From magnum, courtesy of tlv. Fairly deep color with a medium mousse. Toasted apple and hazelnut qualities follow through on the palate. Toasty and rich. Fine bead with a nice yeastiness lingering on the finish. Really coming into its own, though perhaps it’s the format? Regardless, a delicious sparkler. 92-93 pts.

The first of four bottles, an extra brut made exclusively from pinot noir. Red apple and almond qualities with a fine bead and good underlying acidity.

Courtesy of VM; disgorged July 2018. Lingering mousse, fine bead. Ripe orchard fruit- pear- along with a nice yeasty overtone. Excellent.

Served with pork "wings" tossed in a sweet Thai chili sauce-an excellent match. Deep color. Apricot and stone fruit; good weight and length through the finish. So very good.

Courtesy of VM following the terrific RvK. Also deeply colored, showing the same wonderful ripe stone fruit but with hints of petrol, spice and ripe apple. There's a hint of sulfur in there too. More complexity and deeper than the RvK. 95-96 pts, and in the early stages of peak drinkability.

Our final bottle, popped and poured. Cherry and dark pinot fruit with warm baking spice overtones. Black cherry, cola and nutmeg on the palate. Lovely.

Popped and poured, courtesy of VM. Cherry and spice, quite a bit bigger and slightly riper than the preceding WesMar but very likable. Cherry and baking spice on the nose and palate. Lengthy finish.

Popped and poured. White currant and strawberry in abundance, with cranberry undertones. Bright underlying acidity. Excellent.

Popped and poured. Orange, honeysuckle, dried peach, pineapple and tangerine notes. Wonderful complexity in the bouquet. Many similarities on the palate, with citrus tones a bit more prominent than anything else. Rich and layered, with a long finish.

Courtesy of tlv, decanted for a few hours (5+/-?) before dinner. Deep youthful color. Currants, cassis and something decidedly herbal. Black fruit, herb and vanilla on the palate. Still youthfully tannic, even with the healthy decant. I'd continue to sit on these for a few years...perhaps 2026+. Still, what's here is very good, and it's a classic in the making- patience will be rewarded.

Courtesy of TLV, given a short decant (2hrs +/-) before dinner. Cassis, black raspberry and what is for me a signature in young Monte Bello- violets. Firm, fine-grained tannins with creme de cassis, black cherry and wood spices. Long finish. Loads of upside from here. Hold until 2028+. 94-95 pts.

Our first of three, double decanted off its sediment and served blind to the group with dinner about 9hrs after the cork was first pulled. Aromas of red currant, leather, green tobacco, cassis and forest floor. Changes in the glass throughout the dinner. Full-bodied with flavors of red plum, currants, cigar tobacco, allspice, black cherry and licorice. Tannins are integrating nicely and this is certainly approachable now, albeit young. Balanced, with a lingering finish. My favorite of the three reds in terms of pairing with the rib roast.

Most guessed centered on "old school" Napa cabernet, but Mrs. TLV was zeroing in on Bordeaux from the start. This definitely shows the fruit of warm 2003 vintage and had I been tasting blind I'm not sure I'd have guessed Bordeaux either, but the structure is the giveaway here. A very fine wine with the good, but not overly ripe fruit, of the vintage. Happy to have two more in the cellar. No rush here.

A bottle tlv had opened a day prior, there was about half a bottle left to finish. Toasted marshmallow, ripe apple and fig notes. An abundance of orchard fruit on the palate, with noticeable but balanced oak influence. I tend to love these MB chards, and this vintage is yet another in that line.

Popped and poured. Cassis and briary red berry fruit with spice undertones. Full-bodied and obviously young, the tannins are fine-grained and balanced by the fruit. Eminently enjoyable, with some upside from here.

Courtesy of VM, pouring a deep maple syrup color. Candied apricot and stone fruit on the nose and palate. A bit more straightforward than I remember. Still very enjoyable but I was hoping for a bit more nuance to this. 92+ pts.

Our first of three, poured with dessert. Light amber color. Notes of fresh flowers and pear nectar. I am accustomed to rich, almost viscous dessert wines from Manfred, and this is not in that vein. This is light, almost racy, with flavors of orange, pear liqueur and spice. Excellent, but I preferred the Kracher tonight.