2013 Ridge Monte Bello

Community Tasting Notes (109) Avg Score: 94.9 points

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  3/6/2024 - Cailles wrote: 99 Points

  Wow, wow, wow! This wine stands as a true work of art, astonishingly surpassing high expectations I had after tasting it 7 years ago (following its release) when it showed great promise (rated 97pts). I would have never thought that this still very young wine is that amazing today, especially as Monte Bello has a reputation of needing decades to blossom. The complexity is out of this world and up there with the very best wines I’ve ever had, with each aroma delivered in ultra-high definition, so sharp and precise. The profoundness of this wine is paired with a perfect structure, full of finesse, tension and freshness. One can only imagine how good it will be in 10, 20, 30 years. For sure one to load up.
  
  TN: Very intense, yet balanced bouquet with layers and layers of aromas wafting out of the glass. Same on the palate with one wave after the other of aromas hitting all senses. Intense spruce tips, pine tree, several layers of herbs, a rainbow of fruit from fresh and ripe blue fruit to delicate, fresh red berries, coffee, just hints of chocolate, earthy minerality. Wow, every sip reveals something new. Extremely profound.The wine is anchored by a firm structure of fine tannins poised for further integration, alongside high acidity that adds to its dynamism. Despite its richness, the wine maintains a surprisingly light texture, culminating in a long, evolving finish. Approaching perfection, this wine promises to achieve a perfect rating as it develops even greater complexity with age.
  
  Decanting: Decanted for 4+ hours. It needed the time (or could have even used more air).

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  2/29/2024 - JLCFan wrote:

  The Cabernet character is really exuberant here, and the wine is flush with savory, pyrazine-adjacent notes. Not at all oaky. Fruit is just a bit closed, but there is an enormous sense of latent power. Nothing to do but wait.

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  2/5/2024 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points

  Tasted blind after a 4h decant. An incredibly dense, structured and layered wine with a a pleasantly sweet fruit profile of red and dark cherry as well as blueberries. Various chocolate-like layers of Mon-Chérie and Aftereight. Floral notes of violets, roasted coffee beans, graphite and iron. A perfectly round palate, concentrated with high tannin, high acidity - but all in perfect harmony. A present and expansive palate with a structure built for longevity. In any line-up this is a contender for wine of the night. Still very early days and I would definitely suggest several hours of decanting.

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  1/26/2024 - SCOTT SILVERMAN wrote:

  My 65th Birthday

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  12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

  The 2013 Monte Bello is actually a little too ripe for me - most of the MBs on show today show a cooler, fresher profile.

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