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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.5 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 186 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by deadwax on 4/9/2024 & rated 94 points: Double decanted to take to out with friends. In a good place with plenty of life. I think this is a 40-year MB. On the nose a purple fruit, cassis and spice box. On the pallet cassis, blue fruit and spice in the medium body wine. Very good and will get better. (2027 views) | | | Tasted by mark2eye on 2/10/2024 & rated 96 points: Excellent. Drinking perfectly right now. (3230 views) | | | Tasted by ziavino on 2/2/2024 & rated 95 points: Notes of ripe plum and blackberry lead the way, with grippy tannins emerging and lingering on the medium-long finish. Oak feels well integrated at his stage, and there's a mineral undertone that plays a more prominent role than usual. Savory, earthy notes weave in and out too. Excellent, and just leaning into its drinking window now. (3057 views) | | | Tasted by Rieslingfan on 2/1/2024: Served blind by the host at our monthly tasting group, this was the runaway wine of the night. Still very young, but also quite drinkable, with solid black fruit, firm tannin, a touch (just a touch) of wood framing, and a very long finish. Not the most aromatic wine of the night, but definitely the most complete, and with the longest runway for improvement. Drink now if you must, but better off not to, as it's going to get a lot better. (3353 views) | | | Tasted by Too much practice. on 1/1/2024 & rated 92 points: This is something (news only to me). Tasted from Nik Bertelsen. Round, smooth, fruity, oaky and utterly delicious. Very long finish. (3433 views) | | | Tasted by whits on 12/22/2023 & rated 96 points: Let the bottle breathe for a couple of hours, opens with notes of coffee, cassis and mint on the nose, rich, lifted and balanced with fresh acid, very long and delicious, flavors of cherry, blackberry, tobacco and sage expand on the palate, long lasting finish, brilliantly built, feels like it is just entering a long drinking window, great match with prime rib, a wonderful delight (2992 views) | | | Tasted by Genevrieres on 12/10/2023 & rated 98 points: America's First Growth (3359 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 12/7/2023 & rated 96 points: My first bottle of this vintage. Decanted for an hour before serving, and shared with 2 friends at a beach front restaurant. We loved this! Long finish. Medium+ body. Great nose. I'm sure there is lots of life ahead of this vintage. My next bottle won't be for at least 12 months. (2959 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 12/3/2023 & rated 95 points: Amazing kinship with the 1992 and 2002 here, showing a big nose, full of red and black fruit alongside green peppercorn and a sandalwood element I like. The fruit is generous, but it's not heavy or jammy and I appreciate the liveliness imparted by the acidity. (3521 views) | | | Tasted by merlotsmile on 11/17/2023 & rated 96 points: Vinminnen 19 (2894 views) | | | Tasted by MC on 11/14/2023: Decanted 3 hours. At first, even after the decant, this is still quite closed and structured. 2 hours later (so 5 after open) this is a bit more open but still feels like it has a long way to go before it enters its prime window. But well made and should be great. Maybe try again in a few years with a good decant. A-/A (3241 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 10/15/2023 & rated 94 points: Deep juicy and delicous. Still packed, doesnt fully reveal, but very enjoyable now. Lovely balance of fruit and mineral structure. Hybrid new old world style. (3400 views) | | | Tasted by daghaug on 10/7/2023: Mildt preg av maling. Ellers bjørnebær og kanskje snev av tobakk. Herlig frisk og fyldig i munnen, med varm sødmefylt frukt som røper nye verden. Noe kirsebær. Veldig smooth i munnen og runde tanniner i ettersmaken. Deilig nå, men ikke veldig utvikla så her er det mye å gå på. (3176 views) | | | Tasted by Marmie11 on 7/1/2023 & rated 91 points: This wine needs many more years. If you only have one bottle and proper storage, cellar it for another 5-10 years before opening. It is very tightly wound and singular, even after being decanted for 1 1/2 hours. The fruit is pure, but restrained. Secondary and savory notes were muted. Tannins are still dominating the wine. This was my only 2012, but I have the 14 which I won’t open for another decade at least. Lesson learned. (4574 views) | | | Tasted by VinCA on 6/24/2023: Drinking better (fresher) than the 2002. The 10 year time frame seems to be good for MB. Still some bright acid, minimal tannins and fresh fruit - cassis and dark fruits. Finished the next night, no big change. (4610 views) | | | Tasted by squiddo on 6/16/2023 & rated 91 points: As expected, this baddy delivered! Amazing, decant for <1hr minimum (4300 views) | | | Tasted by mchern02 on 5/8/2023 & rated 94 points: PnP from 375 next to the 2014
Big bright blue and red nose with cedar, wet tobacco, and gravelly minerals. Young but intense, with great length and balance. Nice backbone and tension. Youthful but quite good already. (5220 views) | | | Tasted by Costes76 on 4/23/2023 & rated 94 points: Opaque ruby-purple color. Deep nose of very ripe blackcurrant, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, wet forest floor but with a lifting off-dry endnote. Dry, rounded acidity, velvet chocolate tannins, palate follows through. Full body, outstanding balance, long finish. Held up very well to day 2. A great bottle for sure and more aging potential in store, but typical Californian (corrected) steel with relatively less silk, and not ethereal or life-changing. (4785 views) | | | Tasted by arthur05 on 4/3/2023 & rated 95 points: LOVE THIS 2012! Loaded with intense black fruit and great tannin. With much discipline, I look forward to trying it again in 5 years. (4635 views) | | | Tasted by Krokfjord on 2/26/2023 & rated 92 points: Luftet to timer. Mørkerød frukt, raus men lekker og full av energi. Veldig fruktdrevet, men likevel så utrolig digg - hvor bra dette blir med tid og stunder er det bare å glede seg til. Ingen overdreven eikebruk her, bare strålende frukt som sitter og sitter. Drukket mot LLC08 hadde flaska fra Bdx en friskhet og pur rødfrukt som - for meg - sendte den et hestehode foran. Men dette er høy kvalitet. (4937 views) | | | Tasted by Stefan75 on 2/9/2023 & rated 95 points: MB never disappoints, the youngest of the Red wines that evening (Evangile 1998 & Solaia 2001 were the others) but this 2012 was clearly at par with a perfect fruit and many layers underneath that promise an even greater future. An absolute blockbuster with a classic touch. (4528 views) | | | Tasted by MatthewJEd on 12/25/2022 & rated 92 points: Much darker than 2011 drunk 2 days ago. Turbo blackcurrant and blackberry nose. Well integrated tannins considering age. 10 years to go at a minimum. Massive now, will be better in time. (4097 views) | | | Tasted by Rollerball on 12/22/2022 & rated 97 points: With a core like the sun and a penumbra of complexity, the Ridge 2012 Monte Bello was arguably the wotn in an epic lineup. Classic, old-school, Cabernet-driven, with the remaining 1/3 Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. A humming motor in a perfectly balanced, harmonious, sphere of a wine. Minerally dense fruit on an energetic, medium-weight frame, plus smoke, violets, mint, filigree dark chocolate, dried orange zest, and wet, mushroomed earth. Pleasure meets intellect in this must-taste treasure. 90-minute decant; enjoyed over a few hours. Drink now-2032 (4203 views) | | | Tasted by markydecker on 12/20/2022 & rated 97 points: I have a few of these (2 in magnum), so I couldn’t resist any longer and opened a standard bottle at the 10 year mark. What a wonderful treat! The wine is so concentrated and powerful, yet superbly balanced. Tar, pencil, leather and spices on the nose, along with freshly tilled earth. The attack is overwhelming, almost sensory overload. No sighs of aging. The fruit is amazing, dark and rich, and combines with the acid and big tannins in a complete package. Definitely among the longer lived Monte Bellos, this is so delicious right now, but patience will definitely be rewarded. Love this terroir. The flagship of Ridge continues to amaze. (4020 views) | | | Tasted by Grappa Cellar on 12/3/2022 & rated 94 points: American Bordeau (4056 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello retrospective (10/25/2022)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello retrospective (10/25/2022)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By William Kelley
Decanter, Ridge Monte Bello Vertical (11/27/2017)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (2/9/2017)
(Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Ridge Monte Bello Revisited: 1968 – 2012 (Jul 2016) (7/1/2016)
(Ridge Monte Bello Central Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (1/24/2016)
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/21/2015)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (9/5/2015)
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (9/1/2015)
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (8/26/2015)
(Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Ridge Monte Bello: Past, Present and Future (Jul 2015) (7/1/2015)
(Ridge Monte Bello Central Coast) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/25/2015)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Cruz Mountains – A Study in Terroir (Jul 2014)
(Ridge Monte Bello Monte Bello) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/4/2013)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Cruz Mountains: California’s Best Kept Secret (Jul 2013)
(Ridge Monte Bello Monte Bello) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/15/2015)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Saturated very dark ruby color; appealing, ripe cassis, raspberry puree, cherry puree nose; rich, tight, ripe raspberry puree, cassis palate with sweet tannins and good acidity; needs 5 years; medium-plus finish (64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot; 13.8% alcohol) 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/19/2013)
(Ridge Monte Bello) Final assemblage - opaque purple red violet color; very appealing, cassis, creme de cassis, cedar, pencil lead, ripe black fruit nose; velvety textured already, tight, tart black currant, tart black cherry, pencil lead, violets palate with balance; could use 5-plus years; long finish (62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot; 13.7% alcohol) 96 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/10/2013)
(Ridge Monte Bello) First assemblage barrel sample - opaque purple red violet color; very appealing, complex, pencil lead, black currant, mulberry nose; rich, tasty, poised, tight, tart black currant, tart berry, pencil lead palate with firm, sweet tannins; needs 7-plus years; medium-plus finish 94-96 points (first assemblage is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc; 13.7% alcohol; all the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc was used in this blend) 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and JamesSuckling.com and Vinous and WineAlign and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Ridge Producer website | Wikipedia
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m) on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA near Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.2012 Ridge Monte Bello64% Cabernet Sauvignon
22% Merlot
8% Cabernet Franc
6% Petit VerdotRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.Monte Bello On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. |
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