February 24, 2024 - Wow! Hardly showing its age with just a tiny bit of bricking on the rim. Full nose of herbs, black fruit, some leather and hints of eucalyptus. Tannins are fully resolved. Not quite the depth and complexity of many Montebello's but wonderful.
November 13, 2021 - Spectacular in every way.
November 2, 2021 - Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): First note is crushed pepper, some mint, some more backyard herbs, it's a really nice wine although lacking some of the vibrancy that some of the others have (again, this is splitting hairs). Perhaps it's just a bit less intense in style.
September 18, 2021 - Brick colored. Big intense nose of smoke and leather that overflows the glass. Followed on the palate by mature dark berries with secondary and tertiary development. The fruit is nicely balanced by acidity and does not feel tired at all at the ripe old age of 34 years. Tannins have fully melted away leaving a smooth medium-bodied mouthfeel. Beautiful fully mature Monte Bello. Drink now.
September 10, 2021 - Acker's COVID-Vaccinated BYO Dinner and Auction Simulcast (Craft - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Black plum, nicely powerful, surprisingly bright and fresh. Nicely supported by spice, menthol and eucalyptus notes. Good+ balance, good length. Not a great vintage of Monte Bello, but certainly very good.
December 4, 2020 - Beautiful wine. Not one of the biggest 1987s but very pretty and delicate. Bricking color but still wonderfully fresh and alive like most 87 Cali cabs. This has a distinctly "feminine" profile with more red fruit notes such as raspberries and strawberries. Great underlying acidity to give it perfect balance. The red fruit is followed by nice secondary notes of earth and mushrooms. While it does not have the same depth as some other 87 Cali cabs, the flavors linger nicely on the long finish.
December 20, 2019 - X-Mas Tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Gold
Tasted blind. Decanted. Nose with some brett, fine tobacco, leather, deep and complex. On the palate again some brett, fine, dark fruit, fine acidity, a bit rustic, but with a silky texture. Long, lingering finish. I guessed new world. 93-94
May 11, 2019 - Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (Ridge Monte Bello, Cupertino): From Jeroboam. Balanced, Bordeaux-like fruit, complex, tobacco; palate is full bodied, balanced, elegant medium-plus acidity, low alcohol (11.7%). This reminds me of a 1999 Mouton. Truly top tier and lovely. 95
March 25, 2018 - Opened at Anvil with Allred and our wives. Sadly, this was corked.
March 25, 2018 - Courtesy of M/M TLV. Sadly, this had some cork taint. There were some floral qualities and red fruit poking through though. What a shame.