed?
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12/5/2009 - europat55 wrote:
Quite different from the other 'Big' California cabs that we had in this tasting (Spootswoode, Chappellet, Caymus, Snowden, Hundred Acre, Opus One, Insigna, Dominus). Good fruity nose (still medicinal). Somewhat short finish with no hints of creme brule. B+
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11/7/2009 - t_moderne wrote: 88 Points
A bit lean and tart; shows vegetal elements. Cranberries, mint and cedar along with plum and oaky notes. Tannins are there as is the acidity. This needs time to come together. This is an 88 now but could go up a few points perhaps with time.
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10/7/2009 - peeks13 wrote: 88 Points
A Night of Classic Cabernet (9/23/2009) (Wine Discount Center Barrington): Want to be clear it was the ~$110 cab at the tasting. Not great and definitely not worth the hefty price tag.
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9/14/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Glunz Wines Fall Portfolio tasting (The Westin, Chicago IL): nose: lifting nose with well balanced tones of dark red cherries, sour cranberries, cedar, mint, black currants, and a touch of flowal tones. Has real good purity on the nose with real good depth that helps make a real classy nose
taste: great medium/full feel with big tannins and pure tones of dark red cherries, sour cranberries, mint, cedar, some leather, and black currants. Very polished feel, but comes off as extremely tight and young with medium acidity
overall: A baby, but this has the chance to be a real beauty in the years to come. The tannins are fairly chewy right now, so patience is needed, but one will be very happy to have this in about 13 years
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9/7/2009 - Joshiemac wrote:
Tasted at the winery, too young to give it a numerical rating. In the small amount I tasted it was showing vanilla, black currants, and faint elements of tobacco. The structure and balance are there to see this turn into another great MB.
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8/31/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 91 Points
50+5+12+16+8 Had a glass at Sandabs. Nice, fruity nose of blackberries, flowers and mocha. Full mouthfeel with layers of flavors. This wine is drinking well earlier than previous vintages. It's also a bigger wine than in the past. Very good. I may get more.
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6/30/2009 - FakeAccount wrote: 93 Points
From 375 mL.
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6/28/2009 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
K&L Charity Event. Nose of dark fruit. plum, cherry, earth, and spice, more of the same on the palate, refined, yet intense, elegant with finesse, medium/big body, lovely, long finish and aftertaste.
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6/13/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.
A far cry from the '05 as the oak is much better contained in this wine. Sweet and pure with cassis, boysenberry, chocolate a touch of spice and oak char on the nose and palate. Certainly primary, but it shows a pretty elegance to it that the '06 lacks and it should absorb its oak nicely. Solid A-.
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5/3/2009 - Sky King wrote: 91 Points
Good. Softer and noticeably less dense than the 2005. Will be a mid-term ager in Monte Bello terms. A good, not great Monte Bello.
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3/21/2009 - pizzler wrote: 88 Points
2009 California Barrel Tasting (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington DC): Alcohol on the nose, slightly unpleasant aftertaste, vanilla and black cherries, good structure
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3/11/2009 - spacewrangler wrote:
This wine should develop into something special. I'd give it a 90-92 for the time being, but could reach the heights of the 2001. Color is dark purple. Ridiculously young and oaky, but I knew that going in. Layers of red fruits and asian spices, mixed with some vanillin oak - make for an enticing nose. The mouthfeel is velvety despite the youth.
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7/6/2008 - slaked wrote:
3 stars our of 4 *** Tasted at the California Wine Futures Tasting in Washington D.C. in March. Very fresh, black and blue fruits, very sweet tannins. Just starting to show secondary complexity: cedar pine and resin, this has exceptional potential.
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5/30/2008 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (The Wine Summit, Lake Louise, Alberta): BARREL SAMPLE. 68% CS, 20% M, 10% PV and 2% CF – 13.5% ALC. This sample pulled just prior to bottling.
Deep black/purple colour – pink rim; more scented than the 2005 – sweet berries, and a slight hint of cream soda, which disappears quickly; mouthfilling black currant fruit, completely coats the palate – full to the back; Very long rich finish – al black currant fruit. This wine a bit too young to separate its parts and will benefit from several years in bottle to evolve its personality. Components and early tasting suggests another fine Monte Bello.
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3/3/2007 - llink wrote:
Barrel tasting weekend at Ridge, tasting the Merlot and Cab components and a proposed initial blend 71% cab, 27% merlot and 2% petit verdot. First up the merlot, rich blackberry fruit, extremely tannic and structured for merlot. The cab component is nicely balanced even at this stage, with cassis fruit notes, fine grippy tannins and a long finish. The initial blend is surprisingly drinkable at this early stage, and seems to offer a typical top notch effort, along the lines of 2004 and 2005. In fact the 06 was offering a very similar flavor profile to the 04 that was also open for tasting.
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