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Spontaneous Mini Ridge Monte Bello Vertical
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Tasted March 12, 2011 by lowereastscott with 436 views
Introduction
On Saturday night we randomly decided to pop open 3 half-bottles of Monte Bello that we purchased at Ridge SCM last summer and hold a mini vertical tasting with our grilled Delmonico steaks. It was a ton of fun and very informative. All 3 bottles were pristine, so I felt like we definitely got to evaluate the individual vintages and blends and could make an informed decision about where they were in their respective evolutions. I'm glad we have another set of 3 resting in the cellar for another time. This just confirmed our love of Ridge and belief that Monte Bello is perhaps the finest classic Bordeaux-style red wine made in California.
Flight 1 (3 notes)
Red
1992 Ridge Monte Bello
93 points
From 375mL direct from winery. Popped 4 hrs. before tasting. Still very dark, nearly opaque crimson. Beautiful nose of berries, pine needles, maybe a hint of leather. Cherries on the palate, though still a lot of tannins possibly holding back even more red fruit. Medium-long finish with a touch of orange rind. This has a ton of life left and is probably not even in its prime. (80% CS/11% M/9% PV)
Red
1993 Ridge Monte Bello
91 points
From 375mL direct from winery. Popped 4 hrs. before tasting. More purple in color than the '92; still dark. Nose of menthol, a touch of mint, maybe even creosote. Gobs of fruit on the palate, a bit of tobacco, silky smooth tannins, medium finish. This is probably on the downward side of its drinking curve. A lot more Cab in this vintage, and interestingly, Ridge did not list the other varieties in the blend. Not a classic Monte Bello, in my opinion.
Red
1994 Ridge Monte Bello
92 points
From 375mL direct from winery. Popped 4 hrs. before tasting. Brick red in color. Gorgeous classic Bordeaux nose of pine and cedar. On the palate, cooler, black fruit as opposed to the '92 and '93 (maybe due to the Merlot?). Touch of vanilla, like the ice cream on top of a slice of blueberry pie. This is probably in its peak drinking window right now, but that window is likely open for a few more years. (73% CS/15% M/9% PV/3% CF)