Drank next to the 1997 Ornellaia. Both bottles were double decanted in the afternoon then brought to the Hawksmoor NYC.
Ornellaia: 65% Cab, 30% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc. The nose was a bit more expressive while decanting. Notes of raspberries, dried herbs, and wet earth. At the restaurant, a bit of barnyard crept in. Color had a maroon core that gradually lightened towards the edges. Looking at it next to the Ridge, it was obviously lighter in color. Wine was silky with tannins fully resolved. Dried red fruit, pomegranate seeds, oregano, and mushroom/earthy kind of taste. Still excellent.
Ridge MB: 85% Cab, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc. Like the Ornie when decanting, the nose was full of eucalyptus, black licorice, and graphite which receded somewhat (may have been the restaurant) and let the crushed black cherry fruit to emerge. Color was mostly opaque. Much fuller-bodied than the Ornellaia with the dark cherry, blackberry, forest floor combo. Fantastic as always. A better match for the charcoal-grilled steaks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow-ox for 12 hrs at cellar temp. Much better than last bottle. Decanting in the bottle with long time and less oxygen really helps showcase its full potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an incredible wine. Simply stunning. I put this up there with one of the best bottles I've had over the course of the last couple of years. And it was a 1997. This is a very special wine. If you have any, you're lucky. Thanks to James for sharing last night!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Drink now through 2040.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow wine. Youthful looking still, and the palate is plush and feels young in the same way. Feels like there are many years ahead. Huge nose, so tart and red-fruity and floral. Fruit bomb palate that lingers and still coats the teeth. Dare I say it? It will improve the next five years or so. (Admitted bias. I love Monte Bello!)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last bottle of a 6-bottle purchase years ago. Very similar note to what I wrote in January. Crumbly and PITA cork. Double decanted and drank about half hour later. Delicious wine.
PNP at birthday dinner with the St Jeans. Classic MB nose of dill, coconut, blackberries and cassis. Lovely palate just starting to show secondary character with fine grained and silky tannins, lively fruit and a silky texture.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): Really interesting to see my last note on this because my impression of this wine was almost totally the opposite. To be fair there was some bottle variation across. The first bottle we had was just tired and done. The second and third bottle seemed to have more life to them. Lots more cigar and leather notes though than I would have expected. Still has the black fruits. My impression across all of the bottles was it’s time to drink this up. It started to open with some more time in the glass but I think initial impression still right.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of fruits, lots of acidity during 4 hours tasting. I have seen many positive notes below but I cannot find more comfortable things in this wine to rate a 97 or higher score. Maybe that is due to I did not decant this wine, or I did not have any other qualified old Bordeaux together to make a comparison.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very similar to last time. Still pretty tightly wound. Lots of cedar, cherry. Not sure I see this improving but will be interesting to see how it is in a couple more years. Definitely still drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted double blind. No detailed notes taken. This was good but not on the same level as the Bordeauxs we had before (Gruaud Larose & Conseillante 1989, Evangile 1982). Classic, rather old school Cabernet with a good fruit core and an intense layer of minerality, medium complexity and not perfectly delinated. The structure should allow for many more years of ageing but I‘m not sure the wine will improve much.
Decanting: Not decanted, we followed it over an hour with little change. Doesn‘t seem in need of a very long decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
cork grudgingly out with an ah so; medium body; lovely mixed berry with secondary notes; tannins mostly resolved; some cedar; aging gracefully, with some elegance
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not decanted, but would do a brief double-decant next time. At 25 years old, this is still an intense an bold wine with red and dark currant fruit along with spice, tobacco, mineral notes, a touch of eucalyptus and roasted coffee beans. Juicy and fresh palate, great balance and perfect tension.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This integrated and minty Cabernet blend is a bit past its prime, but it's tasty and intriguing nonetheless. Like watching a familiar movie, I see certain landmarks - e.g., the dill from the American Oak, the damp and spicy notes from the Santa Cruz Mountains - but this wine deserves to be tasted as of this moment. Some wines get old; others mature: this has done both, but, as of right now, it's a wine worth drinking.
Pomegranate in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, eucalyptus, oregano, and tapenade. The flavors meld together, with seamless notes of dried blueberry, leather, and peppercorn, with a savory finish that has lost some of its verve. Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cab Franc. 12.9% alcohol. Give it an hour or so to open up, and do mind the sediment. Drink in the next few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnum. Bouchon s’est cassé au milieu mais finalement j’ai réussi à extraire le reste sans trop de soucis. Ouvert 2 heures puis carafé 2 heures. Robe grenat moyennement brillante. Au nez, cassis et autres fruits (mûres, framboises), une touche de menthol, épices douces. Au palais, puissant, volumineux, tannique mais bel équilibre malgré une acidité légèrement déficiente. Finale longue et suave. Pour mes goûts, à boire même en magnum, avec de la réserve (7 ans depuis ma dernière bouteille)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I’ve had this bottle for at least 12 years from an auction purchase. Tried to open with a corkscrew because I couldn’t find my ah-so. Cork was brittle but wine stains were only at the bottom where it was in contact with the wine.
Decanted. Delicate aromas of of warm plum compote, cedar, and dark chocolate. Color is youthful with an opaque dark core that lightens to a candy apple red edge. Full bodied yet felt light. Initial notes of black tea and crushed sweet Rainier cherries on the palate. Then fresh plums with its acidity. Balanced and delicious. Still has some tannins that hasn’t fully integrated. Many years ahead of it. Sadly, I have just one bottle left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and served. Minimal sediment. Deep red and black color. Beautiful nose, red currant, blackberries, coconut and dill. Robust and mouth filling palate, balanced with a superb texture, and resolved tannins. Very little signs of age. Really good spot tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, dark, ripe and rich -- still fairly primary, I think this will be better in 5-10 years based on my experience with older Monte Bello. Unless you like to drink young California cabernet, in which case you'll probably love this right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90 minutes before service, which was about right - the wine was largely consistent with the better bottles we've had, and is approaching the end of its plateau of maturity, with a smooth, silky texture, minimal tannins, and complex secondary aromatics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful; this wine is at a perfect place. Rich, lingering, complex. I don't think it will get any better but will probably drink well for another 5-10 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gorgeous, big and rich - not what I was expecting! Subtle damson and tobacco and tar on the palate. Surprisingly big structure, high acidity as I would expect. Long and complex. Drinking now will last for decades.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So pure, lazor like precision of fruit and structure. Wonderful. Elegant but not lacking in fruit or body. Long and complex. Drinking beautifully now and will continue to drink well for a long time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind in a line up of aged Bordeaux (I smuggled this bottle in, in addition to my 96 Leoville Barton) and this was the clear WOTN, people just loved it). Consistent to my last tasting note. Medium garnet with brick rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with tobacco eucalyptus, cedar wood, pine tree. A bit riper than the Bordeaux but no one spotted it and suggested New World. Enters the palate with density yet very great elegance and fully dissolved, soft tannins. The ripe fruit buffered by well measured tannins and freshness. This Santa Cruze Mountain gem is far from the, all to often, monolithic Napa bruisers. Paul Draper knows his craft! Monte Bello remains one of the best wines from America, period. I wish more wines of only 12.5% of alcohol had such mid-palate presence and aromatic depth. Outstanding! Fully mature. 98-100
Bought in a second hand store a few years back. Cost was 5$. Storage could have been anything but bottle level was perfect. Cork, however, was really not in good condition. Therefore decanting was unavoidable.
An old lady, but elegant and of very high class. Less full bodied than you would have expected with perfect storage. Balance, complexity and length was all everything you could hope for. Every sip a privilege.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wimps Thankgsiving Lunch - Connor Table; 11/25/2021-11/26/2021 (La Trompette): Second taste of this in a week. Truly living my best life. Tasted alongside 96 and 98 - bit muted by comparison, and I wonder whether this is more muted than the bottle we tasted earlier in the week. Either way - stunning stuff, but many years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Dinner 22 November (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Such a treat. Hard to say anything more than a delicious Monte Bello, just starting to get into maturity. In spite of having been double decanted around 5pm, still tightly coiled in the glass. Opened up over time. This is the kind of wine you could drink a bottle of on your own, over the course of an evening.
My #2 WOTN (and yes - it was a good night...)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Another clear distinction for me. This is starting to get into the wines that are just too young now and need more time. Lots of berries - boysenberry, cranberry, blackberry. A bit woodsy to it. Enjoyable and bright and really for a '97 it's one of the better ones that I've had from Cali.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): This is more herbal in nature, a bit tea like and baking spices and some eucalyptus and maybe even a touch of mint. There's a background of black fruits to it although that's not the primary. Honestly this is one of the best 97's I've ever had - usually I find them more one dimensional but this definitely has complexity to it. Around 85% CS, 8% Merlot, 5% PV, 3% CF. Not my favorite of the wines of the night or even the flight but it's still delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for an hour with a glass poured off. Mistake. Needed decanting. Took over 3 hours to start to open up. Try to wait as long as I can for the last one (10 years maybe).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The bottle condition was not great. The cork was very soft and I barely took it out in one piece. Based on the recent CT comments, I poured the wine to old wine decanter for 2 hours prior to serving. The wine opened up beautifully with pencil, truffle, black berries and coffee on nose. The palate is quite youthful with black fruits but the tannins seem non-existence. It’s at a good place now. I would imagine 5 years+ cellaring time is required for a well-kept bottle to unveal its full potential. 95 nose 94+ palate
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a 375, popped and poured, then let sit in wine glasses for a bit.
Dark garnet color, no bricking at all. Wine practically looks young. On the nose, really strong note of pipe tobacco, pencil lead, hot rocks, and closed red fruits. Would’ve guessed a St Estephe blind - this really reminded me of a 1996 Montrose I had recently (though a bit less bell peppery).
On the palate this was a bit closed to start but opened up over an hour of drinking. Red fruit and black cherry dominant, cigar, crushed rocks, smoked herbs, portobello mushroom, and a touch of iron. Nice level of acidity balances the wine, tannins are fairly resolved and give the wine a nice bit of body and a mineral mouthfeel. Finish is pretty long and has a nice mix of red fruit and soy sauce.
Just getting into its drinking window in my view (at least for a 375), this has another 20 years easily and maybe more. Excellent wine and such a classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a terrific wine. As many others note, it is in peak drinking window right now. Wine still shows very well in the glass, medium purple, very little bricking in our case (perfectly stored bottle 15+ years). On the nose you get present yet restrained notes of black currant, pencil, and tobacco - very rich yet balanced nicely with some (appropriately) fading oak. The finish is really wonderful, nicely delineated between the polished tannin and what remains of the ripe fruit structure. I recently had the 1995 version and was a bit disappointed, the first "mediocre" experience I've had with RMB. This more than restored my faith and should be particularly pleasing to fans of old world nuance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine of the night amongst experienced and novice wine drinkers alike (up against some old bdx, mid range 97 napa cabs). However, this was so youthful that it didn’t deliver much of a wow to me, seems like there is great potential - fruit and acid are in balance with some tannin. That said, I wish I was drinking it 5 - 10 years from now. Not worth $350 to drink now... the 97 Chateau st Jeans cinq cepages was more interesting at this stage for those that like tertiary flavors. The Monte Bello will be great eventually, but isn’t a great splurge item to drink now as it still is so primary.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A simply fantastic example of California Cabernet. Silken texture, medium-full bodied, smooth tannins and brimming with cassis fruit and pencil lead. Only from the texture of the wine would I be able to detect the oak treatment of its youth. Still young, this has easily another decade or two of life but has reached the point where it can be drunk for pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a peak drinking zone. Aromas of ripe brambly plum fruit with smoked herbs, spice and American oak accents. Palate bursts with spice-filled fruit that is plump and juicy. In complete harmony and should hold for a decade or two. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
() Kleur: Diep helder donkerrood met een dunne rand. Aroma / bouquet: Verleiderlijk bouquet met tonen van donker fruit, rode paprika, cederhout. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige, stoere Bordeaux-blend die ik - blind geserveerd - gemakkelijk voor een wijn uit de 'oude wereld' had kunnen houden. Een bijna Franse zuurgraad, uitgesproken tannines met - ook na 23 jaar - een opvallende bite, lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Na deze wijn eerder geproefd te hebben in 2010 (lekker in de primaire fase) en 2014 (op slot, te jong) is hij wat mij betreft nu optimaal met nog een toekomst van enkele jaren voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 93/100
Color: Deep bright dark red with a thin border. Aroma / bouquet: Seductive bouquet with notes of dark fruit, red pepper, cedar wood. Taste / Finish: Powerful, tough Bordeaux blend that I - served blind - easy for a wine from the 'old world'. An almost French acidity, pronounced tannins with - even after 23 years - a striking bite, long finish. General / potential: After having previously tasted this wine in 2010 (nice in the primary phase) and 2014 (locked, too young) it is now optimal in my opinion with a future of a few years. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + Overall / potential: 9 = 93/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Terrific wine. A bit of bottle variation (3 bottles Thanksgiving). Dark color. At its best, big nose cranberry, violet flowers, plum. So nice and balanced, old school. I love the approach. The best two bottles were like Bordeaux mellow with Cali bright fruit. The third was okay, just lacked the brightness.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Blind. Garnet core with some bricking. Perfumed violet and flroal notes over currant, plum and spice. Just a hint of age bouillon in the bouquet which fades as the wine sits in the glass, but it gave the wine away as I had double decanted this an hour before the flight was poured. Nicely integrated and balanced, this shows red fruit on the palate, along with tobacco and spice elements. Long finish. Beautiful. Got better as the evening wore on and we revisited this during dinner following the tasting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Slightly herbaceous blackcurrant and cassis, cedar, very slight vanilla, a touch of coffee and, worryingly after the 1995, a smidge of volatility. That volatile note translates to the palate with the coffee, blackcurrant, cedar and cassis, chalky textured tannins support the fruit. The volatility ascends with time in the glass though not dominating the way it did with the 1995. I'm guessing that, as this is Australia, both of these wines came from the same importer. Hmm.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. Mother’s Day, just the 2 of us. Penetrating nose, bouquet of purple flowers, smooth tannins, mellow berries. Carried thru the meal, stick to my teeth in a good way. Filets, lobster tail and mashed potato’s.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a beautiful wine to experience! Upon opening, there was a little funk and mustiness like walking into an old cellar. But with an hour of air this really opened up and showed its incredible pedigree. Even after 23 years it still possesses that signature Monte Bello vineyard character, the herbal, chaparral aromatics that are so beguiling and intriguing. The wine is so complex and ever evolving, much like a great mystery novel! On the palate, this evolved from black cherry and wild herbs, to blackberry, blueberry, espresso, and tobacco, all while carrying that herbal aromatic lift. The nose is really what makes this stand apart from Napa’s best. After indulging in this wine, it’s easy to tell why it scored top honors at the Successive Judgement of Paris Re-enactments. Tremendous effort from Paul Draper and Eric Baugher at RIDGE!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure how long this been open. Cherry, currant blackberry and a touch of earth. Flavors of blackberry, cherry, currant, tobacco and touch of earth. Ends with a nice of 30-35 seconds with blackberry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of wet gravel on the nose, some dust and dark fruit. Decanted for 2.5 hours and given it's a 22 year old wine I should have probably starting drinking after the first hour. Around the 3rd hour it started to fade. It's a beautiful wine but not one of the great Ridge MBs I've had. I hear that many of the CA 1997s have started to fade so that might make sense here. Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped cork with a-so prongs. Cork looked like it was brand new. Decanted and tasted after an hour or so.
Wine is a turbid garnet, dark and rich, with a hint of brick and a clear rim.
Nose took a little while to emerge but it's actually quite lovely. Forest, pencil shavings, menthol, and that bloody-iron note I associate with merlot.
On palate, wine is sound. Follows nose, smooth and silky, tannins integrated, perhaps a touch of tertiary flavors, menthol prominent on the finish.
Overall an excellent wine. Myself, I would prefer to consume with less age on the bottle and more fruit on the palate.
Now, the question I ask myself is, do I want to actually start collecting this wine? It's about $200 a bottle, a little less on futures (I'm on the futures list). But it's notoriously unapproachable when young, and you've got to wait 15 years from vintage before you can drink it. So the math starts becoming unfavorable pretty quickly.
The main competitor for my cabernet-based wine dollars, of course, is Bordeaux. I know people are going to jump down my throat for comparing MB to Bordeaux, but good luck tracking me down. I will say that for $100/bottle I have been able to procure great 2016 Bordeaux that are near-drinkable now but will be outstanding in just a decade, not two (cf. Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion, Rauzan-Segla, GPL). So maybe I take myself off the MB futures list. I'd rather outlive my wine than the reverse.
Dark garnet color, no separation. Like my last bottle, nose jumps out of the glass, Bdx-like with redcurrant, licorice, graphite.On the palate black cherry, plums, cedar, tobacco, minerals and spice. Lush and deep palate, great secondary notes. Dusty and fined tannins. Full body, long and nuanced finish.
Spectacular showing on this night, #1 or #2 for most of the group. A reminder why Ridge MB is one of the greatest American wines...Drinking really well now but no signs of slowing down. Should drink at this level for another 10+ years
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A prinstine bottle and perfect cork, I have been holding this 1997 for quite some time. This wine is showing some age, but still with a deep core. Great nose. Fruit became more youthful with air. A lot of forrest berries and secodary, tertiary flavors. Solid finish. I was not sure where this was going to go, in regards to its life.
Basically this Ridge Monte Bello 1997 improved quite a bit with about one hour of air in the decanter. However, after the second hour, this wine started to break down a little. It peaked after about an hour in the decanter. It's prime time and ready to drink up. This is quite tasty. I recommend decanting and enjoy within 2.5 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was just really good. The cork gave us some issues so had to be opened and decanted. Was really good right out of the gate. Fruits still there but balanced with a bit more leather and cigar style. Still going quite strong and I assume has some more years left, but it's also drinking very nicely in this stage. Really enjoyed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Initially brackish, tired, and somewhat pruny - I was a little worried this one might be destined for the sink. But once again, I'm glad I waited. With 20 minutes of air time, the wine woke up, revealing the smooth texture and complexity that are hallmarks of this wine. Quite nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good cork. Dark color - little/no bricking. Pickle juice, cassis, hint of sandalwood, smooth resolves tannins. Surprisingly spriteful, bright. Many years left
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dry cork issues (no cheese cloth or proper filter so we had to use a china cap to get out cork particles) but otherwise perfect condition. The wine shined after a solid 60 minutes in decanter. Unlike many '97 cabs which drank so well young, this still has good tannic structure and acidity. Well balanced with lively fruit this wine is really at the front end of maturity. Gotta love Ridge!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this for Will’s graduation and approaching 22nd birthday. This was more vibrant than the Fisher Wedding from same year. Color is still quite dark and still some tannins. Ideally would have decanted but wine is well balanced with good if slightly retiring fruit. It’s a lovely mature cab and in a very good spot. I don’t think time makes it better but really very nice
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinetasters: Ridge Monte Bello (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. A very mild bit of oak here on the nose, showing some coconutty sweetness and a slight bit of coffee and spice. The palate is quite juicy and fresh, with lots and lots of oak, but there is lovely counterbalancing acidity. A little leafy tobacco quality shows up on the midpalate as well. The tannins still seem fairly raw. My 4th, group's 1st.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hides its age well. No brown at the edge. Needs a decant of at lease an hour or more. Starts with plum, spice, the American oak shows up, a hint of bell pepper. Medium body with plum, herb, spice, black fruit. Well balanced with a long smooth finish. just starting to hit its drinking window, but a long life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
New Year's Day, 2019 Pokai Parera (Pokai Parera, Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Wow - while still just a baby, this wine is a brilliant expression of Cabernet Sauvignon form Ridge. Textbook typicity, and a fabulous fruit ripeness intensity that is direct, yet extraordinary in its nuance, depth and layered. My favourite of a flight of three non Bordeaux cabernets. Supple in the mouth, but with great visor. Certainly first growth quality. If you've got em, hold them.... 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good but not excellent. The age and acidic backbone were the two most obvious details when sipping this wine. Flavor wise it was lacking something to vault it higher. A little too plain. 92/93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Guys Night Out Again (Jason's House): Decanted 30 minutes, this initially had a rich, ripe pungent nose and a green, lean palate. Over the course of a couple hours, this evolved considerably. The nose gains secondary/tertiary qualities and the palate fills out. By the end of the bottle, you would have thought this to be a left bank Bordeaux. My score went from 92 to 93 to 94 and finally to 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Guy's Night Out (Jason's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. 30 minutes splash decant. Drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. Somewhat tight on pouring this opens over the next 30 minutes. Lots of cedar box on the nose with a very lead pencil, mineral laden, later yet the earth comes forth, brooding dark fruits that evolve to cassis and and blue fruits. The palate is full bodied, concentrated, but still also shy, eventually the black and blue fruits emerge here too, tart, cassis, boysenberry, oak, pencil. I liked this a lot, powerful and yet seemed less well defined overall.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First glass tasted blind. You feel like inside a Hilton's Junior suite. Very comfortable, full of details but this is not the place you're looking for a daily living. In some aspects very european, very international, can I say that? On the nose smells like nothing else but a Bordeaux Supérieur with red berries well integrated with sweet wood. Memories of lactic like yoghourt bloom up. Uncomplicated yet a unsophisticated cab too. Where the real action is it happens on the palate with tons of a velvety texture, fine acidity and a density which carpets of a royal palace just can dream about. After all a nowhere-wine which is very difficult to classify because where's it coming from? Whom does belong? Food? Cigar? Solo? Sincerely I don't know even more, I don't care. Doesn't worth its pedigree tonite. Little worries for my 2004.
Primera copa servida a ciegas. Te sientes dentro de la suite junior de un Hilton. Muy cómodo, lleno de detalles, pero este no es el lugar en el que quieres vivir a diario. En algunos aspectos, muy europeo, muy internacional, ¿se puede decir eso? En nariz no huele a nada más que un Bordeaux Supérieur con frutos rojos bien integrados con la madera dulce. Los recuerdos de lácticos como el yogur florecen. Una cabernet sin complicaciones, aunque tampoco muy sofisticada. Donde la sucede la acción es en el paladar con toneladas de una textura aterciopelada, fina acidez y una densidad que las alfombras de un palacio real solo pueden soñar. Después de todo, un vino de ninguna parte, que es muy difícil de clasificar, ¿de dónde viene? ¿A quién pertenece? ¿Comida? ¿Cigarro? ¿Solo? Sinceramente, no lo sé y tampoco me importa. No vale su pedigrí esta noche. Ligeras preocupaciones para mi 2004.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had at a spectacular WINEBID.com tasting event. Total of 39 wines tasted with an unbelievable lineup ! Bravo to Sterling Roig.
I could not believe the balance in this wine. It tasted classic left bank and then (like in the 97' Insignia) I jumped to thinking it is a new world aged cab. Deftly balanced wine. You could sense this age in the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
WineBid Tasting Event (Mandarin Oriental): More refined than the '91 Togni we had right before it. After that the fruit sortof hits you in the face. For a '97 this seemed still very vibrant and going strong. Old world style, but new world influence is present. Very classy wine that I really enjoyed (one of the few I opted to do a second pour on).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the first bottle of Ridge Monte Bello 375 that I've ever really seen. Poured initially to a deep maroon color, and had a nose of flint, blackberry, and a note that I will only describe as "age" because I don't think it was brett....but could have been maybe ever-so-slightly! As the wine sat, it developed quite a different palate that was more blackberry and cinnamon. Initially the entry of the wine had a little wet limestone and some mushroom but this died off rather fast. The wine had a lot of black cherry and dark chocolate, middle was rather youthful. Finish has already has shown quite a bit of integration as tannin was in pretty good control. All in all this one was nice. Balanced, and still with some power from a 375, but I really wonder how many more years this one has in this format. If anybody has any of these little guys, it's time to start drinking after about a 30-minute decant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnum, Hatte es gegen die beiden Bordeaux etwas schwer, kann keine ätherische Stärke nicht ganz ausspielen, bleibt auch eher in der Bordeaux Verschwiegenheit, zwar mit dezenter dunkler Fruchtaromatik aber nicht die Struktur, um ganz oben mitspielen zu können. 95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, just beautiful right now, some nice aging notes, lots of red and ripe red fruits, a beautiful body, some nice acidity in the back. Long finish! In perfect drinking window now! Amazing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical, 1980-1999 (Chez Moll): Double decanted ~3-4 before dinner. Gorgeous nose of ripe rich plum, spice, some American oak, and hints of bell pepper. The palate has well concentrated and mouth filling plum fruit. Lively acids keep this fresh and long. Finish has terrific nuance of herb, spice and rich black fruit. Youthful in this lineup and in a riper (but still balanced, restrained) style. Long life ahead -- I'd comfortably age 10+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Monte Bello, 1980-1999 (Chicago, IL): Alongside the 1994, this was my favourite wine tonight. I'd be hard-pressed to be able to different the two blind; perhaps this one showed a little more ripe fruit than the others? In any case, this is a monster of a Monte Bello -- the fruit here is so dark and dense, but it's all tamed by a cool 12.9% abv. Can you believe that? I think that's what makes this wine all the more brilliant -- that powerful, extracted black cabernet profile, with that low-octane level. Incredible stuff that is clearly still too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
(Blind tasting) Oxidised nose. A bit dirty. Raisin, walnuts and liquorice. Not very elegant. Oxidised palate, dry and flat. Very funky impression. No fruit, only dry tannins. A pity when the bottle was revealed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the bouquet beautiful red berry fruits and sweet notes from the oak. On the palate the same sweetness and soft impressions. Fresh red fruit acidity and round and friendly tannin. A beautiful and round, harmonious wine with still a few years of future in it. Delicious!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really quite elegant. Red and black currants, pencil lead, leaves/brush/dried flowers, on the nose and palate. Where this succeeds though is on the palate, with such grace - the weight and textures full of finesse. Is it any wonder this is America's First Growth? Seems to be in a great place now, not sure holding it will improve, or only make it different. highly recommended
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Welcome to bottle variation! Pulled one of these based on its recent stellar performance, but this bottle wasn't in the same ballpark. Compared to our recent bottle, this one had a much more pronounced cedar/pine note, at the expense of the fruit and complexity, which were pushed into the distant background. A couple hours of air didn't change things much. Don't get me wrong - still a nice wine, and fine with a nice steak - but this was one of those cases where past experience got my hopes up for a result that never came.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served as the grand finale of our annual wine group summer dinner, this was a glorious match with 50 day dry aged ribeye. There is still tons of room for further development, but at age twenty the wine is showing a fair amount of maturity. There is still ample fruit, and the oak is getting on towards fully integrated, but is not quite there yet. Spice, leather and an earthy element came through to join the maturing fruit. It still has solid structure as well. This was double decanted several hours before the dinner, and was served three hours in, so it had plenty of air. Given the only early maturity state of the wine it suggests substantial decanting is a must if opened now. Delicious wine with a compelling future.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
While some of the Cabernet Sauvignons from this warm, high-yield vintage are beginning to get a little long in the tooth, the 1997 Monte Bello continues to show beautifully, with an expressive bouquet of cassis, dried cherry, menthol, a touch of soil and a generous framing of American oak. On the palate the wine is supple and nicely balanced, with largely melted tannins and a generous, open-knit personality, tied together by a bright thread of acidity. 12.9%
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
05/08/2017: Wastefully popped and poured on a Monday evening whilst working. Dense and reticent in nose, palate and finale. A gorgeous wine hidden behind a very self-effacing personality at present. I'll hide my remaining bottles for at least another 3-5 years. Otherwise, if you must try it now then give it a 4-hour decant.
05/20/2017:
I forgot that I had vacuumed this two weeks ago after wastefully drinking half the bottle undecanted on a Monday evening. Opaque deep ruby red with just the merest hint of trandslucence. Nose is drop-dead gorgeous sun-warmed cedar shingles, freshly sharpened pencil lead, pencil shavings, sexy silky red-black briar fruit, blackberries.....gosh, I could sniff this all day. Palate is taut, structured, precise, lean cheek-boned but with massive depth of gorgeous generous blackberry, redcurrant and blueberry fruit and blackcurrant pastilles, all framed in what still tastes like new American oak. The tannins are still there but have powdered and integrated superbly. Wow....what a beautifully crafted and thrilling wine. The finish is still very tightly coiled even after 2 weeks after opening. This has 20 years ahead of it and I'm not going to open another bottle for at least 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After 2 hours decanting : New world ripe cabernet Sauvignon dominated wine. A very much rich and extracted wine.Cocos,almonds,mint,eucaliptus and yery sweet tones in the nose,Extracted cassis and cherry fruits with low alcohol! and lots of tannins in the mouth.Not really perfect to drink now and far away from a Bdx style ( which i prefer ) . Hold it in your cellar for the next 10 - 15 years,to have a nice napa Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Sunday spring evening with friends (home): In the glass, auburn at the rim, shading quickly to maroon/black at the core. On the nose, menthol, forest floor, currants - really complex and lovely aromatics. I could smell this all day. On the palate, smooth, fully resolved cab blend; nice follow-through of the aromatics, with a beguiling silky texture and a long finish. A case study in balance. This didn't last long - WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stellar. Compact in beginning. With 1 hr decant shows just the beginning of full maturity. I loved the place it was in, with a lot of fruit, but also pencil shavings, tobacco, and earth. Had it with Flannery NY Strip. A nice pair.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind. Guessed new world ripe year cab Sauv dominated wine. A very much rich and well extracted wine with lots of emphasis on the rich fruit and still with decent amount of oak. We do see as an issue with ridge in hot years (1994 we tried recently was a similar example - Papies 92) were buy its almost as if the struggle to control the ripeness and results to an overly rich wine. We do prefer Ridge Montebello in sort of off years tbh. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at 12 vintage vertical by Michel Jamais. Nose balanced black currant/cassis, lavender, complex and beautiful. Dry elegant structure with balanced body of cassis, plum, cedar, mushrooms, high fine-grained tannins. 12,9% Very nice, WOTN
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I last had this wine at a restaurant in 2007, when it was a tannic beast. An additional ten years of bottle age transformed it into a mellow and amiable companion. Ruby red in color. Strong bouquet of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, leather, and anise. On the palate, the tannins have softened considerably. Indeed, the texture is now velvety smooth. Lingering finish. A truly great wine at its peak.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful Monte Bello in an excellent vintage. It's in a very good spot right now and offers a mix of tertiary and primary aromas (you still get some refreshing menthol on the nose and the palate). Even though you can still wait, I don't think it will improve much. The tannins are smooth and it's also very balanced. Quite different in style versus the more recent vintages (no barnyard aromas and more classic in style...almost feminine).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bouchon a cassé à la moitié, carafé durant 1 heure. Bu juste avant Lynch Bages 2003. Couleur prune foncée, assez brillante. Nez sur les arômes de cassis d'abord, puis très parfumé, fleurs, chocolat. Belle structure, belle complexité, rond, suave mais finit un peu court. À boire.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Interesting to go to 1997 CA cab from 1970 Ducru--shows a cherry syrup kind of aroma, earthy licorice, sweet cigar, wet soil, "lawn-mower" according to one (best descriptor of the night!); silky, touch sweet fruit, nice, but out of place in this tasting (to me). Very good, but didn't excite me. Compared with 2000 La Mission Haut Brion. Renee France vs. CA tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork crumbled. Initial impression was overly syrupy and vegital. Fully mature and reaches peak after 1 hour in the decanter (vegital funk blows off). Palate of carmel, stewed red fruit, eucalyptus, damp wood, and chocolate covered cherry. Finish has a slight evergreen note. Good but you'd need to really enjoy old wine to say this will make it to 2024.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This tastes very French, left bank. Austere without any sweetness. Disappointed overall, tight at first and somewhat different at the third hour. There are some tannins, but a lack of fruit in this bottle. 90/91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fully mature with some tannic grip. The best right after opening as it faded by hour 3. Brownish red and medium bodied with plenty of punch. Nose is pure liquified milk chocolate. Palate of carmel, stewed red fruit, eucalyptus, damp wood, and chocolate covered cherry. Will hold at this level for a number of years to come.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Medium nose, black cherry and currant, heavy California fruit still dominates palate. Expansive and round on palate. In a pleasant spot for drinking now but is still pretty big. Didn't match up to the '97 Heitz Martha's side by side.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
had in Mexico, this was very nice, nice balance of tannin, fruit and hints of spice, wondering if it is just a bit asleep right now... either that or maybe we should drink in the next 2-4 yrs... not soft at all -- which is encouraging -- but the palate didn't see loaded with material or super bright / tense / energetic
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good, not quite great. I feel this is in an excellent spot right now; probably won't improve much from here but will be enjoyable for many more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Same btl as R&R. I'd happily drink this wine again. A beautiful combination of the lush '97 vintage and the structured masculinity you find in Monte Bello. I'd love to own a couple of these for prosperity. Maybe just a smidge behind in its evolution of the structure vs. the 90 Dominus. Also more robust at the moment. Don't think this saw a lot of air before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wines That Really, Truly Don't Suck (in the least) (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple red color. don't recall if this had a decant or just some slow-O time. Drank 1 glass over two hours. Another wine that's almost 20 years old that you'd never suspect was that old. Mint, creme de cassis, Brad noted the coconut here too. This is dense, full bodied, layered black fruits, creme de cassis, blackberry, tart, licorice, good acid, long. 93+pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP after a Napa Cab tasting (Battle BV). You'd never guess this wine was 19 years old! Ruby core with a hint of garnet at the rim, this was immediately open for business. Black fruit, plum, spice, and earth were at the front, then tinges of tobacco, violet, mint and oak to balance out the finish. Tannins are near resolution, but given the depth and balance this could be a 30+ year wine easy. WOW!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Christmas Eve - beef tenderloin, potatoes with leeks, roast carrots. Cork broke - but none made it to the wine. Decanted 30 minutes before first glass. Purple/crimson, almost opaque, good color to the rim. Jane and Pete got a musty note on the nose, which blew away quickly. I didn't catch that. We all got wood, dark fruit, very perfumed. Dry, full body, still tannin (although mellowing out), cherry and more, still a powerful presence in the glass, full dark. Not fading, but not gaining ground either.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red-violet. Complex, powerful, changing nose: pipe tobacco, red cherry, spearmint, arboreal forest, macadam, fig jam, cedar chest. On arrival, fine medium tannin and firm acidity; this one is young. Palate-coating, deep fruit and rare intensity. Extremely long finish, complex, "first growth" identity. I'll remember this bottle for quite some time. Thanks Fritz and Phoebe.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For me 4th rank, overall 5th place with an average of 95,9 points.
Very concentrated fruits as black currant and cherries, mint and eucalyptus reminding to martha's vineyard, extract sweetness, coco-cola in the palate, spicy and herbal in the finish, fullbodied and still young with a vitalizing acidity, 97-98
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Mouthwatering, well-defined red and black fruit. Gorgeous freshness, this is the best of both (new and old) worlds... Spice-box seasoning (pepper, cloves, cinnamon), beefy/meaty component too. A wine approaching its prime drinking window. Respect! (my #7; group #5; 93-98)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet with red and dark forest fruits, sweet spices and beautiful oak. Ripe and rich. On the palate beautiful fruits, soft sweet spices, a lot of sweetness, but also great acidity. Good and still youthful tannin. Very harmonious. A truly great new world, but also classical wine. Mature, but no hurry at all. This will still be a feast 5+ years from now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium/full bodied, with a fresh, vibrant, crisp, clean personality, the serves up a beautiful display of fresh, ripe, cherries and plums with the right amount of lift to keep things going. But it lacks the weight and depth of the better vintages for this often stunning wine.
Checking in on some younger Bordeaux and other treasures with a fellow collector friend. This wine recently came in first in a 15year vertical by a group of aficionados I know. Reason enough to buy a bottle and see as the 1997 vintage is of course a Napa classic. TN: Medium garnet with brick rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with tobacco eucalyptus, cedar wood, pine tree. Great complexity with a distinctively Californian profile - surely not Medoc but could possibly be taken for a super Tuscan as well from the nose. Enters the palate medium bodied, almost light, with great elegance and fully dissolved, soft tannins. Ripe fruit buffered by excellent tannins and freshness. This Santa Cruze Mouintain gem is far from the sometimes opulent but rather monolithic Napa offerings. Paul Draper knows his craft! Monte Bello remains one of the best and classy CabSav blend offerings of the US despite many strong competitors from Napa and Sonoma. I wish more wines of only 12.5% of alcohol had such mid-palate presence and aromatic depth. Outstanding! Fully mature, drink up.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bouteille en parfaite condition, bouchon un peu sec qui a cassé au milieu. Into neck. Dégusté un demi verre pour décider si on carafe ou non. Carafé durant 1 heure avant de déguster. Couleur grenat foncé avec quelques nuances orangées de ci de là. Le premier nez est toujours un peu poussiéreux et le passage en carafe lui a fait le plus grand bien. Le nez est très bordelais avec beaucoup de notes de fruits noirs, de fumée, de mocca. La bouche, elle, est plus californienne, plus chaude, plus ronde, plus épaisse, torréfiée mais sans lourdeur aucune. Le vin montre aussi une certaine complexité, notamment avec une finale très longue et savoureuse. Cela faisait presque 3 ans que je n'avais pas bu ce vin et cette bouteille était bien supérieure à la précédente. Selon moi, le vin est à pleine maturité et devrait y rester durant 5 à 10 ans encore.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What an amazing wine. We enjoyed this last night to celebrate the Supreme Court's marriage equality ruling and it is drinking beautifully right now. Decanted for an hour, it was a bit tight when we first tasted, but after decanting it opened beautifully. It still has plenty of time, but we only had one bottle and the time was right! We are going to get a couple more vintages to enjoy down the line.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice dark fruits. Not a young wine but still a long ways to go. Fruit was tasty but there wasn't a whole lot of complexity. A mag left and will try to save it for another 10 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
South Charlotte Wine Lovers - California Bordeaux Blends (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Drank alongside a Pahlmeyer '05 and this was the winner. What struck me about this bottle was that it clearly had the benefits of AGE without tasting OLD. Too many times a 15+ bottle of wine can taste "old", done and a bit musky versus tasting like and "aged wine" where you can pick up on the tertiary flavors that are usually hidden in a wine's youth. Excellent.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright, youthful and still with nerve. Mostly blueberry and currant with mild tannins. Fell apart a bit on the second night so advise drinking in one setting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nice juice , very well made , not great but very good , had many hallmark characteristics of classic cali claret ............ unfortunately this was my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flowers and licorice nose. Picking up some nuts and chocolate underneath black fruits. Clean, smooth finish. Only quibble is it is lacking some fruit although picking up more and more over the course of the night. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paris Tasting in Zwolle (again... at last) (De Librije - Zwolle): Kleur: Diep donker rood, enorme kleurintensiteit Aroma / bouquet: Nog een beetje gesloten, ingehouden aroma, veel sluimerende power, donker fruit, zwarte bessen, inkt, potloodslijpsel. Powerwijn met potentieel. Smaak / Afdronk: Wow!. Dik sap, indrukwekkende concentratie, zacht zuur, krachtige tannines met een prettige bite, indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Heerlijk glas. Voor mijn smaak: VEEL te jong. Royaal decanteren is aanbevolen. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep dark red, great color intensity Aroma / bouquet: Still a little closed, restrained aroma, much latent power, dark fruit, blackcurrant, ink, pencil shavings. Power Wine with potential Taste / Finish:. Wow !. Thick juice, impressive concentration, soft acid, powerful tannins with a pleasant bite, impressive length General / potential.: Delicious glass. For my taste: WAY too young. Generously decanting is recommended. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Double Birth Year Celebration (San Diego): Not decanted. Clear inky garnet color. Stunning bouquet of black and red currants, blackberries and cherries along with their respective liqueurs, eucalyptus, mocha, nutmeg, cloves. Rich, generous, balanced, full body, everything in beautiful proportion, acidity and tannins providing amazing structure. My #3 and group's THIRD PLACE (tie) in this flight.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took 2-3 hours to open up. When it did lots of Mocha, cassis and dark fruits. Fruit hasn't faded at all but took a while to come around. Just got better with time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
California Mavericks @ Five Sails: 12.9% abv (85% Cab Sauv, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc). Nose was on the more muted side: earth, blueberries and slight spice. Little in way of tannins, some acidity present… overall a more elegant wine. Drank alongside a '97 Dominus, and this was, not surprisingly, overpowered. Thought I'd like this more of the two… but didn't.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
after 45 from opening wine was approachable but still tight Fruit in the nose with a hint of slate Earthy mineral flavor, graphite or slate, dark fruits a very complex wine Will kèèp my last bottle for a while longer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Not sure if we didn't like it as much this time because of our change in taste or the fact that if followed a flight of old world wines made its modern and a touch overdone on the oak side more visible. A lot of sweet oak on the nose and palate that eclipse an otherwise very good wine. The solid ripe fruit is there, rich core, dark in colour as if its a 2005 Bordeaux. Just shame for that overdone sweet oak nose. No need for that in such a ripe vintage... 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kass kork som gick i tusen bitar. Men vad gör det när själva vinet är helt fantastiskt? Söt svartvinbärsfrukt men utan att bli sliskigt eller sött. Lager på lager av frukt, ceder, kryddor och kakao. Nedslipade tanniner men ändå så mycket tryck i detta. Helt i balans, mycket fin mognad. Mycket bra.
Tasted double blind, this showed ripe fruit with a slightly darker edge than the 1994 tasted before it. Guessed Cali cab. Pretty wine, shows the greatness of Ridge Monte Bello. 92-93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted for one hour and enjoyed with brisket Really still excellent. Nose has faded a bit but what is there is fresh bright fruit and pleasant finish that complements food and is refreshing...exactly what wine should be
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It took about 5 hours to drink this but it just kept getting better as it opened. It was tight to start, slightly tart but opened to a nice balanced bordeaux blend with soft tannins and dark cherry tones
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened but not decanted and drank slowly over several hours. Would have benefitted from a decant and warmer than the near cellar temperature at which we drank it. Lovely evolving wine that is taut-featured rather than fleshy and has a super feminine elegance to it. All the classic Monte Bello charm is here together with an elegance brought about by the 12.5% alcohol. A wonderful bridge between Napa and Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Very dark almost to rim, tiny red rim; chocolate, tobacco, sweet red currant, cinnamon, rich deep and youthful; sweet, softer tannin, sandalwood, red currant, rich and satisfying, structured but not drying, minty finish; very good and too young, give this another 5 years; couldn't fool more than a couple into saying Bordeaux, this still had the California glycerin to it; 93+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classical Californian Wineries (Zurich): Tasted blind: Intensive deep garnet color. Nose of Creme de Cassis and cooked cherries. Nice sweetness, smooth as silk and very balanced. Dark berries and Bourbon Vanilla. Overall I am missing a bit the length and complexity, but this is complaining at a high level. I prefer the 1996 Monte Bello. For the 1997 drink now to - 2030.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge wines with Paul Draper (Stockholm): Medium red colour with a lighter edge. Nose with clearly developed notes with barnyard and some leather, spice, blackcurrants. Full-bodied with ripe and concentrated blackcurrants on the palate, very well integrated and polished tannins, spice, long aftertaste. Very polished and elegant style. Good development, can take much more cellaring. This wine showed much more pure fruit notes and was smoother and more polished than the 1994 or 1999, which contributed to my opinion that the 1997 clearly was the best wine of the three at this tasting. It definitely came across as Bordeaux-like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Vineyards with Mr. & Mrs. Paul Draper: Slightly less complex colour scheme vs. the '94. Kirsch, sweet fruit on the nose, less barnyard and more fruit cocktail. Inviting, generous bouquet. Fruity, suave palate, with that recurring Monte Bello theme of chewy crisp red fruit. Finishes on a peppery note, controlled acids. Long and harmonious. Best in the line-up tonight: everything in order, keeping all its parts together. Maybe less ostentatious than the '94 and the '99, but wins on harmony and ease of drink. Very very good. Drink or keep, no hurry. 94-96/97.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Agricola in Princeton with Gary and Danielle. Followed an Antica Terra Pinot. Drank side by side with a 97 Dominus.
Only decanted for about 30 minute prior to drinking, still performed well and was clear favorite over the Dominus for this crew. During the decant we could pick up the nose across the table...
Classic MB, nose was Bordeaux-like with pencil/graphite, red cherry, tobacco, leather
Red and black cherry, cedar, floral, spice. Blackberry and dark fruits came through mid palate. Tannins mostly resolved Long, 30 second finish. Clear favorite for our guests over the Dominus. The ideal combination of Bordeaux sophistication and rich Calif fruit - the reason to love Monte Bello...Low alcohol, restrained, elegant...will give the next bottle a longer decant
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at tutored tasting at Berry Bros, London - still fresh nose, blackcurrant, mint nose, quite soft black fruits with lovely poise - very much on song - ideal drinking window
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very good but not a stand out Ridge MB, had over three notes, best on night two, great acid for sure, nice texture and mouthfeel, ever so slight tannins - the texture was more about the juice itself, more green / mint notes on night one and on nights two and three there was some light fruits to balance the savory, a small dark cherry and some strawberry too... very nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a fine wine with a very nice nose and good structure. Lovely fruit but even if its fresh for cali standard it is still a bit jammy for my more European pallet. One glass is fab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Icon Dinner (Chambar - Vancouver, BC): Beautiful feminine nose that's showing some age, displaying aromas of cedar, graphite, red cherries, fresh mint, show leather, blueberries, and a touch of prune. Lots of red and black cherries appear on the palate, along with some more mint, cedar and graphite, yet now with some clove spice appearing. A moderate amount of acid is still hanging in there with light tannins that are mostly resolved. Medium length finish ending on notes of black cherries, cedar, and clove. While the nose was quite modest and restrained, the palate appeared tired and was a bit dilute and lacking fruit which surprised me. This bottle was clearly more advanced than it should be and wouldn't be fair to rate based on this showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordal à Bernex (Cabernets majoritaires) (Chez moi): Bouteille en parfaite condition. Décantée 2H avant dégustation. Couleur proche du violet, magnifiquement brillante. Pourtant, le débat a duré toute la soirée quant à savoir si ce vin était bouchonné ou non. Le nez faisait parfois penser que oui et parfois que non... En bouche l'unanimité fût retrouvée pour dire non. Quelle belle puissance civilisée offre ce vin, j'aime beaucoup même si ce n'était sans doute pas la meilleure bouteille! 8H plus tard, le nez n'était toujours pas au mieux...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double-decanted for 4 hours then fully decanted for a further 2 hours before serving. Dark semi-opaque black-red colour. Nose is restrained but very impressively pitch-perfect blackberry, blackcurrant aand blueberry fruit enwrapped with graphite, pencil lead and nicely integraed oak and tannins. Palate follows the nose....... a gorgeous sensation of grippy Bordeaux just entering its opening drinking window with enough touch of fruit-emphasised power to clearly identify it as a New World tier-1 play on Bordeaux. Great enjoyment in the mouth and on the finish. A really super wine.....and it really showed how the "good old days" of when Napa produced 12.5% alcohol wines made them something very special. It has come on a long way since I last drank it in August 2008. I have probably underscored this because Todd and I drank it distracted by family who wanted to finish dinner quickly and get outside for the communal Halloween party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Cherries, caramel and ripe berry notes. Sweetness (red berries), still tannic but very balanced. I am not sure in which direction this wine is going. Maybe decanting would help. If I have to bet on the 1996 or 1997 I would put my money on the 1996! Drink now - 2025.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this bottle at Dinner at Opus Prime. I did not take notes but this bottle was drinking beautifully. The finish just keep going... I will be seeking out more of the '97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still big, tannic and youthful. A delight for the nose after 2-3 hours. Lots of the notes from '09 hold true, with that wonderful graphite especially notable. Tannins, however, almost appear more pronounced at this time. This wine has oodles of time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
a huge wine with a ton of tannin still present. The fruit is hiding back there though, and I suspect this wine could have used another decade. however, since this is my first monte bello experience, its hard to say.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Retains a purple hue and is still tannic it I found the fruit a bit tired though it picked up a tiny bit after an hour. This was well stored and ridnpt have overt TCA seems a weaker version of prior bottles so I am guessing flawed
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic Cabernet nose and palette. Also a showcase of how good American oak can be if properly selected and coopered. Very elegant, extremely balanced. Surprisingly youthful, with little hints of it being 15 years old. Only downside was a slight hollow note on the front palette. California meets Bordeaux!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and let sit; will decant an hour before dinner. After an hour in the decanter - very dark red, no signs of browning at all. Medium nose mostly savory and cedar with some ripe fruit as well. On the palate - soft lush fruit and then echoing the nose with a savory and long finish; quite a ripe Montebello. Over time this further integrates in a lovely way - excellent complexity on the nose; soft and ripe but with sufficient acidity to make it enjoyable - a hybrid California-Bordeaux wine. I would say this is at peak; and only 12.9% abv!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dimitri's going away Dinner, Mostly blind (Dimi's House, London): Blind tatsted. Decanted for about 20mins. Lots of sweet oak notes on the nose, at points felt like a modern style barolo. Big wine, lot sof fruit but maybe a touch too much oak at the moment. MB usually assimilates oak much better than this so maybe we should have decanted longer. Good fruit and lots of life ahead of this. 92-94 at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour. Tighter and more acidic than previous bottle. It also tasted younger and more Bordeaux than the last one. If served blind, I would have thought French for sure. 92/93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On opening the bottle it was a bouquet of fruit for the aroma. It was very dark colored with red fruits on tasting. Front end and mid palate were awesome. It had a very short finish. It may be that this half bottle was on the downside, never the less a spectacular wine for my first Monte Bello!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Private Tasting: Best of the US (Waterford Wine, Milwaukee): Notes of leather and raisin fruit. Secondary going on tertiary notes, with a little bit of meatyness. Palate is lovely and smooth, somewhat velvety in texture. There's flavours of coffee and mocha, with its ripe brambly fruit still present. The lingering acidity gives it a real freshness despite its age, and there remains a good chunky tannic bite too. Lovely wine, demonstrating well how Ridge Monte Bellos can age rather nicely indeed. Bravo!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At first this was quite full and ripe and played to the cliche of the over-done US red wine but time in glass really allowed this to show its undoubted class. Charcoal, black fruit, fine tannins and structure wrapped around pashmina soft fruit. Really elegant and just creeping into a decent drinking window. Truth be told, I think it needs another 5 years to let it mature a touch more and really strut its stuff. This really is quite an excellent wine - just do it justice and let it age properly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant, sophisticated, balanced, powerful, however not dominating, and without the traditional American abundance of sweet fruit. To me very French. Needed a 4-6 hour decant. Some French chateus searching for their identity should look to this American producer for guidance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle (Monvinic (Barcelona)): Opened for 3 hours. Medium to dark cherry color. Intense and appealing nose of liquor, bitterness, kirsh liquor, ripe black fruits, green pepper. On palate has a nice straight entry, very fresh, fruity, present tannins, some dryness, high acidity, good nerve, long fruity finish. I was very impressed by this wine, the controlled power and elegance, nerve and vivacity. Didn't seem at all like a 16 year old wine, still plenty of life ahead. Definitively worth to try again. Excellent. (93-95+).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Football and Wines from the 90s @ Mike J (Wilton, CT): Dense, monolithic and mineral-rich. This was not decanted, and it probably should have been. The ingredients for a great wine are there, but this seemed a bit closed and ungiving at the moment. Let this sleep.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark fruit on the nose after about an hour in the decanter. The mid was filled with oak which was a surprise and the wine had an excellent long finish. quite good stuff
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Finesse rather than power - very classy. More in the fruit than the earthy register but very refined and balanced - cassis, blackberry with some forest floor, slight mint and flowers. Could easily be mistaken as a high end Bordeaux. Velvety tannins almost make you forget they are there. Hints of further complexity to come in the lengthy finish. Beautiful bottle now - will likely get even better over the next 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent bottle. 94 pts now but should improve with more time. Notes are very similar to Beekeeper's. WOTN that included a 2002 Chateau Lafitte (excellent), a 1997 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita (slightly corked), and a 2008 Decades 5 Petit Verdot (good).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): served double blind – 6hr decant. I thought this was a large producing Napa cab that was maturing quickly—maybe ’00. No Santa Cruz Mtn character at all for me. Almost a petrol/VA nose, with leather and cedar. Pleasant, soft palate of ripe currants and cassis, with a dried berry finish with some dry tannins. Lacking in verve and complexity(for this producer), and if anything seemed slightly over the hill. Very disappointing upon reveal. Over decanted or slightly off bottle? No obvious flaw.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this blind. Very hard to get right. Some Bordeaux tones, but from where? None of the typical US cab dominated typical personalities. So my guess was finally Spain and Priorat. A very nice wine, with good signs of maturity and well composed and integrated tastes. Good stuff!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Monte Bello 1994-2000 Vertical with Eric Baugher (Handford Wines, London): Among Eric’s favourite vintages with good ripe fruit and high yields. Made almost double the amount of wine in 97 than on a normal year. Some oak on the nose, less of Bordeaux more California. Elegant wine. Alive and has a very nice fresh feel to it. Really long and lush. A proper big California Cabernet but still very nicely balanced and with a nice long finish. Shame the nose is on the mild side. 80%+Cabernet. We will look to buy some for sure. 93+ drink now but has good life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, slightly faded at the edge. Nose with blackcurrants, some plum compote, hints of eucalyptus and mint, some barnyard aromas and spice, some tar. More flowery aromas and violets developed with time in the glass. Some developed notes but very young and fruity nose, very nuanced. Medium bodied++, palate with dark berries, good acidity, impression of sour berries, noticeable but softened tannins, spice. Rather developed, but still slightly young, drinkable but should gain further from some five more years (2016+). 92-93 p
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Nose with cassis fruit, charred wood notes and raisin. Ground coffee and espresso notes. Almost overripe. Palate is quite mature has a soft texture and although super-ripe the wine is not as concentrated as other vintages were. Flavours were inky, tarry and leathery with a licorice and iodine dimension to it. Complex wine with good management of tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This must be the earliest drinking vintage of Ridge Monte Bello I have ever tasted. This forward Cabernet Sauvignon offers earth, cassis, blackberry, tobacco and forest floor aromas. Medium/full bodied and soft in texture, for Ridge, this is not a vintage that requires additional cellaring. It's already drinking perfecly today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Spectator Offline, San Diego (Grant Grill, U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego): Darkest of all the wines tonight. Inky blood-garnet. Formidable bouquet of sweet boysenberry pie, cedar, cocoa, leather. Felt heavier, more fatiguing on the palate, than some of the others, but what's wrong with that? A powerful wine that commands attention and, like the 1992 Dominus, needed more decanting than it received.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
High End Cabernets $100 plus: Wow! This is drinking well with black cherry, licorice, subtle spices and minerals. Acidity level is perfect and a complex finish. This wine should age another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hi-End Cabs/Bordeaux Blends Offline, Blind ($100+) (Minneapolis): Very dark red color/no bricking. 45 minute decant. Nose has sweet fruits, cassis, plum, some earth and florals, spicebox, and smoke. The palate is quite lush with black fruits and adding black licorice. Deeply concentrated, but elegant, prominent acidity, fine tannins, and a long finish. This is a lovely wine with classic Bordeaux caharacter. Probably at its peak now. Outstanding. My #2 WOTN and group #3 WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monte Bello Cabernet Offline (Gauthier London): More youthful looking than the 98. More purple than red. Hotter on the nose and palate. A much 'bigger' wine. But not 'better'. From a warmer and more highly rated vintage but it seems a touch too ripe and big. This needs more time to settle down into a more recognisable Ridge MB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautiful, elegant wine. The nose doesn't impress. Wonderfully balanced with fully integrated tannins. The mid-palate is a bit thin, but the finish is wonderful. A very enjoyable wine for it's subtlety and finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic; full of ripe dark fruits and berries framed by vanilla, toast and cedary elements in a package that's full bodied, rich and impeccably balanced with all the flavour components merging together seamlessly. This still feels very young with plenty of primary fruit and tannic structure, but it's already great to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sandwiched between the beautifully accessible 1996 and 1998, the 97 Monte Bello is rather shy and tightly wound at present. As with every vintage tasted the purity of the fruit is deeply impressive but the oak here is yet to fully integrate. A little more funk and slightly more confected on the nose than other vintages on offr. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shiny deep red color. Nose opens with dried plums, "wet gravel road" and limestone. Then layers of blackcurrant and blueberries, green bell pepper, ripe Swiss cheese and white chocolate. Unbelievable nose. On the palate the 97 vintage is really impressive. Fruit and minerals balanced together with more of the Swiss cheese flavors. Subtle hints of smoked tree branch on an amazingly long finish. Finish is never ending The 1997 vintage of Ridge Monte Bello really is an outstanding wine. 95+ Points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark crimson coloured. Unlike my last bottle, the nose is quite reserved with very subtle aromas of blackcurrant, mint and a touch of toast. Long and layered, in perfect balance yet still showing quite a youthful flavour profile. Glorious velvety palate with silky black fruit; cassis, kirsch and ground coffee beans. Stunning wine. At the tasting Eric Baugher stated that he thinks this still has 10 years to go before it's fully ready.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted as part of a Sampler tasting. Herbal and blackcurrant notes on the nose. THe palate is where this wine performs however. Initial blackcurrant/cassis moving into herbal and secondary flavours. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark glossy ruby red; not showing any sign of age. Powerful and stunning nose, ripe and very complex with ever-changing aromas of sweet cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mint and a delicate touch of toasty oak. The palate is young, luscious and full of flavour yet fresh and perfectly balanced. There are seamless layers of cassis, ripe blackberry fruit, mint, roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate. The ripe fleshy flavours are endless and last for minutes. Utterly brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very deep purple color , nose was nice nothing great or overpowering , one dimensional on the palette......used a new aerator that opened the wine up very quickly where some of the character opened up a bit...a fine bottle of wine , bordering on strong 87-89 type rating
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This took a good hour to warm and open in decanter. At first it was a bit sour. But that integrated to reveal a maturing wine. raspberry, dirt and charcoal on the nose. Flavors are ample, maybe a bit lean an maturing. Raspberry, earth, still moderate tannins, acidity that was maybe just a bit on the high side. Still looks great, purple and not browning but just a bit lightening with age. About as good as this gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep reddish purple. Dark fruit and earth on the nose. Narrow on entry with fruit notes expanding mid-palate. Sharp, medium, slightly acidic finish with furry tannins. Not bad but wouldn't seek to buy again. 50+9+7+16+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose - deep, dark, porty black plum and red cherry, hints of redwood and eucalyptus. Black peppercorn, black plum, intense black currant, grit and sap. Needs 10+ years. 93+ pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): All but the goodtaster really liked this wine. It was balanced, elegant, and very fruity. Mint, molasses, cream and cane syryp on the nose, the wine had soft tannins, high acidity, little minerality, and various fruit flavors, including cranberry, pomegranate, black plum. The goodtaste naysayer tasted pyrazine (as they say, good in sauvignon blanc, bad in red as the smell delivers a patch of vegetables you don't like), eucalyptus, mint, and anise, without much fruit. It only takes one on a jury, here it took one to teach us all about pyrazine. But the wine tied with the other two anyway.....a hung jury.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful expression of old school California wines. A little funk at the beginning on the nose but it perfumed nicely over time along with smoked meat and eucalyptus tones. From beginning to end, this wine showed some nice acidity but very well balanced, however the silkiness and effort-less-ness of drinking this wine was the high point. On the palate flavors of dark cherries, green tea, caramel and dusty coco is apparent. A little mineral on the finish and last maybe 10-15 seconds, but I liked it. I can’t see this getting much better with time, but will last quite a few more years in it’s currant state and I’m searching for more right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose - warm, roasted fruit, mint, wintergreen, smooth, dusty, black elderberry, black currant, cedar, hint of tobacco, very slight hint of prune om the finish. Drinking well now, should continue to improve for at least 5 years, then hold steady for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot. 12.9% ABV The low percentage of Merlot is explained by the fact that in 1997 Ridge bottled a Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot. Nose of smoked meats and cassis. Rich, smooth and balanced with good acidity. Flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and cedar leading into a long finish. A lovely wine that's yet to peak. http://scmwine.blogspot.com/2009/05/2008-monte-bello-final-assemblage.html
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
gorgeous; beautiful balance of still young smooth dark cherry and blueberry, cassis with bright acidity; complex notes of tobacco, oak, tannins in the background; this is a thoroughbred and and is stlll getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind: Opened for 3 hours prior to drinking.
Sexy and rich blend, was guessed by a few to be a younger, left-bank Bordeaux. Lots of fruit, cassis, hints of vanilla, tobacco, and drinking very nicely now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definetly a Bordeaux blend and a delicious example of one , one hour in a decanter & it improved all night consumed w/ a Shafer HSS 1999 and it was elegance vs size & power . The Monte Bello was Barbie all curves and sexy but in a beautiful natural way , the Shafer was GI Joe ,all American , muscular and equally attractive in it's own genre . The Monte Bello evolved beautifully over the evening and the last hour we were just smelling the empty glass discussing what was there . A great bottle of wine in a very nice place right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine had a hint of mustiness on the nose and in the palate that I found off-putting just a bit. Nose also included whiskey barrel and crushed raspberries with flavors of sour cherry (bright acidity) and oak. I did not hold together real well though, falling apart about 4 hours after opening. Not sure if if would have recovered. I would say this is a good wine, not worth $60 on futures though. Monte Bello, in my experience, is a real hit-or-miss proposition and this was on the side of miss. Like Lagavulin 16 or most any 12+ peaty scotch, the mustiness or smokiness that others have described, is an acquired taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Simply lovely. Full, bright and deep red in color - no sign of age whatsoever. Very lively nose of violet perfume with hints of pencil lead/graphite. Wonderful full yet balanced palate of bing cherry, other medium to dark fruit, chocolate, and just the slightest touch of wood. Brilliant, bright acidity focuses the finish, and sweet tannins last on the tongue. Good times.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very dark red;complex nose of cedar,herbs, chocolate, cassis evolving over 3 hrs, never faded; still tightly wound but starting to show some polish of age, long way to go; great balance long finish but subtle- you have to look for it.
Definite VA in the nose, very lite and not unattractive but could be off putting for those sensitive to vinegar.......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thanksgiving Day with appetizers. No way it would go with the main event. The gathering was a good excuse to try it so we did. Color: Dark ruby with the barest hint of brown edge. Nose of dusty blueberries and ripe black cherries. A hint of a stewed plummy fruit aroma. Typical hint of MB mint or some similar herb. Sweet oak and fruit melange of Draper perfume stilll present. Palate is medium bodied. No lack of fruit throughout but the wine is very light on its feet. Very subtle and smooth texture as would befit its 12.9 percent alcohol level. Obviously not hot and one cannot detect any alcohol presence at all. Still on the younger fruit dominant side of plum and blueberry, sweet oak tones, with lesser secondary notes of earth, mint, very mild tobacco. Medium length finish with well integrated not really noticeable tannins at all. A typically complex well crafted Monte Bello made in a more elegant style than usual (although most MB's are balanced and elegant by design). It actually kind of reminded me of the 99 Lytton Springs. I liked both wines of course. I think the vintage can go on for quite a few more years, especially if you like more secondary aromas and flavors in your wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Finally a bottle of 1997 Monte Bello that was very good. 33% is a pretty poor performance, Ridge. This wine has a very nice complex nose of cassis, simmering tomato sauce and outdoors after rain that has been a long time coming (sort of fresh dirt and mustiness combined). Mature but very balance flavors of dark cherries, chocolate, anise and even a dirt component, although I know this is not from Rutherford. A very nice bottle, balanced, well integrated acidity and tannins and not enough alcohol to leave you drooling when you finish the bottle. Needs careful decanting. I hope my other three are here instead of where the previous two were.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with Greg and Sayo over an indulgent dinner at Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong. Almost black, inpenetrable colour. Very Bordeaux-style nose of graphite and cedar but a bit restrained. Great palate with excellent depth of fruit, some sweetness but needing time to unfold and show its true multi-dimensionality with caramel and coffee appearing. Huge length with good " in your head" resonance but just doesn't hang together as a whole as much as you'd expect....a bit too sweet and too much heat to be great. Disappointing compared to any other Ridge Monte Bello I have drank in the past, all the more so because of the great year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A major disappointment for a Cali icon, this bottle was just off. There was an indiscernable funk of something that was not dramatic, just a little something, at first we thought TCA but it was not in the nose, certainly not brett, almost like a bad barrel. Could this have been from the bad old days when Ridge had TCA in the cellar? So the wine had a nose that was closed, sort of blackberry brambles and a bit of evergreen. On the palate, that indiscernable component, a pretty good dose of tannin and acidity with blueberry, sous bois and a minerality of place. Just a weak bottle and let's hope #'s 3-6 are better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
started off a bit hot with dried out earthy fruit and and sharp tannin. After a couple hours of air rounded out well with ripe blackberry, currant and actually some chocolate tones which I rarely get on Monte Bello. Really good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought to SD offline. Have had this wine 3 times recently, and although I love the earthy/fruit blend nose, and nice attack, there seems to be something missing in the mid-palate. As they say "there's a hole in the middle". Fortunately it redeems with a nice dusty finish ... good fruit and a little chocolate. Just a tiny essance of green, not as much as most Ridges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(Drank at Capital Grille.) I didn't expect this to eclipse the Krug that preceded it, but it did. It's a mystery to me why Ridge's Monte Bello doesn't have the cult following that its more over-the-top CaliCab brothers enjoy. This is simply regal, with a calm, cool, and collected Bordeaux-like profile of spice box, currant, and charcoal. The structure is taut and upright but graceful. The 12.9% alcohol is a welcome departure from the norm (though I'm not one who regularly whines about 14+ alcohol). It's the perfect steakhouse Cab: sleek, powerful, balanced, brooding, and subtle all at once.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black cherries, as swished between teeth it turned toward red and then green pepper. Can a wine be 94 points while also being "fun," even a little wild? This was. Certainly still spry in its middle age. Wise with a wink. A pleasure to know.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think this wa a little short on the nose with some red fruits and mature flavors but a little weak for a Monte Bello. Is this wine going through a dumb phase right now? Consumed with prime rib on Christmas. Perhaps suffered from a United plane ride (checked bags) to Redding, CA from IAH?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Private dinner with friends. (@ PVa): This is a beauty of a wine. In the bouquet the Bordeaux blend is very clear. In the mouth it offers a lot of complexity, but the fruit is riper than in Bordeaux. The wine is sweeter compared to Bordeaux (which is my reference), and I do not always like that. But in this wine, with its complexity and constitution, everything is in perfect harmony. Now I know I need to drink more of the better American wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Barbecue with friends and a humble winemaker (Somewhere Downtown!): This was a ringer, after trying old Burgs, Bordeaux, and older vintage Cali wines. The richness and structure on this is huge. Big, black, inky fruits with tar, smoke, and loads of new toasty oak. It's already 10 years old, but acts like a little baby with teeth gripping tannins and bold black fruits. The balance is phenomenal, and drinks wonderfully right now, particularly with a fat, rich steak or braised beef, but will benefit from cellaring for many years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My wine of the night. Deep garnet (again) with a ripe and deep blackberry nose that has a wonderful earthiness to it. Explosive palate, lovely fruit with great depth. This is the first wine that I really got complex and layered flavors out of. Just super. (94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still somewhat tannic, it mellowed out after an hur in a decanter. A nice Ridge, but not a great one. It did not have the depth or structure of the better years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
STILL COULD USE TIME BUT RICH BLACK CURRANT FRUIT WITH BLACK BERRIES AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby, fruit much more restrained on nose. I found something unsettling about this though, an almost dusty, mealy tannic structure, would have liked to come back to it. Have to add a question mark to the score at this time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WIML91,WA90-91,WS93 Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Aromas showed a some bell pepper, crushed cherries and wet stone. Just a little of that bell pepper up front on the palate that quickly gave way to camomille, cinnamon, crushed red cherries and a dash of mint. I wasn’t quite as impressed with this wine as many others were that evening but this is still a pretty good Monte Bello. I’d recommend holding another 3-5 years before trying again and see where it takes you from there. I’m passing at this price point myself.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still somewhat tight and a little thinner than I was expecting from my first Ridge MB. Nice color and aromas plumb and toasted wood. Decent fruit flavors on the palate, but that big mouthfeel I expect from a top-flight Cali Cab just wasn't there. Decent, but definitely not a WOW.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great young Cal. cab. Still tightly wound, but delicious anyways. Dark, opaque purple. Complex nose of menthol, mint, cassis, espresso. Velvety and lush on the palate, and a long, expansive finish. This should improve, and last a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/4/2024 - phandley66 wrote: 94 Points
Much more approachable then last two bottles. Lots of cherry, cola. Not much tannin. Definitely at peak or slightly past. Would drink now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2024 - DoubleD1969 wrote:
Drank next to the 1997 Ornellaia. Both bottles were double decanted in the afternoon then brought to the Hawksmoor NYC.
Ornellaia: 65% Cab, 30% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc.
The nose was a bit more expressive while decanting. Notes of raspberries, dried herbs, and wet earth. At the restaurant, a bit of barnyard crept in. Color had a maroon core that gradually lightened towards the edges. Looking at it next to the Ridge, it was obviously lighter in color. Wine was silky with tannins fully resolved. Dried red fruit, pomegranate seeds, oregano, and mushroom/earthy kind of taste. Still excellent.
Ridge MB: 85% Cab, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc.
Like the Ornie when decanting, the nose was full of eucalyptus, black licorice, and graphite which receded somewhat (may have been the restaurant) and let the crushed black cherry fruit to emerge. Color was mostly opaque. Much fuller-bodied than the Ornellaia with the dark cherry, blackberry, forest floor combo. Fantastic as always. A better match for the charcoal-grilled steaks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2024 - Ward Huang Likes this wine: 99 Points
Slow-ox for 12 hrs at cellar temp. Much better than last bottle. Decanting in the bottle with long time and less oxygen really helps showcase its full potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2024 - A&C Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is an incredible wine. Simply stunning. I put this up there with one of the best bottles I've had over the course of the last couple of years. And it was a 1997. This is a very special wine. If you have any, you're lucky. Thanks to James for sharing last night!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2024 - thesternowl wrote: 95 Points
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Drink now through 2040.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2024 - rcg62 wrote: 97 Points
Wow wine. Youthful looking still, and the palate is plush and feels young in the same way. Feels like there are many years ahead. Huge nose, so tart and red-fruity and floral. Fruit bomb palate that lingers and still coats the teeth. Dare I say it? It will improve the next five years or so. (Admitted bias. I love Monte Bello!)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2023 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine:
Last bottle of a 6-bottle purchase years ago. Very similar note to what I wrote in January. Crumbly and PITA cork. Double decanted and drank about half hour later. Delicious wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
11/23/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Thanksgiving Wimps 2023 - Alfred Stieglitz Table (La Trompette): The sommelier said "woof". We all said woof. This is still developing, still building in intensity. A lovely wine and good Monte Bello. My wine of the lunch.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2023 - llink wrote: 94 Points
PNP at birthday dinner with the St Jeans. Classic MB nose of dill, coconut, blackberries and cassis. Lovely palate just starting to show secondary character with fine grained and silky tannins, lively fruit and a silky texture.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2023 - hprphf wrote: 91 Points
Magnum. Herbal, cool, licorice. 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): Really interesting to see my last note on this because my impression of this wine was almost totally the opposite. To be fair there was some bottle variation across. The first bottle we had was just tired and done. The second and third bottle seemed to have more life to them. Lots more cigar and leather notes though than I would have expected. Still has the black fruits. My impression across all of the bottles was it’s time to drink this up. It started to open with some more time in the glass but I think initial impression still right.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2023 - Ward Huang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lots of fruits, lots of acidity during 4 hours tasting. I have seen many positive notes below but I cannot find more comfortable things in this wine to rate a 97 or higher score. Maybe that is due to I did not decant this wine, or I did not have any other qualified old Bordeaux together to make a comparison.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2023 - merlotsmile Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vinminnen 16
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2023 - phandley66 wrote: 92 Points
Very similar to last time. Still pretty tightly wound. Lots of cedar, cherry. Not sure I see this improving but will be interesting to see how it is in a couple more years. Definitely still drinking very well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
darker and heavier than I expected, but still good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2023 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind. No detailed notes taken. This was good but not on the same level as the Bordeauxs we had before (Gruaud Larose & Conseillante 1989, Evangile 1982). Classic, rather old school Cabernet with a good fruit core and an intense layer of minerality, medium complexity and not perfectly delinated. The structure should allow for many more years of ageing but I‘m not sure the wine will improve much.
Decanting: Not decanted, we followed it over an hour with little change. Doesn‘t seem in need of a very long decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2023 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
cork grudgingly out with an ah so; medium body; lovely mixed berry with secondary notes; tannins mostly resolved; some cedar; aging gracefully, with some elegance
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2023 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Not decanted, but would do a brief double-decant next time. At 25 years old, this is still an intense an bold wine with red and dark currant fruit along with spice, tobacco, mineral notes, a touch of eucalyptus and roasted coffee beans. Juicy and fresh palate, great balance and perfect tension.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2023 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This integrated and minty Cabernet blend is a bit past its prime, but it's tasty and intriguing nonetheless. Like watching a familiar movie, I see certain landmarks - e.g., the dill from the American Oak, the damp and spicy notes from the Santa Cruz Mountains - but this wine deserves to be tasted as of this moment. Some wines get old; others mature: this has done both, but, as of right now, it's a wine worth drinking.
Pomegranate in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, eucalyptus, oregano, and tapenade. The flavors meld together, with seamless notes of dried blueberry, leather, and peppercorn, with a savory finish that has lost some of its verve. Blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cab Franc. 12.9% alcohol. Give it an hour or so to open up, and do mind the sediment. Drink in the next few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2023 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Magnum. Bouchon s’est cassé au milieu mais finalement j’ai réussi à extraire le reste sans trop de soucis. Ouvert 2 heures puis carafé 2 heures.
Robe grenat moyennement brillante.
Au nez, cassis et autres fruits (mûres, framboises), une touche de menthol, épices douces.
Au palais, puissant, volumineux, tannique mais bel équilibre malgré une acidité légèrement déficiente.
Finale longue et suave.
Pour mes goûts, à boire même en magnum, avec de la réserve (7 ans depuis ma dernière bouteille)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2023 - DoubleD1969 wrote:
I’ve had this bottle for at least 12 years from an auction purchase. Tried to open with a corkscrew because I couldn’t find my ah-so. Cork was brittle but wine stains were only at the bottom where it was in contact with the wine.
Decanted. Delicate aromas of of warm plum compote, cedar, and dark chocolate. Color is youthful with an opaque dark core that lightens to a candy apple red edge. Full bodied yet felt light. Initial notes of black tea and crushed sweet Rainier cherries on the palate. Then fresh plums with its acidity. Balanced and delicious. Still has some tannins that hasn’t fully integrated. Many years ahead of it. Sadly, I have just one bottle left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2023 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Cali cab at peak, currants, dark fruit, pencil lead, cedar, well integrated tannins, long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Black currant fruit to it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Now this is concentrated and powerful, meaning youthful. T
While drinkable, compared to the rest young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2022 - llink wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and served. Minimal sediment. Deep red and black color. Beautiful nose, red currant, blackberries, coconut and dill. Robust and mouth filling palate, balanced with a superb texture, and resolved tannins. Very little signs of age. Really good spot tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big, dark, ripe and rich -- still fairly primary, I think this will be better in 5-10 years based on my experience with older Monte Bello. Unless you like to drink young California cabernet, in which case you'll probably love this right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2022 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes before service, which was about right - the wine was largely consistent with the better bottles we've had, and is approaching the end of its plateau of maturity, with a smooth, silky texture, minimal tannins, and complex secondary aromatics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2022 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful; this wine is at a perfect place. Rich, lingering, complex. I don't think it will get any better but will probably drink well for another 5-10 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2022 - Moonie Likes this wine: 98 Points
Collector 1855 in a recent review said it best. A real tour-de-force.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous, big and rich - not what I was expecting! Subtle damson and tobacco and tar on the palate. Surprisingly big structure, high acidity as I would expect. Long and complex. Drinking now will last for decades.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 97 Points
So pure, lazor like precision of fruit and structure. Wonderful. Elegant but not lacking in fruit or body. Long and complex. Drinking beautifully now and will continue to drink well for a long time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 99 Points
Tasted blind in a line up of aged Bordeaux (I smuggled this bottle in, in addition to my 96 Leoville Barton) and this was the clear WOTN, people just loved it). Consistent to my last tasting note. Medium garnet with brick rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with tobacco eucalyptus, cedar wood, pine tree. A bit riper than the Bordeaux but no one spotted it and suggested New World. Enters the palate with density yet very great elegance and fully dissolved, soft tannins. The ripe fruit buffered by well measured tannins and freshness. This Santa Cruze Mountain gem is far from the, all to often, monolithic Napa bruisers. Paul Draper knows his craft! Monte Bello remains one of the best wines from America, period. I wish more wines of only 12.5% of alcohol had such mid-palate presence and aromatic depth. Outstanding! Fully mature. 98-100
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
1/8/2022 - pped2509 wrote:
Bought in a second hand store a few years back. Cost was 5$. Storage could have been anything but bottle level was perfect. Cork, however, was really not in good condition. Therefore decanting was unavoidable.
An old lady, but elegant and of very high class. Less full bodied than you would have expected with perfect storage. Balance, complexity and length was all everything you could hope for. Every sip a privilege.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Wimps Thankgsiving Lunch - Connor Table; 11/25/2021-11/26/2021 (La Trompette): Second taste of this in a week. Truly living my best life. Tasted alongside 96 and 98 - bit muted by comparison, and I wonder whether this is more muted than the bottle we tasted earlier in the week. Either way - stunning stuff, but many years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Ridge Dinner 22 November (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Such a treat. Hard to say anything more than a delicious Monte Bello, just starting to get into maturity. In spite of having been double decanted around 5pm, still tightly coiled in the glass. Opened up over time. This is the kind of wine you could drink a bottle of on your own, over the course of an evening.
My #2 WOTN (and yes - it was a good night...)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2021 - S1 Likes this wine:
Chas Offlineorama VI, Another embarrassment of riches; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Various locations): Ripe dark cherry/almost CdP black tea but with fine tannins. Lots of blueberry. Could use another decade or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Another clear distinction for me. This is starting to get into the wines that are just too young now and need more time. Lots of berries - boysenberry, cranberry, blackberry. A bit woodsy to it. Enjoyable and bright and really for a '97 it's one of the better ones that I've had from Cali.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): This is more herbal in nature, a bit tea like and baking spices and some eucalyptus and maybe even a touch of mint. There's a background of black fruits to it although that's not the primary. Honestly this is one of the best 97's I've ever had - usually I find them more one dimensional but this definitely has complexity to it. Around 85% CS, 8% Merlot, 5% PV, 3% CF. Not my favorite of the wines of the night or even the flight but it's still delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2021 - dougie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for an hour with a glass poured off. Mistake. Needed decanting. Took over 3 hours to start to open up. Try to wait as long as I can for the last one (10 years maybe).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2021 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 95 Points
The bottle condition was not great. The cork was very soft and I barely took it out in one piece. Based on the recent CT comments, I poured the wine to old wine decanter for 2 hours prior to serving. The wine opened up beautifully with pencil, truffle, black berries and coffee on nose. The palate is quite youthful with black fruits but the tannins seem non-existence. It’s at a good place now. I would imagine 5 years+ cellaring time is required for a well-kept bottle to unveal its full potential. 95 nose 94+ palate
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - canan wrote: 93 Points
BYO US Wines (@Terkel): Almost old-school in its profile but still with some youthful fruit. Lacks a tiny bit of depth but overall a lovely aged wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - HFLED Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wonderful and only going to get better.
From a 375, popped and poured, then let sit in wine glasses for a bit.
Dark garnet color, no bricking at all. Wine practically looks young. On the nose, really strong note of pipe tobacco, pencil lead, hot rocks, and closed red fruits. Would’ve guessed a St Estephe blind - this really reminded me of a 1996 Montrose I had recently (though a bit less bell peppery).
On the palate this was a bit closed to start but opened up over an hour of drinking. Red fruit and black cherry dominant, cigar, crushed rocks, smoked herbs, portobello mushroom, and a touch of iron. Nice level of acidity balances the wine, tannins are fairly resolved and give the wine a nice bit of body and a mineral mouthfeel. Finish is pretty long and has a nice mix of red fruit and soy sauce.
Just getting into its drinking window in my view (at least for a 375), this has another 20 years easily and maybe more. Excellent wine and such a classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2021 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a terrific wine. As many others note, it is in peak drinking window right now. Wine still shows very well in the glass, medium purple, very little bricking in our case (perfectly stored bottle 15+ years). On the nose you get present yet restrained notes of black currant, pencil, and tobacco - very rich yet balanced nicely with some (appropriately) fading oak. The finish is really wonderful, nicely delineated between the polished tannin and what remains of the ripe fruit structure. I recently had the 1995 version and was a bit disappointed, the first "mediocre" experience I've had with RMB. This more than restored my faith and should be particularly pleasing to fans of old world nuance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2021 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Amazing after 24 years. Decanted 1 hour.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2021 - Vinomnivore wrote: 93 Points
Wine of the night amongst experienced and novice wine drinkers alike (up against some old bdx, mid range 97 napa cabs). However, this was so youthful that it didn’t deliver much of a wow to me, seems like there is great potential - fruit and acid are in balance with some tannin. That said, I wish I was drinking it 5 - 10 years from now. Not worth $350 to drink now... the 97 Chateau st Jeans cinq cepages was more interesting at this stage for those that like tertiary flavors. The Monte Bello will be great eventually, but isn’t a great splurge item to drink now as it still is so primary.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2021 - MLipton wrote:
A simply fantastic example of California Cabernet. Silken texture, medium-full bodied, smooth tannins and brimming with cassis fruit and pencil lead. Only from the texture of the wine would I be able to detect the oak treatment of its youth. Still young, this has easily another decade or two of life but has reached the point where it can be drunk for pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2021 - Nanda wrote:
In a peak drinking zone. Aromas of ripe brambly plum fruit with smoked herbs, spice and American oak accents. Palate bursts with spice-filled fruit that is plump and juicy. In complete harmony and should hold for a decade or two. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 95 Points
oak, black currant, spiced plum, cedar, cassis, cherries, savory herbs and eucalyptus
really nice balance, lengthy finish and easy going tannins. feels like it's in window with the fruit / earth / tannin / acid balance
i don't think ridge ever misses with the MB wines
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2020 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 93 Points
() Kleur: Diep helder donkerrood met een dunne rand. Aroma / bouquet: Verleiderlijk bouquet met tonen van donker fruit, rode paprika, cederhout. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige, stoere Bordeaux-blend die ik - blind geserveerd - gemakkelijk voor een wijn uit de 'oude wereld' had kunnen houden. Een bijna Franse zuurgraad, uitgesproken tannines met - ook na 23 jaar - een opvallende bite, lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Na deze wijn eerder geproefd te hebben in 2010 (lekker in de primaire fase) en 2014 (op slot, te jong) is hij wat mij betreft nu optimaal met nog een toekomst van enkele jaren voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 93/100
Color: Deep bright dark red with a thin border. Aroma / bouquet: Seductive bouquet with notes of dark fruit, red pepper, cedar wood. Taste / Finish: Powerful, tough Bordeaux blend that I - served blind - easy for a wine from the 'old world'. An almost French acidity, pronounced tannins with - even after 23 years - a striking bite, long finish. General / potential: After having previously tasted this wine in 2010 (nice in the primary phase) and 2014 (locked, too young) it is now optimal in my opinion with a future of a few years. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + Overall / potential: 9 = 93/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2020 - rcg62 wrote: 95 Points
Terrific wine. A bit of bottle variation (3 bottles Thanksgiving). Dark color. At its best, big nose cranberry, violet flowers, plum. So nice and balanced, old school. I love the approach. The best two bottles were like Bordeaux mellow with Cali bright fruit. The third was okay, just lacked the brightness.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2020 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Blind. Garnet core with some bricking. Perfumed violet and flroal notes over currant, plum and spice. Just a hint of age bouillon in the bouquet which fades as the wine sits in the glass, but it gave the wine away as I had double decanted this an hour before the flight was poured. Nicely integrated and balanced, this shows red fruit on the palate, along with tobacco and spice elements. Long finish. Beautiful. Got better as the evening wore on and we revisited this during dinner following the tasting.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2020 - phandley66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprisingly tight. Cedar box, cherry, coffee, lots of nuanced flavor. Strong finish. Still suprisingly tannic. Lot of life left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2020 - chatters wrote:
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Slightly herbaceous blackcurrant and cassis, cedar, very slight vanilla, a touch of coffee and, worryingly after the 1995, a smidge of volatility. That volatile note translates to the palate with the coffee, blackcurrant, cedar and cassis, chalky textured tannins support the fruit. The volatility ascends with time in the glass though not dominating the way it did with the 1995. I'm guessing that, as this is Australia, both of these wines came from the same importer. Hmm.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow. Mother’s Day, just the 2 of us. Penetrating nose, bouquet of purple flowers, smooth tannins, mellow berries. Carried thru the meal, stick to my teeth in a good way. Filets, lobster tail and mashed potato’s.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2020 - Winegeek83 Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a beautiful wine to experience! Upon opening, there was a little funk and mustiness like walking into an old cellar. But with an hour of air this really opened up and showed its incredible pedigree. Even after 23 years it still possesses that signature Monte Bello vineyard character, the herbal, chaparral aromatics that are so beguiling and intriguing. The wine is so complex and ever evolving, much like a great mystery novel! On the palate, this evolved from black cherry and wild herbs, to blackberry, blueberry, espresso, and tobacco, all while carrying that herbal aromatic lift. The nose is really what makes this stand apart from Napa’s best. After indulging in this wine, it’s easy to tell why it scored top honors at the Successive Judgement of Paris Re-enactments. Tremendous effort from Paul Draper and Eric Baugher at RIDGE!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2020 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not sure how long this been open. Cherry, currant blackberry and a touch of earth. Flavors of blackberry, cherry, currant, tobacco and touch of earth. Ends with a nice of 30-35 seconds with blackberry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2019 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lots of wet gravel on the nose, some dust and dark fruit. Decanted for 2.5 hours and given it's a 22 year old wine I should have probably starting drinking after the first hour. Around the 3rd hour it started to fade. It's a beautiful wine but not one of the great Ridge MBs I've had. I hear that many of the CA 1997s have started to fade so that might make sense here. Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped cork with a-so prongs. Cork looked like it was brand new. Decanted and tasted after an hour or so.
Wine is a turbid garnet, dark and rich, with a hint of brick and a clear rim.
Nose took a little while to emerge but it's actually quite lovely. Forest, pencil shavings, menthol, and that bloody-iron note I associate with merlot.
On palate, wine is sound. Follows nose, smooth and silky, tannins integrated, perhaps a touch of tertiary flavors, menthol prominent on the finish.
Overall an excellent wine. Myself, I would prefer to consume with less age on the bottle and more fruit on the palate.
Now, the question I ask myself is, do I want to actually start collecting this wine? It's about $200 a bottle, a little less on futures (I'm on the futures list). But it's notoriously unapproachable when young, and you've got to wait 15 years from vintage before you can drink it. So the math starts becoming unfavorable pretty quickly.
The main competitor for my cabernet-based wine dollars, of course, is Bordeaux. I know people are going to jump down my throat for comparing MB to Bordeaux, but good luck tracking me down. I will say that for $100/bottle I have been able to procure great 2016 Bordeaux that are near-drinkable now but will be outstanding in just a decade, not two (cf. Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion, Rauzan-Segla, GPL). So maybe I take myself off the MB futures list. I'd rather outlive my wine than the reverse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/14/2019 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Dinner organized by Mark T with Paolo/Matt/Jack - generous contributions from our cellars (Wolfgang's NYC on 41st): Third flight of the evening, drank next to a 2012 Grgich Hills (not a fair fight). Wine had been open for about an hour, drank over the balance of the evening. This dinner was a good excuse to check in on this wine again. Clean cork, bottle well preserved
Dark garnet color, no separation. Like my last bottle, nose jumps out of the glass, Bdx-like with redcurrant, licorice, graphite.On the palate black cherry, plums, cedar, tobacco, minerals and spice. Lush and deep palate, great secondary notes. Dusty and fined tannins. Full body, long and nuanced finish.
Spectacular showing on this night, #1 or #2 for most of the group. A reminder why Ridge MB is one of the greatest American wines...Drinking really well now but no signs of slowing down. Should drink at this level for another 10+ years
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2019 - RickyBobby62 wrote: 96 Points
It smells like blackberry, stoniness and mushroom.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2019 - edub7 wrote: 94 Points
A prinstine bottle and perfect cork, I have been holding this 1997 for quite some time.
This wine is showing some age, but still with a deep core. Great nose.
Fruit became more youthful with air. A lot of forrest berries and secodary, tertiary flavors. Solid finish. I was not sure where this was going to go, in regards to its life.
Basically this Ridge Monte Bello 1997 improved quite a bit with about one hour of air in the decanter. However, after the second hour, this wine started to break down a little.
It peaked after about an hour in the decanter. It's prime time and ready to drink up. This is quite tasty. I recommend decanting and enjoy within 2.5 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This was just really good. The cork gave us some issues so had to be opened and decanted. Was really good right out of the gate. Fruits still there but balanced with a bit more leather and cigar style. Still going quite strong and I assume has some more years left, but it's also drinking very nicely in this stage. Really enjoyed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2019 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Initially brackish, tired, and somewhat pruny - I was a little worried this one might be destined for the sink. But once again, I'm glad I waited. With 20 minutes of air time, the wine woke up, revealing the smooth texture and complexity that are hallmarks of this wine. Quite nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2019 - RJ Meyer wrote: 95 Points
JR Grad night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2019 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good cork. Dark color - little/no bricking. Pickle juice, cassis, hint of sandalwood, smooth resolves tannins. Surprisingly spriteful, bright. Many years left
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2019 - Burglover13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dry cork issues (no cheese cloth or proper filter so we had to use a china cap to get out cork particles) but otherwise perfect condition. The wine shined after a solid 60 minutes in decanter. Unlike many '97 cabs which drank so well young, this still has good tannic structure and acidity. Well balanced with lively fruit this wine is really at the front end of maturity. Gotta love Ridge!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2019 - Mr T wrote:
Opened this for Will’s graduation and approaching 22nd birthday. This was more vibrant than the Fisher Wedding from same year. Color is still quite dark and still some tannins. Ideally would have decanted but wine is well balanced with good if slightly retiring fruit. It’s a lovely mature cab and in a very good spot. I don’t think time makes it better but really very nice
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Vinetasters: Ridge Monte Bello (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. A very mild bit of oak here on the nose, showing some coconutty sweetness and a slight bit of coffee and spice. The palate is quite juicy and fresh, with lots and lots of oak, but there is lovely counterbalancing acidity. A little leafy tobacco quality shows up on the midpalate as well. The tannins still seem fairly raw. My 4th, group's 1st.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2019 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
This has that amazing combination of ballerina and heavyweight boxer. Early stages of ripeness but so many many more years ahead!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2019 - gharter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Hides its age well. No brown at the edge. Needs a decant of at lease an hour or more. Starts with plum, spice, the American oak shows up, a hint of bell pepper. Medium body with plum, herb, spice, black fruit. Well balanced with a long smooth finish. just starting to hit its drinking window, but a long life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2019 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
New Year's Day, 2019 Pokai Parera (Pokai Parera, Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Wow - while still just a baby, this wine is a brilliant expression of Cabernet Sauvignon form Ridge. Textbook typicity, and a fabulous fruit ripeness intensity that is direct, yet extraordinary in its nuance, depth and layered. My favourite of a flight of three non Bordeaux cabernets. Supple in the mouth, but with great visor. Certainly first growth quality. If you've got em, hold them.... 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2018 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Very good but not excellent. The age and acidic backbone were the two most obvious details when sipping this wine. Flavor wise
it was lacking something to vault it higher. A little too plain. 92/93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2018 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 97 Points
drink now a classic
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2018 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Guys Night Out Again (Jason's House): Decanted 30 minutes, this initially had a rich, ripe pungent nose and a green, lean palate. Over the course of a couple hours, this evolved considerably. The nose gains secondary/tertiary qualities and the palate fills out. By the end of the bottle, you would have thought this to be a left bank Bordeaux. My score went from 92 to 93 to 94 and finally to 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Guy's Night Out (Jason's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. 30 minutes splash decant. Drank 1+ glass over 3 hours. Somewhat tight on pouring this opens over the next 30 minutes. Lots of cedar box on the nose with a very lead pencil, mineral laden, later yet the earth comes forth, brooding dark fruits that evolve to cassis and and blue fruits. The palate is full bodied, concentrated, but still also shy, eventually the black and blue fruits emerge here too, tart, cassis, boysenberry, oak, pencil. I liked this a lot, powerful and yet seemed less well defined overall.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2018 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with our first bottle - after a brief (~20 min?) decant, this was singing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2018 - sharonandroland wrote: 93 Points
Still lots of fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2018 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Gorgeous aromas. Palate is plum, licorice, and cassis. Acidity is high, tannins are soft, and finish is long. Stunning wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2018 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
First glass tasted blind. You feel like inside a Hilton's Junior suite. Very comfortable, full of details but this is not the place you're looking for a daily living. In some aspects very european, very international, can I say that? On the nose smells like nothing else but a Bordeaux Supérieur with red berries well integrated with sweet wood. Memories of lactic like yoghourt bloom up. Uncomplicated yet a unsophisticated cab too. Where the real action is it happens on the palate with tons of a velvety texture, fine acidity and a density which carpets of a royal palace just can dream about. After all a nowhere-wine which is very difficult to classify because where's it coming from? Whom does belong? Food? Cigar? Solo? Sincerely I don't know even more, I don't care. Doesn't worth its pedigree tonite. Little worries for my 2004.
Primera copa servida a ciegas. Te sientes dentro de la suite junior de un Hilton. Muy cómodo, lleno de detalles, pero este no es el lugar en el que quieres vivir a diario. En algunos aspectos, muy europeo, muy internacional, ¿se puede decir eso? En nariz no huele a nada más que un Bordeaux Supérieur con frutos rojos bien integrados con la madera dulce. Los recuerdos de lácticos como el yogur florecen. Una cabernet sin complicaciones, aunque tampoco muy sofisticada. Donde la sucede la acción es en el paladar con toneladas de una textura aterciopelada, fina acidez y una densidad que las alfombras de un palacio real solo pueden soñar. Después de todo, un vino de ninguna parte, que es muy difícil de clasificar, ¿de dónde viene? ¿A quién pertenece? ¿Comida? ¿Cigarro? ¿Solo? Sinceramente, no lo sé y tampoco me importa. No vale su pedigrí esta noche. Ligeras preocupaciones para mi 2004.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 98 Points
Michelin Stars come to George Trois (George Trois Winnetka, IL): Beautiful color, great smell, near perfection, very integrated, plate feel and finish were amazing. Rock star for the truffle filet mignon. It's a buy
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2018 - tomoem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had at a spectacular WINEBID.com tasting event. Total of 39 wines tasted with an unbelievable lineup ! Bravo to Sterling Roig.
I could not believe the balance in this wine. It tasted classic left bank and then (like in the 97' Insignia) I jumped to thinking it is a new world aged cab. Deftly balanced wine. You could sense this age in the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
WineBid Tasting Event (Mandarin Oriental): More refined than the '91 Togni we had right before it. After that the fruit sortof hits you in the face. For a '97 this seemed still very vibrant and going strong. Old world style, but new world influence is present. Very classy wine that I really enjoyed (one of the few I opted to do a second pour on).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2017 - mflesh wrote:
This was the first bottle of Ridge Monte Bello 375 that I've ever really seen. Poured initially to a deep maroon color, and had a nose of flint, blackberry, and a note that I will only describe as "age" because I don't think it was brett....but could have been maybe ever-so-slightly! As the wine sat, it developed quite a different palate that was more blackberry and cinnamon. Initially the entry of the wine had a little wet limestone and some mushroom but this died off rather fast. The wine had a lot of black cherry and dark chocolate, middle was rather youthful. Finish has already has shown quite a bit of integration as tannin was in pretty good control. All in all this one was nice. Balanced, and still with some power from a 375, but I really wonder how many more years this one has in this format. If anybody has any of these little guys, it's time to start drinking after about a 30-minute decant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnum, Hatte es gegen die beiden Bordeaux etwas schwer, kann keine ätherische Stärke nicht ganz ausspielen, bleibt auch eher in der Bordeaux Verschwiegenheit, zwar mit dezenter dunkler Fruchtaromatik aber nicht die Struktur, um ganz oben mitspielen zu können. 95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2017 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 30 minutes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2017 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
deep dark primary still holding on to a lot of oak, old world style, well balance but still to young out of mag
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2017 - DrZett Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow, just beautiful right now, some nice aging notes, lots of red and ripe red fruits, a beautiful body, some nice acidity in the back. Long finish! In perfect drinking window now! Amazing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2017 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical, 1980-1999 (Chez Moll): Double decanted ~3-4 before dinner. Gorgeous nose of ripe rich plum, spice, some American oak, and hints of bell pepper. The palate has well concentrated and mouth filling plum fruit. Lively acids keep this fresh and long. Finish has terrific nuance of herb, spice and rich black fruit. Youthful in this lineup and in a riper (but still balanced, restrained) style. Long life ahead -- I'd comfortably age 10+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2017 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Ridge Monte Bello, 1980-1999 (Chicago, IL): Alongside the 1994, this was my favourite wine tonight. I'd be hard-pressed to be able to different the two blind; perhaps this one showed a little more ripe fruit than the others? In any case, this is a monster of a Monte Bello -- the fruit here is so dark and dense, but it's all tamed by a cool 12.9% abv. Can you believe that? I think that's what makes this wine all the more brilliant -- that powerful, extracted black cabernet profile, with that low-octane level. Incredible stuff that is clearly still too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2017 - Argrath wrote: flawed
(Blind tasting)
Oxidised nose. A bit dirty. Raisin, walnuts and liquorice. Not very elegant.
Oxidised palate, dry and flat. Very funky impression. No fruit, only dry tannins.
A pity when the bottle was revealed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2017 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
In the bouquet beautiful red berry fruits and sweet notes from the oak. On the palate the same sweetness and soft impressions. Fresh red fruit acidity and round and friendly tannin. A beautiful and round, harmonious wine with still a few years of future in it. Delicious!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Really quite elegant. Red and black currants, pencil lead, leaves/brush/dried flowers, on the nose and palate. Where this succeeds though is on the palate, with such grace - the weight and textures full of finesse. Is it any wonder this is America's First Growth? Seems to be in a great place now, not sure holding it will improve, or only make it different. highly recommended
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Welcome to bottle variation! Pulled one of these based on its recent stellar performance, but this bottle wasn't in the same ballpark. Compared to our recent bottle, this one had a much more pronounced cedar/pine note, at the expense of the fruit and complexity, which were pushed into the distant background. A couple hours of air didn't change things much. Don't get me wrong - still a nice wine, and fine with a nice steak - but this was one of those cases where past experience got my hopes up for a result that never came.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2017 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Served as the grand finale of our annual wine group summer dinner, this was a glorious match with 50 day dry aged ribeye. There is still tons of room for further development, but at age twenty the wine is showing a fair amount of maturity. There is still ample fruit, and the oak is getting on towards fully integrated, but is not quite there yet. Spice, leather and an earthy element came through to join the maturing fruit. It still has solid structure as well. This was double decanted several hours before the dinner, and was served three hours in, so it had plenty of air. Given the only early maturity state of the wine it suggests substantial decanting is a must if opened now. Delicious wine with a compelling future.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2017 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 93 Points
While some of the Cabernet Sauvignons from this warm, high-yield vintage are beginning to get a little long in the tooth, the 1997 Monte Bello continues to show beautifully, with an expressive bouquet of cassis, dried cherry, menthol, a touch of soil and a generous framing of American oak. On the palate the wine is supple and nicely balanced, with largely melted tannins and a generous, open-knit personality, tied together by a bright thread of acidity. 12.9%
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2017 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
A tale of two wines:
05/08/2017: Wastefully popped and poured on a Monday evening whilst working. Dense and reticent in nose, palate and finale. A gorgeous wine hidden behind a very self-effacing personality at present. I'll hide my remaining bottles for at least another 3-5 years. Otherwise, if you must try it now then give it a 4-hour decant.
05/20/2017:
I forgot that I had vacuumed this two weeks ago after wastefully drinking half the bottle undecanted on a Monday evening. Opaque deep ruby red with just the merest hint of trandslucence. Nose is drop-dead gorgeous sun-warmed cedar shingles, freshly sharpened pencil lead, pencil shavings, sexy silky red-black briar fruit, blackberries.....gosh, I could sniff this all day. Palate is taut, structured, precise, lean cheek-boned but with massive depth of gorgeous generous blackberry, redcurrant and blueberry fruit and blackcurrant pastilles, all framed in what still tastes like new American oak. The tannins are still there but have powdered and integrated superbly. Wow....what a beautifully crafted and thrilling wine. The finish is still very tightly coiled even after 2 weeks after opening. This has 20 years ahead of it and I'm not going to open another bottle for at least 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2017 - drboehm wrote: 90 Points
After 2 hours decanting :
New world ripe cabernet Sauvignon dominated wine.
A very much rich and extracted wine.Cocos,almonds,mint,eucaliptus and yery sweet tones in the nose,Extracted cassis and cherry fruits with low alcohol! and lots of tannins in the mouth.Not really perfect to drink now and far away from a Bdx style ( which i prefer ) .
Hold it in your cellar for the next 10 - 15 years,to have a nice napa Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 95 Points
A Sunday spring evening with friends (home): In the glass, auburn at the rim, shading quickly to maroon/black at the core. On the nose, menthol, forest floor, currants - really complex and lovely aromatics. I could smell this all day. On the palate, smooth, fully resolved cab blend; nice follow-through of the aromatics, with a beguiling silky texture and a long finish. A case study in balance. This didn't last long - WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2017 - lolo66 wrote: 94 Points
Stellar. Compact in beginning. With 1 hr decant shows just the beginning of full maturity. I loved the place it was in, with a lot of fruit, but also pencil shavings, tobacco, and earth. Had it with Flannery NY Strip. A nice pair.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2017 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Guessed new world ripe year cab Sauv dominated wine.
A very much rich and well extracted wine with lots of emphasis on the rich fruit and still with decent amount of oak. We do see as an issue with ridge in hot years (1994 we tried recently was a similar example - Papies 92) were buy its almost as if the struggle to control the ripeness and results to an overly rich wine. We do prefer Ridge Montebello in sort of off years tbh. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2017 - POBlund Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted at 12 vintage vertical by Michel Jamais.
Nose balanced black currant/cassis, lavender, complex and beautiful.
Dry elegant structure with balanced body of cassis, plum, cedar, mushrooms, high fine-grained tannins. 12,9%
Very nice, WOTN
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2017 - ProfBainbridge Likes this wine: 98 Points
I last had this wine at a restaurant in 2007, when it was a tannic beast. An additional ten years of bottle age transformed it into a mellow and amiable companion. Ruby red in color. Strong bouquet of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, leather, and anise. On the palate, the tannins have softened considerably. Indeed, the texture is now velvety smooth. Lingering finish. A truly great wine at its peak.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful Monte Bello in an excellent vintage. It's in a very good spot right now and offers a mix of tertiary and primary aromas (you still get some refreshing menthol on the nose and the palate). Even though you can still wait, I don't think it will improve much. The tannins are smooth and it's also very balanced. Quite different in style versus the more recent vintages (no barnyard aromas and more classic in style...almost feminine).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2016 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Bouchon a cassé à la moitié, carafé durant 1 heure. Bu juste avant Lynch Bages 2003.
Couleur prune foncée, assez brillante.
Nez sur les arômes de cassis d'abord, puis très parfumé, fleurs, chocolat.
Belle structure, belle complexité, rond, suave mais finit un peu court.
À boire.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2016 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Interesting to go to 1997 CA cab from 1970 Ducru--shows a cherry syrup kind of aroma, earthy licorice, sweet cigar, wet soil, "lawn-mower" according to one (best descriptor of the night!); silky, touch sweet fruit, nice, but out of place in this tasting (to me). Very good, but didn't excite me.
Compared with 2000 La Mission Haut Brion. Renee France vs. CA tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2016 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great bright to dense color, nice nose, developed in the glass? Just got denser with deep berry flavors. Loved it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2016 - Chrisboone wrote: 99 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and it was amazing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Cork crumbled. Initial impression was overly syrupy and vegital. Fully mature and reaches peak after 1 hour in the decanter (vegital funk blows off). Palate of carmel, stewed red fruit, eucalyptus, damp wood, and chocolate covered cherry. Finish has a slight evergreen note. Good but you'd need to really enjoy old wine to say this will make it to 2024.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2016 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
This tastes very French, left bank. Austere without any sweetness. Disappointed overall, tight at first and somewhat different at the third hour. There are some tannins, but a lack of fruit in this bottle. 90/91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
Fully mature with some tannic grip. The best right after opening as it faded by hour 3. Brownish red and medium bodied with plenty of punch. Nose is pure liquified milk chocolate. Palate of carmel, stewed red fruit, eucalyptus, damp wood, and chocolate covered cherry. Will hold at this level for a number of years to come.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 90 Points
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Medium nose, black cherry and currant, heavy California fruit still dominates palate. Expansive and round on palate. In a pleasant spot for drinking now but is still pretty big. Didn't match up to the '97 Heitz Martha's side by side.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2016 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
had in Mexico, this was very nice, nice balance of tannin, fruit and hints of spice, wondering if it is just a bit asleep right now... either that or maybe we should drink in the next 2-4 yrs... not soft at all -- which is encouraging -- but the palate didn't see loaded with material or super bright / tense / energetic
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: flawed
1990's California Cabernet - Blind: Mildly corked - Flat, tannic, thin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2016 - Monaco Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good, not quite great. I feel this is in an excellent spot right now; probably won't improve much from here but will be enjoyable for many more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Same btl as R&R. I'd happily drink this wine again. A beautiful combination of the lush '97 vintage and the structured masculinity you find in Monte Bello. I'd love to own a couple of these for prosperity. Maybe just a smidge behind in its evolution of the structure vs. the 90 Dominus. Also more robust at the moment. Don't think this saw a lot of air before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Wines That Really, Truly Don't Suck (in the least) (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple red color. don't recall if this had a decant or just some slow-O time. Drank 1 glass over two hours. Another wine that's almost 20 years old that you'd never suspect was that old. Mint, creme de cassis, Brad noted the coconut here too. This is dense, full bodied, layered black fruits, creme de cassis, blackberry, tart, licorice, good acid, long. 93+pts.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2016 - Grinner wrote: 96 Points
PNP after a Napa Cab tasting (Battle BV). You'd never guess this wine was 19 years old! Ruby core with a hint of garnet at the rim, this was immediately open for business. Black fruit, plum, spice, and earth were at the front, then tinges of tobacco, violet, mint and oak to balance out the finish. Tannins are near resolution, but given the depth and balance this could be a 30+ year wine easy. WOW!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2016 - Raycheng77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp during dinner. Excellent nose and palate after an hour, silky tannin with lots of complexity, long finish.
The wine is good to drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2016 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 93 Points
Mörk kraftfull frukt, piptobak, kaffe, stenig mineral och otroligt lång eftersmak med fin balans.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2015 - bjschmitt wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Eve - beef tenderloin, potatoes with leeks, roast carrots.
Cork broke - but none made it to the wine. Decanted 30 minutes before first glass.
Purple/crimson, almost opaque, good color to the rim.
Jane and Pete got a musty note on the nose, which blew away quickly. I didn't catch that. We all got wood, dark fruit, very perfumed.
Dry, full body, still tannin (although mellowing out), cherry and more, still a powerful presence in the glass, full dark.
Not fading, but not gaining ground either.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2015 - Hodby wrote: 96 Points
Dark red-violet. Complex, powerful, changing nose: pipe tobacco, red cherry, spearmint, arboreal forest, macadam, fig jam, cedar chest. On arrival, fine medium tannin and firm acidity; this one is young. Palate-coating, deep fruit and rare intensity. Extremely long finish, complex, "first growth" identity. I'll remember this bottle for quite some time. Thanks Fritz and Phoebe.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
Big Blind Tasting of 19 Reds from California 1997
For me 4th rank, overall 5th place with an average of 95,9 points.
Very concentrated fruits as black currant and cherries, mint and eucalyptus reminding to martha's vineyard, extract sweetness, coco-cola in the palate, spicy and herbal in the finish, fullbodied and still young with a vitalizing acidity, 97-98
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 95 Points
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Mouthwatering, well-defined red and black fruit. Gorgeous freshness, this is the best of both (new and old) worlds... Spice-box seasoning (pepper, cloves, cinnamon), beefy/meaty component too. A wine approaching its prime drinking window. Respect! (my #7; group #5; 93-98)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet with red and dark forest fruits, sweet spices and beautiful oak. Ripe and rich. On the palate beautiful fruits, soft sweet spices, a lot of sweetness, but also great acidity. Good and still youthful tannin. Very harmonious. A truly great new world, but also classical wine. Mature, but no hurry at all. This will still be a feast 5+ years from now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Medium/full bodied, with a fresh, vibrant, crisp, clean personality, the serves up a beautiful display of fresh, ripe, cherries and plums with the right amount of lift to keep things going. But it lacks the weight and depth of the better vintages for this often stunning wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
9/13/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
Checking in on some younger Bordeaux and other treasures with a fellow collector friend. This wine recently came in first in a 15year vertical by a group of aficionados I know. Reason enough to buy a bottle and see as the 1997 vintage is of course a Napa classic.
TN: Medium garnet with brick rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with tobacco eucalyptus, cedar wood, pine tree. Great complexity with a distinctively Californian profile - surely not Medoc but could possibly be taken for a super Tuscan as well from the nose. Enters the palate medium bodied, almost light, with great elegance and fully dissolved, soft tannins. Ripe fruit buffered by excellent tannins and freshness. This Santa Cruze Mouintain gem is far from the sometimes opulent but rather monolithic Napa offerings. Paul Draper knows his craft! Monte Bello remains one of the best and classy CabSav blend offerings of the US despite many strong competitors from Napa and Sonoma. I wish more wines of only 12.5% of alcohol had such mid-palate presence and aromatic depth. Outstanding! Fully mature, drink up.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
having at the Riverbed closing dinner... notes to follow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2015 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bouteille en parfaite condition, bouchon un peu sec qui a cassé au milieu. Into neck. Dégusté un demi verre pour décider si on carafe ou non. Carafé durant 1 heure avant de déguster. Couleur grenat foncé avec quelques nuances orangées de ci de là.
Le premier nez est toujours un peu poussiéreux et le passage en carafe lui a fait le plus grand bien. Le nez est très bordelais avec beaucoup de notes de fruits noirs, de fumée, de mocca.
La bouche, elle, est plus californienne, plus chaude, plus ronde, plus épaisse, torréfiée mais sans lourdeur aucune. Le vin montre aussi une certaine complexité, notamment avec une finale très longue et savoureuse.
Cela faisait presque 3 ans que je n'avais pas bu ce vin et cette bouteille était bien supérieure à la précédente.
Selon moi, le vin est à pleine maturité et devrait y rester durant 5 à 10 ans encore.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Moved to drink now section. Wine is on decline. Looks like wine might have been coravined? Drink now. LO
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2015 - Salemlawyer Likes this wine: 96 Points
What an amazing wine. We enjoyed this last night to celebrate the Supreme Court's marriage equality ruling and it is drinking beautifully right now. Decanted for an hour, it was a bit tight when we first tasted, but after decanting it opened beautifully. It still has plenty of time, but we only had one bottle and the time was right! We are going to get a couple more vintages to enjoy down the line.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2015 - pismo45 wrote: 92 Points
Nice dark fruits. Not a young wine but still a long ways to go. Fruit was tasty but there wasn't a whole lot of complexity. A mag left and will try to save it for another 10 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2015 - spendergast Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet dark fruit with notes of raspberry, cherry, cassis with well integrated tannins and nice balance. Paired nicely with grilled Bison ribeye.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2015 - dedwards wrote:
still powerful
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2015 - awineo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paired this with a Pahlmeyer 2005 at a wine dinner. Excellent structure and solid fruit. Very smooth tannins. Good blend
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2015 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 94 Points
South Charlotte Wine Lovers - California Bordeaux Blends (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Drank alongside a Pahlmeyer '05 and this was the winner. What struck me about this bottle was that it clearly had the benefits of AGE without tasting OLD. Too many times a 15+ bottle of wine can taste "old", done and a bit musky versus tasting like and "aged wine" where you can pick up on the tertiary flavors that are usually hidden in a wine's youth. Excellent.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2015 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright, youthful and still with nerve. Mostly blueberry and currant with mild tannins. Fell apart a bit on the second night so advise drinking in one setting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2014 - jsebiri wrote:
nice juice , very well made , not great but very good , had many hallmark characteristics of classic cali claret ............ unfortunately this was my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2014 - sdrucker1000 wrote: 93 Points
Flowers and licorice nose. Picking up some nuts and chocolate underneath black fruits. Clean, smooth finish. Only quibble is it is lacking some fruit although picking up more and more over the course of the night. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2014 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paris Tasting in Zwolle (again... at last) (De Librije - Zwolle): Kleur: Diep donker rood, enorme kleurintensiteit Aroma / bouquet: Nog een beetje gesloten, ingehouden aroma, veel sluimerende power, donker fruit, zwarte bessen, inkt, potloodslijpsel. Powerwijn met potentieel. Smaak / Afdronk: Wow!. Dik sap, indrukwekkende concentratie, zacht zuur, krachtige tannines met een prettige bite, indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Heerlijk glas. Voor mijn smaak: VEEL te jong. Royaal decanteren is aanbevolen. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep dark red, great color intensity Aroma / bouquet: Still a little closed, restrained aroma, much latent power, dark fruit, blackcurrant, ink, pencil shavings. Power Wine with potential Taste / Finish:. Wow !. Thick juice, impressive concentration, soft acid, powerful tannins with a pleasant bite, impressive length General / potential.: Delicious glass. For my taste: WAY too young. Generously decanting is recommended. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2014 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
A Double Birth Year Celebration (San Diego): Not decanted. Clear inky garnet color. Stunning bouquet of black and red currants, blackberries and cherries along with their respective liqueurs, eucalyptus, mocha, nutmeg, cloves. Rich, generous, balanced, full body, everything in beautiful proportion, acidity and tannins providing amazing structure. My #3 and group's THIRD PLACE (tie) in this flight.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2014 - jhw425 wrote: 93 Points
Took 2-3 hours to open up. When it did lots of Mocha, cassis and dark fruits. Fruit hasn't faded at all but took a while to come around. Just got better with time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2014 - DrakkarNoir wrote:
California Mavericks @ Five Sails: 12.9% abv (85% Cab Sauv, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc). Nose was on the more muted side: earth, blueberries and slight spice. Little in way of tannins, some acidity present… overall a more elegant wine. Drank alongside a '97 Dominus, and this was, not surprisingly, overpowered. Thought I'd like this more of the two… but didn't.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2014 - jww wrote: 93 Points
after 45 from opening wine was approachable but still tight
Fruit in the nose with a hint of slate
Earthy mineral flavor, graphite or slate, dark fruits a very complex wine
Will kèèp my last bottle for a while longer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2014 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Not sure if we didn't like it as much this time because of our change in taste or the fact that if followed a flight of old world wines made its modern and a touch overdone on the oak side more visible. A lot of sweet oak on the nose and palate that eclipse an otherwise very good wine. The solid ripe fruit is there, rich core, dark in colour as if its a 2005 Bordeaux. Just shame for that overdone sweet oak nose. No need for that in such a ripe vintage... 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2014 - KimHartman wrote: 96 Points
Kass kork som gick i tusen bitar. Men vad gör det när själva vinet är helt fantastiskt? Söt svartvinbärsfrukt men utan att bli sliskigt eller sött. Lager på lager av frukt, ceder, kryddor och kakao. Nedslipade tanniner men ändå så mycket tryck i detta. Helt i balans, mycket fin mognad. Mycket bra.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/28/2014 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind, this showed ripe fruit with a slightly darker edge than the 1994 tasted before it. Guessed Cali cab. Pretty wine, shows the greatness of Ridge Monte Bello. 92-93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2014 - VoteferPedro wrote:
decanted for one hour and enjoyed with brisket
Really still excellent. Nose has faded a bit but what is there is fresh bright fruit and pleasant finish that complements food and is refreshing...exactly what wine should be
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2014 - Backdoctor wrote: 92 Points
It took about 5 hours to drink this but it just kept getting better as it opened. It was tight to start, slightly tart but opened to a nice balanced bordeaux blend with soft tannins and dark cherry tones
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2014 - Jay Hack wrote:
Leo's BTG.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened but not decanted and drank slowly over several hours. Would have benefitted from a decant and warmer than the near cellar temperature at which we drank it. Lovely evolving wine that is taut-featured rather than fleshy and has a super feminine elegance to it. All the classic Monte Bello charm is here together with an elegance brought about by the 12.5% alcohol. A wonderful bridge between Napa and Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2014 - aro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served blind. Sweet oak spice and dark cassis. Floral and herbal. Bordeaux was mentioned, but we quickly got classic US Cab. Great stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2014 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Simply fantastic, sorry I only have one bottle left!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2014 New Year's Day Tasting $100+ (Marietta, GA): Very dark almost to rim, tiny red rim; chocolate, tobacco, sweet red currant, cinnamon, rich deep and youthful; sweet, softer tannin, sandalwood, red currant, rich and satisfying, structured but not drying, minty finish; very good and too young, give this another 5 years; couldn't fool more than a couple into saying Bordeaux, this still had the California glycerin to it; 93+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2013 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Platinum Tasting - '94 & '97 California Cabs (Tasted Blind) (Andre's House): Dense nose, lots of heat (B++). Rich, soft palate (B++). Needs time.
My #5, Group's #4 (53 pts). Tasted blind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 93 Points
Classical Californian Wineries (Zurich): Tasted blind: Intensive deep garnet color. Nose of Creme de Cassis and cooked cherries. Nice sweetness, smooth as silk and very balanced. Dark berries and Bourbon Vanilla. Overall I am missing a bit the length and complexity, but this is complaining at a high level. I prefer the 1996 Monte Bello. For the 1997 drink now to - 2030.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 95 Points
Ridge wines with Paul Draper (Stockholm): Medium red colour with a lighter edge.
Nose with clearly developed notes with barnyard and some leather, spice, blackcurrants.
Full-bodied with ripe and concentrated blackcurrants on the palate, very well integrated and polished tannins, spice, long aftertaste. Very polished and elegant style.
Good development, can take much more cellaring.
This wine showed much more pure fruit notes and was smoother and more polished than the 1994 or 1999, which contributed to my opinion that the 1997 clearly was the best wine of the three at this tasting. It definitely came across as Bordeaux-like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2013 - Timbalimba wrote: 94 Points
Ridge Vineyards with Mr. & Mrs. Paul Draper: Slightly less complex colour scheme vs. the '94. Kirsch, sweet fruit on the nose, less barnyard and more fruit cocktail. Inviting, generous bouquet. Fruity, suave palate, with that recurring Monte Bello theme of chewy crisp red fruit. Finishes on a peppery note, controlled acids. Long and harmonious. Best in the line-up tonight: everything in order, keeping all its parts together. Maybe less ostentatious than the '94 and the '99, but wins on harmony and ease of drink. Very very good. Drink or keep, no hurry. 94-96/97.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2013 - jimkay21 wrote: 92 Points
One point less than the 1996 we drank with it. Drinking quite well at this time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
At Agricola in Princeton with Gary and Danielle. Followed an Antica Terra Pinot. Drank side by side with a 97 Dominus.
Only decanted for about 30 minute prior to drinking, still performed well and was clear favorite over the Dominus for this crew. During the decant we could pick up the nose across the table...
Classic MB, nose was Bordeaux-like with pencil/graphite, red cherry, tobacco, leather
Red and black cherry, cedar, floral, spice. Blackberry and dark fruits came through mid palate. Tannins mostly resolved Long, 30 second finish. Clear favorite for our guests over the Dominus. The ideal combination of Bordeaux sophistication and rich Calif fruit - the reason to love Monte Bello...Low alcohol, restrained, elegant...will give the next bottle a longer decant
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2013 - BrunswickFarm wrote: 95 Points
Drank at tutored tasting at Berry Bros, London - still fresh nose, blackcurrant, mint nose, quite soft black fruits with lovely poise - very much on song - ideal drinking window
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
Already quite good out of the bottle, gets better and keep rising till we finished it about 3 hours later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2013 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
very good but not a stand out Ridge MB, had over three notes, best on night two, great acid for sure, nice texture and mouthfeel, ever so slight tannins - the texture was more about the juice itself, more green / mint notes on night one and on nights two and three there was some light fruits to balance the savory, a small dark cherry and some strawberry too... very nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2013 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
California nose, ripest of the 3 so far. Low alcohol, balanced, acidic, sour finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2012 - St Paul wrote: 93 Points
This is a fine wine with a very nice nose and good structure. Lovely fruit but even if its fresh for cali standard it is still a bit jammy for my more European pallet. One glass is fab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2012 - MattTM wrote:
Icon Dinner (Chambar - Vancouver, BC): Beautiful feminine nose that's showing some age, displaying aromas of cedar, graphite, red cherries, fresh mint, show leather, blueberries, and a touch of prune. Lots of red and black cherries appear on the palate, along with some more mint, cedar and graphite, yet now with some clove spice appearing. A moderate amount of acid is still hanging in there with light tannins that are mostly resolved. Medium length finish ending on notes of black cherries, cedar, and clove. While the nose was quite modest and restrained, the palate appeared tired and was a bit dilute and lacking fruit which surprised me. This bottle was clearly more advanced than it should be and wouldn't be fair to rate based on this showing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2012 - Ericsson wrote: 88 Points
Bordal à Bernex (Cabernets majoritaires) (Chez moi): Bouteille en parfaite condition. Décantée 2H avant dégustation. Couleur proche du violet, magnifiquement brillante. Pourtant, le débat a duré toute la soirée quant à savoir si ce vin était bouchonné ou non. Le nez faisait parfois penser que oui et parfois que non... En bouche l'unanimité fût retrouvée pour dire non. Quelle belle puissance civilisée offre ce vin, j'aime beaucoup même si ce n'était sans doute pas la meilleure bouteille! 8H plus tard, le nez n'était toujours pas au mieux...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Double-decanted for 4 hours then fully decanted for a further 2 hours before serving. Dark semi-opaque black-red colour. Nose is restrained but very impressively pitch-perfect blackberry, blackcurrant aand blueberry fruit enwrapped with graphite, pencil lead and nicely integraed oak and tannins. Palate follows the nose....... a gorgeous sensation of grippy Bordeaux just entering its opening drinking window with enough touch of fruit-emphasised power to clearly identify it as a New World tier-1 play on Bordeaux. Great enjoyment in the mouth and on the finish. A really super wine.....and it really showed how the "good old days" of when Napa produced 12.5% alcohol wines made them something very special. It has come on a long way since I last drank it in August 2008. I have probably underscored this because Todd and I drank it distracted by family who wanted to finish dinner quickly and get outside for the communal Halloween party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Soft and well balanced. Touch of menthol and some earthy complexity. Seems fully mature at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Cherries, caramel and ripe berry notes. Sweetness (red berries), still tannic but very balanced. I am not sure in which direction this wine is going. Maybe decanting would help. If I have to bet on the 1996 or 1997 I would put my money on the 1996! Drink now - 2025.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2012 - Clrv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this bottle at Dinner at Opus Prime. I did not take notes but this bottle was drinking beautifully. The finish just keep going... I will be seeking out more of the '97
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2012 - jakearoe wrote:
Still big, tannic and youthful. A delight for the nose after 2-3 hours. Lots of the notes from '09 hold true, with that wonderful graphite especially notable. Tannins, however, almost appear more pronounced at this time. This wine has oodles of time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - prof b wrote:
a huge wine with a ton of tannin still present. The fruit is hiding back there though, and I suspect this wine could have used another decade. however, since this is my first monte bello experience, its hard to say.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2012 - VoteferPedro wrote: flawed
Retains a purple hue and is still tannic it I found the fruit a bit tired though it picked up a tiny bit after an hour. This was well stored and ridnpt have overt TCA seems a weaker version of prior bottles so I am guessing flawed
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2012 - cybergod Likes this wine:
Classic Cabernet nose and palette. Also a showcase of how good American oak can be if properly selected and coopered. Very elegant, extremely balanced. Surprisingly youthful, with little hints of it being 15 years old. Only downside was a slight hollow note on the front palette. California meets Bordeaux!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2012 - rosenst1 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and let sit; will decant an hour before dinner. After an hour in the decanter - very dark red, no signs of browning at all. Medium nose mostly savory and cedar with some ripe fruit as well. On the palate - soft lush fruit and then echoing the nose with a savory and long finish; quite a ripe Montebello. Over time this further integrates in a lovely way - excellent complexity on the nose; soft and ripe but with sufficient acidity to make it enjoyable - a hybrid California-Bordeaux wine. I would say this is at peak; and only 12.9% abv!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Dimitri's going away Dinner, Mostly blind (Dimi's House, London): Blind tatsted. Decanted for about 20mins.
Lots of sweet oak notes on the nose, at points felt like a modern style barolo. Big wine, lot sof fruit but maybe a touch too much oak at the moment. MB usually assimilates oak much better than this so maybe we should have decanted longer. Good fruit and lots of life ahead of this. 92-94 at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Tighter and more acidic than previous bottle. It also tasted younger and more Bordeaux than the last one. If served blind, I would have thought French for sure. 92/93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2012 - zazoo wrote: 94 Points
Needs 45 minutes to Decaunt. Very nice after that
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2012 - Backdoctor wrote: 93 Points
On opening the bottle it was a bouquet of fruit for the aroma. It was very dark colored with red fruits on tasting. Front end and mid palate were awesome. It had a very short finish. It may be that this half bottle was on the downside, never the less a spectacular wine for my first Monte Bello!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Mostly tertiary smells of leather and then dark fruit. Finishes like water, a great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2012 - moods wrote: 92 Points
Private Tasting: Best of the US (Waterford Wine, Milwaukee): Notes of leather and raisin fruit. Secondary going on tertiary notes, with a little bit of meatyness. Palate is lovely and smooth, somewhat velvety in texture. There's flavours of coffee and mocha, with its ripe brambly fruit still present. The lingering acidity gives it a real freshness despite its age, and there remains a good chunky tannic bite too. Lovely wine, demonstrating well how Ridge Monte Bellos can age rather nicely indeed. Bravo!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2012 - pjaines wrote:
At first this was quite full and ripe and played to the cliche of the over-done US red wine but time in glass really allowed this to show its undoubted class. Charcoal, black fruit, fine tannins and structure wrapped around pashmina soft fruit. Really elegant and just creeping into a decent drinking window. Truth be told, I think it needs another 5 years to let it mature a touch more and really strut its stuff. This really is quite an excellent wine - just do it justice and let it age properly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2012 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
Elegant, sophisticated, balanced, powerful, however not dominating, and without the traditional American abundance of sweet fruit. To me very French. Needed a 4-6 hour decant.
Some French chateus searching for their identity should look to this American producer for guidance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2012 - Periko wrote: 94 Points
Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle (Monvinic (Barcelona)): Opened for 3 hours. Medium to dark cherry color. Intense and appealing nose of liquor, bitterness, kirsh liquor, ripe black fruits, green pepper. On palate has a nice straight entry, very fresh, fruity, present tannins, some dryness, high acidity, good nerve, long fruity finish. I was very impressed by this wine, the controlled power and elegance, nerve and vivacity. Didn't seem at all like a 16 year old wine, still plenty of life ahead. Definitively worth to try again. Excellent. (93-95+).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2012 - dcasper wrote: 91 Points
Impressive, although the nose is subtle the structure is fantastic. Plum & berry dominate, wtih an impressive lasting finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2012 - Finare Vinare wrote: flawed
Alas, a light cork taint.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2012 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Football and Wines from the 90s @ Mike J (Wilton, CT): Dense, monolithic and mineral-rich. This was not decanted, and it probably should have been. The ingredients for a great wine are there, but this seemed a bit closed and ungiving at the moment. Let this sleep.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2012 - dcasper wrote: 91 Points
dark fruit on the nose after about an hour in the decanter. The mid was filled with oak which was a surprise and the wine had an excellent long finish. quite good stuff
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2011 - beekeeper wrote: 95 Points
Finesse rather than power - very classy. More in the fruit than the earthy register but very refined and balanced - cassis, blackberry with some forest floor, slight mint and flowers. Could easily be mistaken as a high end Bordeaux. Velvety tannins almost make you forget they are there. Hints of further complexity to come in the lengthy finish. Beautiful bottle now - will likely get even better over the next 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 99 Points
thought it was great
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2011 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent bottle. 94 pts now but should improve with more time. Notes are very similar to Beekeeper's. WOTN that included a 2002 Chateau Lafitte (excellent), a 1997 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita (slightly corked), and a 2008 Decades 5 Petit Verdot (good).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 100 Points
this is great, very very good- it is very easy on the palate
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): served double blind – 6hr decant. I thought this was a large producing Napa cab that was maturing quickly—maybe ’00. No Santa Cruz Mtn character at all for me. Almost a petrol/VA nose, with leather and cedar. Pleasant, soft palate of ripe currants and cassis, with a dried berry finish with some dry tannins. Lacking in verve and complexity(for this producer), and if anything seemed slightly over the hill. Very disappointing upon reveal. Over decanted or slightly off bottle? No obvious flaw.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2011 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
Great Bordeaux like wine. Fresh and complex with good length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2011 - Ramberg wrote: 93 Points
Had this blind.
Very hard to get right.
Some Bordeaux tones, but from where?
None of the typical US cab dominated typical personalities.
So my guess was finally Spain and Priorat.
A very nice wine, with good signs of maturity and well composed and integrated tastes.
Good stuff!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2011 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Ridge Monte Bello 1994-2000 Vertical with Eric Baugher (Handford Wines, London): Among Eric’s favourite vintages with good ripe fruit and high yields. Made almost double the amount of wine in 97 than on a normal year. Some oak on the nose, less of Bordeaux more California. Elegant wine. Alive and has a very nice fresh feel to it. Really long and lush. A proper big California Cabernet but still very nicely balanced and with a nice long finish. Shame the nose is on the mild side. 80%+Cabernet. We will look to buy some for sure. 93+ drink now but has good life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2011 - Vintomas wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, slightly faded at the edge.
Nose with blackcurrants, some plum compote, hints of eucalyptus and mint, some barnyard aromas and spice, some tar. More flowery aromas and violets developed with time in the glass. Some developed notes but very young and fruity nose, very nuanced.
Medium bodied++, palate with dark berries, good acidity, impression of sour berries, noticeable but softened tannins, spice.
Rather developed, but still slightly young, drinkable but should gain further from some five more years (2016+). 92-93 p
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 91 Points
Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Nose with cassis fruit, charred wood notes and raisin. Ground coffee and espresso notes. Almost overripe. Palate is quite mature has a soft texture and although super-ripe the wine is not as concentrated as other vintages were. Flavours were inky, tarry and leathery with a licorice and iodine dimension to it. Complex wine with good management of tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2011 - suttonri wrote:
Rather austere and herbal. Off bottle? Had it been blind I would have guessed some Tuscan blend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
This must be the earliest drinking vintage of Ridge Monte Bello I have ever tasted. This forward Cabernet Sauvignon offers earth, cassis, blackberry, tobacco and forest floor aromas. Medium/full bodied and soft in texture, for Ridge, this is not a vintage that requires additional cellaring. It's already drinking perfecly today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2011 - peterk wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine - dark inky colour, velvet palate, lush fruit, beautiful balance. Still young with years ahead of it. Too bad it's my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2011 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
Wine Spectator Offline, San Diego (Grant Grill, U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego): Darkest of all the wines tonight. Inky blood-garnet. Formidable bouquet of sweet boysenberry pie, cedar, cocoa, leather. Felt heavier, more fatiguing on the palate, than some of the others, but what's wrong with that? A powerful wine that commands attention and, like the 1992 Dominus, needed more decanting than it received.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
High End Cabernets $100 plus: Wow! This is drinking well with black cherry, licorice, subtle spices and minerals. Acidity level is perfect and a complex finish. This wine should age another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Hi-End Cabs/Bordeaux Blends Offline, Blind ($100+) (Minneapolis): Very dark red color/no bricking. 45 minute decant. Nose has sweet fruits, cassis, plum, some earth and florals, spicebox, and smoke. The palate is quite lush with black fruits and adding black licorice. Deeply concentrated, but elegant, prominent acidity, fine tannins, and a long finish. This is a lovely wine with classic Bordeaux caharacter. Probably at its peak now. Outstanding. My #2 WOTN and group #3 WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2011 - Rupert wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello 1981-1999 (Gauthier Soho): A similar flavour to the '98 with its smoke, berries and tobacco, but finer, more poise and focus - brilliant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2011 - rayq wrote:
Monte Bello Cabernet Offline (Gauthier London): More youthful looking than the 98. More purple than red. Hotter on the nose and palate.
A much 'bigger' wine. But not 'better'. From a warmer and more highly rated vintage
but it seems a touch too ripe and big. This needs more time to settle down into a more recognisable Ridge MB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2011 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Fruit driven, pure, and harmonious, with a lovely finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2011 - jbrekke wrote:
A beautiful, elegant wine. The nose doesn't impress. Wonderfully balanced with fully integrated tannins. The mid-palate is a bit thin, but the finish is wonderful. A very enjoyable wine for it's subtlety and finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2011 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic; full of ripe dark fruits and berries framed by vanilla, toast and cedary elements in a package that's full bodied, rich and impeccably balanced with all the flavour components merging together seamlessly. This still feels very young with plenty of primary fruit and tannic structure, but it's already great to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2011 - Khamen wrote: 92 Points
Sandwiched between the beautifully accessible 1996 and 1998, the 97 Monte Bello is rather shy and tightly wound at present. As with every vintage tasted the purity of the fruit is deeply impressive but the oak here is yet to fully integrate. A little more funk and slightly more confected on the nose than other vintages on offr. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2011 - askoje wrote: 95 Points
Shiny deep red color. Nose opens with dried plums, "wet gravel road" and limestone. Then layers of blackcurrant and blueberries, green bell pepper, ripe Swiss cheese and white chocolate. Unbelievable nose.
On the palate the 97 vintage is really impressive. Fruit and minerals balanced together with more of the Swiss cheese flavors. Subtle hints of smoked tree branch on an amazingly long finish. Finish is never ending
The 1997 vintage of Ridge Monte Bello really is an outstanding wine. 95+ Points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 96 Points
Dark crimson coloured. Unlike my last bottle, the nose is quite reserved with very subtle aromas of blackcurrant, mint and a touch of toast. Long and layered, in perfect balance yet still showing quite a youthful flavour profile. Glorious velvety palate with silky black fruit; cassis, kirsch and ground coffee beans. Stunning wine. At the tasting Eric Baugher stated that he thinks this still has 10 years to go before it's fully ready.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2011 - dustbuddy wrote: 94 Points
Tasted as part of a Sampler tasting. Herbal and blackcurrant notes on the nose. THe palate is where this wine performs however. Initial blackcurrant/cassis moving into herbal and secondary flavours. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Ridge Montebello Tasting & subsequent drinks; 3/22/2011-3/24/2011 (Berry Brothers, London): Shy nose - tannic and compact - teeth gripping tannins but the quality of the fruit is peeking out. Young and needs more time. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 98 Points
Dark glossy ruby red; not showing any sign of age. Powerful and stunning nose, ripe and very complex with ever-changing aromas of sweet cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mint and a delicate touch of toasty oak. The palate is young, luscious and full of flavour yet fresh and perfectly balanced. There are seamless layers of cassis, ripe blackberry fruit, mint, roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate. The ripe fleshy flavours are endless and last for minutes. Utterly brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2011 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 98 Points
Awesome bottle of wine. Great dark fruit, beautifully integrated flavors in every way. Yum!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 98 Points
what a night- had this following the 96 Dominus and the 99 whitehsall lane following the 98 Silveroak- it was a fitting last wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2010 - drbdorfman wrote: 96 Points
Tobacco and leather. Has plenty of time to go as expected. Need to try again in 5 years
Amazing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2010 - jsebiri wrote:
very deep purple color , nose was nice nothing great or overpowering , one dimensional on the palette......used a new aerator that opened the wine up very quickly where some of the character opened up a bit...a fine bottle of wine , bordering on strong 87-89 type rating
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2010 - JJB007 wrote: 89 Points
this was good, but ok; rather good, but not fabuulous
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
This took a good hour to warm and open in decanter. At first it was a bit sour. But that integrated to reveal a maturing wine. raspberry, dirt and charcoal on the nose. Flavors are ample, maybe a bit lean an maturing. Raspberry, earth, still moderate tannins, acidity that was maybe just a bit on the high side. Still looks great, purple and not browning but just a bit lightening with age. About as good as this gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2010 - JJB007 wrote: 100 Points
enough said
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/11/2010 - taipanli wrote: 89 Points
Deep reddish purple. Dark fruit and earth on the nose. Narrow on entry with fruit notes expanding mid-palate. Sharp, medium, slightly acidic finish with furry tannins. Not bad but wouldn't seek to buy again. 50+9+7+16+7=89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2010 - yotaiwan wrote: 95 Points
great depth and balance. very very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2010 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
Nose - deep, dark, porty black plum and red cherry, hints of redwood and eucalyptus.
Black peppercorn, black plum, intense black currant, grit and sap. Needs 10+ years. 93+ pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2010 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted over 2 hrs. Ridge's cali bordeaux nose. Strong, young, dark color, dark fruit, acidic, earthy, chalky, dry dirt, gravelly, tarty/sweet dry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 93 Points
1997 Ridge Monte Bello (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains) Kleur: Diep donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Gebrand en zwoel, jammig donker fruit, koffie, bittere chocola, gebrande suiker, inkt, Port-achtige neus, kersenbonbons Smaak / Afdronk: Verleidelijke, zwoele aanzet met een indruk van een klein zoetje, zachte zuren, boordevol prachtig gerijpte en wat 'droppige' tanines, veel dikte en concentratie, superlange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Verdomd lekker. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 93/100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2010 - glt0424 Likes this wine: 94 Points
still drinking great and has years to go. Mocha, and dried berries primary on the nose, very smooth with full mouth feel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): All but the goodtaster really liked this wine. It was balanced, elegant, and very fruity. Mint, molasses, cream and cane syryp on the nose, the wine had soft tannins, high acidity, little minerality, and various fruit flavors, including cranberry, pomegranate, black plum. The goodtaste naysayer tasted pyrazine (as they say, good in sauvignon blanc, bad in red as the smell delivers a patch of vegetables you don't like), eucalyptus, mint, and anise, without much fruit. It only takes one on a jury, here it took one to teach us all about pyrazine. But the wine tied with the other two anyway.....a hung jury.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - cabdrinker wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful expression of old school California wines. A little funk at the beginning on the nose but it perfumed nicely over time along with smoked meat and eucalyptus tones. From beginning to end, this wine showed some nice acidity but very well balanced, however the silkiness and effort-less-ness of drinking this wine was the high point. On the palate flavors of dark cherries, green tea, caramel and dusty coco is apparent. A little mineral on the finish and last maybe 10-15 seconds, but I liked it. I can’t see this getting much better with time, but will last quite a few more years in it’s currant state and I’m searching for more right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Monte Bello vertical 1964 - 2002 (Institute of Directors, London): Milky, chocolately nose, richly oaky, very cabernet, focused and fine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2009 - Jurgens wrote: 94 Points
I fully agree with Wabi
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2009 - yhn wrote: 94 Points
Nose - warm, roasted fruit, mint, wintergreen, smooth, dusty, black elderberry, black currant, cedar, hint of tobacco, very slight hint of prune om the finish. Drinking well now, should continue to improve for at least 5 years, then hold steady for a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2009 - davetong wrote: 93 Points
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot. 12.9% ABV
The low percentage of Merlot is explained by the fact that in 1997 Ridge bottled a Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot.
Nose of smoked meats and cassis. Rich, smooth and balanced with good acidity. Flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant and cedar leading into a long finish. A lovely wine that's yet to peak.
http://scmwine.blogspot.com/2009/05/2008-monte-bello-final-assemblage.html
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2009 - wabi47 wrote: 94 Points
gorgeous; beautiful balance of still young smooth dark cherry and blueberry, cassis with bright acidity; complex notes of tobacco, oak, tannins in the background; this is a thoroughbred and and is stlll getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2009 - foodandwineblog wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind: Opened for 3 hours prior to drinking.
Sexy and rich blend, was guessed by a few to be a younger, left-bank Bordeaux. Lots of fruit, cassis, hints of vanilla, tobacco, and drinking very nicely now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2009 - JDB wrote: 95 Points
Definetly a Bordeaux blend and a delicious example of one , one hour in a decanter & it improved all night consumed w/ a Shafer HSS 1999 and it was elegance vs size & power . The Monte Bello was Barbie all curves and sexy but in a beautiful natural way , the Shafer was GI Joe ,all American , muscular and equally attractive in it's own genre .
The Monte Bello evolved beautifully over the evening and the last hour we were just smelling the empty glass discussing what was there . A great bottle of wine in a very nice place right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
This wine had a hint of mustiness on the nose and in the palate that I found off-putting just a bit. Nose also included whiskey barrel and crushed raspberries with flavors of sour cherry (bright acidity) and oak. I did not hold together real well though, falling apart about 4 hours after opening. Not sure if if would have recovered. I would say this is a good wine, not worth $60 on futures though. Monte Bello, in my experience, is a real hit-or-miss proposition and this was on the side of miss. Like Lagavulin 16 or most any 12+ peaty scotch, the mustiness or smokiness that others have described, is an acquired taste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2009 - jakearoe wrote: 94 Points
Simply lovely. Full, bright and deep red in color - no sign of age whatsoever. Very lively nose of violet perfume with hints of pencil lead/graphite. Wonderful full yet balanced palate of bing cherry, other medium to dark fruit, chocolate, and just the slightest touch of wood. Brilliant, bright acidity focuses the finish, and sweet tannins last on the tongue. Good times.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2009 - vinojones wrote: 95 Points
very dark red;complex nose of cedar,herbs, chocolate, cassis evolving over 3 hrs, never faded; still tightly wound but starting to show some polish of age, long way to go; great balance long finish but subtle- you have to look for it.
Definite VA in the nose, very lite and not unattractive but could be off putting for those sensitive to vinegar.......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2008 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
The Blind Drunks 1997 California Cab Retrospective Dinner (Dunham Woods Riding Club, Wayne, Illinois): Aromas of smoky dark fruit, meat and currants. Lush and rich, with red currant, cassis, blackberry and smoky woody tones on the palate. A great mouthful of wine, with a long, balanced finish. My wine of the night. Must get more of this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2008 - Miruvor wrote: 92 Points
Thanksgiving Day with appetizers. No way it would go with the main event. The gathering was a good excuse to try it so we did.
Color: Dark ruby with the barest hint of brown edge.
Nose of dusty blueberries and ripe black cherries. A hint of a stewed plummy fruit aroma. Typical hint of MB mint or some similar herb. Sweet oak and fruit melange of Draper perfume stilll present.
Palate is medium bodied. No lack of fruit throughout but the wine is very light on its feet. Very subtle and smooth texture as would befit its 12.9 percent alcohol level. Obviously not hot and one cannot detect any alcohol presence at all. Still on the younger fruit dominant side of plum and blueberry, sweet oak tones, with lesser secondary notes of earth, mint, very mild tobacco. Medium length finish with well integrated not really noticeable tannins at all.
A typically complex well crafted Monte Bello made in a more elegant style than usual (although most MB's are balanced and elegant by design). It actually kind of reminded me of the 99 Lytton Springs. I liked both wines of course.
I think the vintage can go on for quite a few more years, especially if you like more secondary aromas and flavors in your wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
Finally a bottle of 1997 Monte Bello that was very good. 33% is a pretty poor performance, Ridge. This wine has a very nice complex nose of cassis, simmering tomato sauce and outdoors after rain that has been a long time coming (sort of fresh dirt and mustiness combined). Mature but very balance flavors of dark cherries, chocolate, anise and even a dirt component, although I know this is not from Rutherford. A very nice bottle, balanced, well integrated acidity and tannins and not enough alcohol to leave you drooling when you finish the bottle. Needs careful decanting. I hope my other three are here instead of where the previous two were.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2008 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Greg and Sayo over an indulgent dinner at Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong. Almost black, inpenetrable colour. Very Bordeaux-style nose of graphite and cedar but a bit restrained. Great palate with excellent depth of fruit, some sweetness but needing time to unfold and show its true multi-dimensionality with caramel and coffee appearing. Huge length with good " in your head" resonance but just doesn't hang together as a whole as much as you'd expect....a bit too sweet and too much heat to be great. Disappointing compared to any other Ridge Monte Bello I have drank in the past, all the more so because of the great year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 83 Points
A major disappointment for a Cali icon, this bottle was just off. There was an indiscernable funk of something that was not dramatic, just a little something, at first we thought TCA but it was not in the nose, certainly not brett, almost like a bad barrel. Could this have been from the bad old days when Ridge had TCA in the cellar? So the wine had a nose that was closed, sort of blackberry brambles and a bit of evergreen. On the palate, that indiscernable component, a pretty good dose of tannin and acidity with blueberry, sous bois and a minerality of place. Just a weak bottle and let's hope #'s 3-6 are better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
Totally mature at this stage, showing cassis, black cherry, blackberry and sage. Great food wine and nice integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2008 - jbaron wrote: 89 Points
Tart.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 92 Points
started off a bit hot with dried out earthy fruit and and sharp tannin. After a couple hours of air rounded out well with ripe blackberry, currant and actually some chocolate tones which I rarely get on Monte Bello. Really good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2008 - rstark wrote: 91 Points
Brought to SD offline. Have had this wine 3 times recently, and although I love the earthy/fruit blend nose, and nice attack, there seems to be something missing in the mid-palate. As they say "there's a hole in the middle". Fortunately it redeems with a nice dusty finish ... good fruit and a little chocolate. Just a tiny essance of green, not as much as most Ridges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2008 - CardDawgWinos wrote: 96 Points
Great, great wine. The low alcohol content (12.9%) makes this cab extremely smooth. Great smells of currant and bright fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2008 - Stephan O wrote: 96 Points
(Drank at Capital Grille.) I didn't expect this to eclipse the Krug that preceded it, but it did. It's a mystery to me why Ridge's Monte Bello doesn't have the cult following that its more over-the-top CaliCab brothers enjoy. This is simply regal, with a calm, cool, and collected Bordeaux-like profile of spice box, currant, and charcoal. The structure is taut and upright but graceful. The 12.9% alcohol is a welcome departure from the norm (though I'm not one who regularly whines about 14+ alcohol). It's the perfect steakhouse Cab: sleek, powerful, balanced, brooding, and subtle all at once.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2008 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Black cherries, as swished between teeth it turned toward red and then green pepper. Can a wine be 94 points while also being "fun," even a little wild? This was. Certainly still spry in its middle age. Wise with a wink. A pleasure to know.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2007 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
I think this wa a little short on the nose with some red fruits and mature flavors but a little weak for a Monte Bello. Is this wine going through a dumb phase right now? Consumed with prime rib on Christmas. Perhaps suffered from a United plane ride (checked bags) to Redding, CA from IAH?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2007 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Private dinner with friends. (@ PVa): This is a beauty of a wine. In the bouquet the Bordeaux blend is very clear. In the mouth it offers a lot of complexity, but the fruit is riper than in Bordeaux. The wine is sweeter compared to Bordeaux (which is my reference), and I do not always like that. But in this wine, with its complexity and constitution, everything is in perfect harmony. Now I know I need to drink more of the better American wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 92 Points
Barbecue with friends and a humble winemaker (Somewhere Downtown!): This was a ringer, after trying old Burgs, Bordeaux, and older vintage Cali wines. The richness and structure on this is huge. Big, black, inky fruits with tar, smoke, and loads of new toasty oak. It's already 10 years old, but acts like a little baby with teeth gripping tannins and bold black fruits. The balance is phenomenal, and drinks wonderfully right now, particularly with a fat, rich steak or braised beef, but will benefit from cellaring for many years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2007 - psmith wrote:
Really dark, young, meaty wine. Coarse tannins. Very youthful. Quite different from a bottle last month.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2007 - zimmy07 wrote: 94 Points
big ripe cali cab. Blackberry, oak and spice. Classic Monte Bello with the blend adding complexity and many dimensions as the wine progresses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
My wine of the night. Deep garnet (again) with a ripe and deep blackberry nose that has a wonderful earthiness to it. Explosive palate, lovely fruit with great depth. This is the first wine that I really got complex and layered flavors out of. Just super. (94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2007 - psmith wrote:
Minty and pure. Fine, streamlined wine - very 1997. Really tasty wine that will benefit from, but doesn't necessarily need much time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2007 - bdenuyl wrote: 90 Points
Still somewhat tannic, it mellowed out after an hur in a decanter. A nice Ridge, but not a great one. It did not have the depth or structure of the better years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2007 - Wineaddict wrote: 97 Points
Amazing from start to finish, full bodied with excelent fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2006 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
STILL COULD USE TIME BUT RICH BLACK CURRANT FRUIT WITH BLACK BERRIES AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2006 - winefool wrote:
Full opaque red/purple color. Really lovely rich red fruit and spiciness on the palate. Very nice. ? Pts. 6/06
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 91 Points
The Full Monte - 35 Year Monte Bello Vertical (Alba Restaurant, London): 85% CS, 4%M, 4% Petit Verdot (PV), 3% CF, 12.9% Alcohol
Deep ruby, fruit much more restrained on nose. I found something unsettling about this though, an almost dusty, mealy tannic structure, would have liked to come back to it. Have to add a question mark to the score at this time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91,WA90-91,WS93
Tasted October 1, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Restaurant Series Bordeaux stem. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Aromas showed a some bell pepper, crushed cherries and wet stone. Just a little of that bell pepper up front on the palate that quickly gave way to camomille, cinnamon, crushed red cherries and a dash of mint. I wasn’t quite as impressed with this wine as many others were that evening but this is still a pretty good Monte Bello. I’d recommend holding another 3-5 years before trying again and see where it takes you from there. I’m passing at this price point myself.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2005 - Quinn_cab wrote: 92 Points
Still somewhat tight and a little thinner than I was expecting from my first Ridge MB. Nice color and aromas plumb and toasted wood. Decent fruit flavors on the palate, but that big mouthfeel I expect from a top-flight Cali Cab just wasn't there. Decent, but definitely not a WOW.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2004 - Spencer wrote: 94 Points
Great young Cal. cab. Still tightly wound, but delicious anyways. Dark, opaque purple. Complex nose of menthol, mint, cassis, espresso. Velvety and lush on the palate, and a long, expansive finish. This should improve, and last a long time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2002 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - World Class - Ridge Vineyards: Fairly dark colour.
Vegetal nose.
Quite aggressive tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment