This blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cab. Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot is singing strong just now. Deep purple at its core with plum on the rim. Loads of plum, cassis, cedar, licorice, and mint. Definite finish of vanilla. The round tannins glide across the palate. Plenty of life left in this wine. A bit of grainy sediment in the bottle following decanting. 13.8% alc. With grilled (beef) sirloin steaks under sauteed mushrooms for late, quick weeknight meal. 03.21.24. Recommended.
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Decanted for 2 hrs then drank over the next 2. Nose was the highlight for this bottle. Initially the palate was overwhelmed by oak but this faded shortly after the first few pours. Not much depth to the fruit and flavor after the oak influence softened though. Agree that this may be in a shut down phase as it had nowhere near the depth of previous bottles. Check back in a couple of years.
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I paired this with prime sirloin cap cut. It took at least 6 hours to fully show its depth. This was just enough jam for me without being over the top. The nose was pleasant and lingering and initial mouth feel was smooth leathery but fade to jam. Not a perfect steak pairing however I thoroughly enjoyed finishing the bottle with some dark chocolate the rest of the night. Needs a few years and this will be even better.
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Solbærsaft, hint av maling og noe blyantspiss. Ganske primær ennå. Frisk syre i munnenog god tanninstruktur som ikke er nedslepen ennå. Snerper en del i ettersmaken. Best til mat må, men lover godt.
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Really in a good spot after 24 hours of air. Dark fruit, coffee on the nose and palate. Silky tannins. Early maturity. Persistent, well defined and balanced.
The wine was definitely very good and high quality, but still too much affected by the wood for my taste. After a while the profile changed to a more interesting one so there is room for improvement with aging.
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Very good “mini Monte Bello.” Left bank Bordeaux style. Well balanced. Black cherry and blackberry fruit followed by earth tones and mushroom. Chewy tannins. Overall a very good wine.
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We rarely drink CA Cabernet anymore, but I really enjoyed this one. There is some oak here, and I always wonder what these would be like if they used French oak instead, but it is not overpowering the wine. I need to be picking up a few of these every once in a while when the opportunity knocks.
Still young, but with some air it’s approachable now. Full bodied, firm, but smooth tannins, black cherry, leather, dried tobacco leaf, vanilla. This wine is typical of Ridge’s style and more old world than new, meaning it’s not a jammy, fruity wine. There’s depth and layers. Enjoy now with a decant or hold 10+.
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Woof. Drinking this felt like the bit in a musical before everyone breaks out singing. There’s great structure here, tannins, a spicy hint of oak and lovely acidity. This has got decades in front of it but drinking wonderfully now.
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My last bottle of 2016. While it was excellent, I have a feeling that it might have been even better with another year on the rack. Flavors still coming together and the tannins had a little bite - not an astringent feel, but not quite “there” just yet. No regrets - just a bit curious where it could have gone.
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4 hr decant. Muted nose, red fruit on the palate. Medium finish. Still very young and seemed restrained even after 6-7 hrs. A little disappointed but will wait another couple of years before trying again.
Concentrated yet precise. Lots of classic red fruit but feels light on its feet and balanced. Two hour decant and ready to go. Even better on night 2. If Monte Bello didn’t exist this would get more praise IMO. 94-95
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Maybe bottle variation or storage (wine auction purchase) but this was not pleasant to drink. Tried over 2 days and decanted but never opened up or shook off a stringent almost sour note on the finish. with food, you could drink it but why?
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A really nice wine wine a decently long finish. Continued to open as the evening progressed. Classic complexity with dark and blue fruits, elegant tannins with vanilla, spice, and licorice on the noise.
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Night 2. This is just lovely - the freshness is there, all the depth, and this lovely core of silky tannins balanced with good acidity. This really can approach the MB in quality.
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Wonderful dark fruit on the nose of dark cherrys, blueberries and blackberries with a touch of vanilla and oak. You get the same fruits on the palate but some baked fruit as well with a charred oak finish.
Delicious juice. Will buy again.
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Popped and poured, a single glass following the Ardanza (the rest is left until tomorrow). Still young but drinkable in its youth, as the Ridge cabs seem to be these days. Crimson with a hint of purple, powerful nose - hint of menthol, wooden box. On the palate - fresh, the menthol is there with good acidity and a lovely core of gentle tannins. You pay for this wine - it’s 1/2-1/3 the price of the Monte Bello - but it performs. Jolly nice - looking forward to the rest of the bottle.
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Drank after 3 hour decant. Good structure, typical Ridge profile, and paired well with a ribeye. Better the second night. Will likely hold my other bottle for a few years. Very good but not great.
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While delicious, i have to say, I was just a tad bit disappointed with the estate cab this time around. Normally pretty damn good, but the 2016 was missing a little something. I think there was a lack of a mid palate, and the finish was a little short with a little bit of a drying quality. Great flavor profile as usual, with dark cherries, plum, blueberry, clove, lavender and a bouquet garni of bay leaf, rosemary, thyme. Also some leather and tobacco on the palate. I just wish there was just a little more flesh and stuffing, otherwise, another solid effort. I don't think this will improve much with age and is in a great drinking spot right now. Sure, the tannins will eventually resolve, but again, because there wasn't much fleshiness and mid-palate, this will only get more interesting with age, but not necessarily "better."
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Decanted for approximately 90 minutes then poured back into the bottle and consumed out of Grassl 1855 over approximately 2 hours. The wine was paired with a Flannery Midwestern Hanger Steak.
The aromas were of dried flowers, red fruits, cocoa and tobacco. The palate is of red tart cherries, black cherries, blueberries, licorice and minerality. There is medium+ acidity with medium rustic tannins. The body is medium to medium-full. It has nice upfront appeal but lacks a little in the mid-palate.
The wine is enjoyable today but will benefit by a point or 2 with a little more cellar age. With another year or 2, the tannins should be more integrated and the the wine should be more balanced.
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Decanted for 2 hours then poured back into bottle for and additional 4 hours. Nose of dark cherry, vanilla, dill, cedar and violets. Tastes of dark cherry and ripe blueberry fruits. Accents of vanilla, green herbs, charred wood and a sanguinous minerality. Medium + acidity. Medium tannins. Serial tasting over time suggests a 2-3 hour decant might be optimum.
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It's not a California cabernet ... in the most beautiful way. It's rich and earthy with deep, dark fruit and a long finish. I get blueberry and cassis on the nose. On the palate it delivers a combination of rich, baked fruit - like blueberry pie - with spice and a touch of roasted sweetness, like cinnamon or cardamon.
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Coconut, cocoa, cedar, and cassis. The American oak on this wine rocks.
Medium acid and medium plus tannin. The acid keeps everything fresh.
This is everything I expected and more. Haven’t had Monte Bello in a few years, but could see why some refer to this as a baby Monte Bello. It’s drinking really well right now for primary notes, but definitely has the structure to go 10+ years for tertiary.
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Second half of a 1.5L that I opened a few weeks ago and then transferred. Very smooth, and I wonder if that process contributed at all (like decanting). Anyways I’ve enjoyed this bottle from release. It’s balanced and kind of a new role / old world combo.
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Very dark. Initially, plums and roasted meat. Strong tannins and acidity straight from the bottle. 30 minutes in the glass and the harshness dissipates. After an hour, sweet, ripe, red and black fruit become dominant. Coffee notes as well. Roast meat sill there. Tannins still a bit strong. Medium+ weight. Good length. Freshness provided by a gentle acidity in the background. Excellent now with an hour decant. Should be perfect in about 2 years.
77% Cabernet, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
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Nose. Cherry, cassis, raspberry, grilled meat, anise, and a touch of charred oak. No alcohol smell at all.
Palate. Warm red fruits. Perfect symmetry of tannins, fruit, and acidity. The finish is not super long, maybe 20-30 seconds, but it's powerful while it lasts.
This wine is seriously great. One of the better young-ish California Cabernets that really has it all. I can't begin describe the polish, the power, the rich fruit, and enjoy-ability of it all. Definitely buying all that I can find for a 10-15 year study.
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Tart is a good descriptor for this wine. High acid but a very interesting floral characteristic. If tasted blind i might mistake it for left bank. I didn’t find it as tanic as others but did feel acid level was high. Drank with a ribeye on memorial day, wrapping up bottle on day 2. Nice wine, but you definitely need to like this more restrained old world style, this is not flamboyant fruit forward CA blend, more mineral, earth , acid with a gritty medium plus finish. Well made wine!
95 because I truly believe this wine is going to stand th test of time. At five years old, this wine tastes like it’s straight from the barrel. So wound up and pissed off. Extremely tannic. Previous reviews say tart, and I would agree, but knowing Ridge and the style of wine they produce, unfortunately, I seriously think this wine needs a minimum of 10 years before it hits its peak and I could see it going for 30 before it dies off. In my opinion, Ridge is one of the few producers that can compete with the longevity of Bordeaux. Maybe that’s your thing, maybe not.
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Just delicious. More red-hued than Napa cabs. Nose of rich berry and American oak. Beautifully balanced fruit, oak, acid in the mouth. Coats with already nicely integrated tannins. Very similar to the 2016 Sequoia Grove Napa bottling, which I also truly enjoyed -just a touch more acid here, as you’d expect from the cooler climate. Peak 2022-2028
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From 0.375 bottle. This is showing even a little more open than my last bottle almost a year ago. Layered, balanced and pretty complex, as well as silky and fresh. This is as classy as California gets in this price range. It‘s actually much better than most of the wines there double the price. Another winner from this great producer.
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Classic cabernet style with a fair bit of acidity and tannin. Expect improvement over time and I will probably wait at least a couple years before opening the next.
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Agree with the other recent reviewers here. This will mature over several years but can be drunk now with a decant and thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic value.
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Decanted for 2 hours and drank with rib eye steak cooked sous vide and seared with infrared grill. Balanced, with notable (but not overwhelming) acidity and tannins accompanying classic Cabernet fruit flavors and oak. Classy wine, fun to drink, and I think will continue to improve as the tannins further integrate. Drinking well now also.
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I've been blessed to have the Ridge Monte Bello on the rare occasion and have drunk my share of the Ridge Zinfandels across the board. I had not known about the Estate Cabernet until recently and thought it was worth a go. This is the first of two bottles recently purchased.
First impression is one of subtlety, which is a song of high praise for anything coming out of California these past two decades. For a relatively young wine, open and inviting in both the nose and the palate. Dark fruit with a restrained amount of oak and the softest of tannins. Round -- maybe a tad thin but in a tradeoff I would take a tad thin over a jammy blockbuster any day of the week. Perhaps that is the skill of the winemaker showing her/his best -- just enough fruit without giving one a headache. The finish puckers but in a good way.
My gut says that this wine would be best within the next 3-5 years. Its vitality should be enjoyed before it fades. Beautiful.
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Showing quite a bit of oak with quite a bit of dill notes. Blue black fruits on the palate, typical of SCM. Drying oak? Tannins are rather distracting. Strong finish. Best to hold.
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2016 Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showed ripeness with restraint, and fruitiness with herbal complexities. The youthful Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet-dominant blend was deep ruby in colour without any sediments. Freshly uncorked, it jumped out of the glass with aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plum and vanilla sweet spices. With two hours of aeration, the structure loosened up to give balancing complexities of mint, bay leaves, violets and earth. The mouthfeel was dry and rather full-bodied, complemented with medium-high level of balanced acidity and high level of finely grained tannin. Flavours of cassis and eucalyptus lingered in a long liqourice-tinged finish. Alison was on point by drawing an analogy with Chinese cough syrup, for the richness and flavours of dark fruits, mint and liqourice.
The blend composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged in 70% new American oak for 22 months. The alcohol level was at a modest level of 13.8%, and it was probably among the lowest levels in California in the warming world.
Medium ruby/purple color. Needs a moment to open up, still young and primary. But amazing aromatics of cassis, elderflowers, black cherries, leather, menthol, sweet spices, also some more flowery notes. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent balance of medium-high acidity, some medium+ tannin that is very silky and very good mid-palate depth without being heavy. Long finish with building complexity. A superb Estate Cab from Ridge, probably my favorite producer from California. Pretty much everything they touch turns into gold.... (93+)
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Tried samples from Coravin with the 2011 and 2012 versions of the same wine. All very nice and good value. Heavy cassis nose of the sweet but not jammy kind. Very pure. Nice balance and concentration with relatively high but fine grained tannin. A bit inky still. Hold for another 5-10 years before trying, will keep for 15. 92p
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If you’re looking for “restrained” California Cabernet this is one to get. Yes, it needs time but drinks deliciously now. 2hr decant is a good starting point. Next time, if I’m patient, I’ll try a 6hr decant.
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Forget for another 5-10years. Oak is very present and not too balanced in, even the third evening after opening. I do like the velvety taste (from the Pt. Verdot/Cab.Franc?) and it does feel powerful, so do enjoy it at 15yrs+.
A very youthful-looking, semi-opaque, dark magenta in color. Absolutely fabulous on the nose. Powerful, complex aromas of earth, spice and violets fill the glass. Medium-to-full-bodied and very traditional in style and texture. There's plenty of mouth-watering, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit character here - with very good depth and focus. Beautifully balanced, but ever-so-slightly hollow on the mid-palate, though. Finishes very long, with chewy tannins, and a lingering burst of tangy fruit and cassis. Youthfully tight. Just needs time to loosen up and come together. An excellent second wine and a phenomenal value when compared against Big Brother Bello. 50+5+13+16+8=92
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Sourced from the Montebello Vineyard, this opaque ruby blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc is a structured offering that is built for the long haul. Loaded with black fruit, licorice, cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate, it adds notes of eucalyptus that are attributable to its élevage in American oak. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with restrained alcohol (listed as 13.8%), it wraps its flavors with plentiful grippy tannins that will require a significant amount of cellar time in order to resolve. The lengthy finish, however, is a great indicator of where this wine is headed. Drink 2025-2040.
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Second bottle in the case, much better this time around, sweetly perfumed cool Cab aromatics of blue fruits, that delicious black cherry note I always find in Monte Bello, restrained oak, echoes of cold cuts of prime meat. Very well balanced, complex, only tantalisingly hinting at future glories. Will improve, no question, but already showing off.
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Classic mountain cab profile being cooler and darker rather than warmer and redder. Much more open and in business than I would have expected. Also not as dense or tannic. I don't think this will be a wow vintage down the road but considering the price you can find it for it's really good. I'm giving my remaining bottles at least another six years but I prefer my cabs in secondary phases. I'm just not going to mark this one as something that's going to go for decades. I think it's a medium term wine. Still blows doors off most any other cab from CA in the price range.
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Had two different bottles over the last month. The magnum was really tight and hard to read but the 750 was absolutely singing. Really good - fruit, American oak were very prevalent but the balance worked great. Old school but pretty forward and ready to go.
Rating reflects the 750ml
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Hand harvested, sustainably grown and fermented with indigenous yeasts with grapes from the younger vines and lesser blocks/barrels made from the Monte Bello Vineyard. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% ABV.
The beautiful 2016 Cali Cab vintage is so reminiscent of the old-school vintages of yesteryear to me. At this point this is still a very young wine that has at least 2 decades of useful life. It is rather approachable now as well. The color is a medium to dark garnet with a rich crimson (almost purple) meniscus. The nose initially carries a significant oak influence of sweet vanilla that with swirling releases ripe black plum, cassis and blackberry and a touch of minty menthol. Not much earthiness at this stage but I'm sure that will develop over time in the cellar. Palate has very nice acidity for a Cali Cab and some youthful tannin that needs air and/or time to soften and integrate. There are some hints of earthiness and wet stones on the palate in addition to the fruit mixture from the nose. The finish is long and more mineral oriented. This is a great QPR for age-worthy "old-school" Cali Cab. It certainly doesn't have the depth and overall beauty of its big sister which I tasted last week but is a great buy for the price. If served in the short run this needs a multi-hour decant.
91-92 on its own today...Handicapped to 93 for age-worthiness.
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Really good, if a little young for my tastes. Opened with my wine group at a NYC restaurant and about 1/2 the group loved it. I think it will be better in a year or two.
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Another Year, Another Napa (aka Winter in Wineland IV); 1/5/2020-1/11/2020 (Napa/Sonoma California): The baby brother of the tasting. These are some of the younger vines, etc. from the Monte Bello set of vineyards. This wine is very approachable from the start. Darker fruits. A bit earthy, a bit of dust. Very fine tannins. Suspect it will drink better with some more years, but doesn't have the same level of power and depth the the MB does.
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Awesome wine. Would definitely benefit from at least 5 years in the cellar or an hour in a decanter though. Structurally one of the best wines I’ve had, exceptionally balanced with good acidity and firm tannin. Super concentrated on the nose with strong black fruit and mocha aromas. In contrast, on the palette it is very elegant and nuanced. Very complex and a long finish round out this excellent wine. It definitely punches above its price point
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Sper drinkable today. Has earth tones to the entire process. First time having this wine...every. heard a lot about it, and I am glad I bought 3 of them, so i can save the other two. Cheers!
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Blåbær, plommer, lite snev av alkohol. Deilig fruktsødme i munnen med søte, røde bær. Med litt luft kommer også noe pepper. Preg av varm frukt, men ikke slik at det tipper over. Myk munnfølelse helt til slutten, hvor tanninene og et lite jordpreg melder seg. Veldig rå og ung nå, syns Dag i alle fall - trenger litt tid før alt går opp i en høyere enhet. Men hvis det skjer blir det supert! Etterhvert litt lakris i ettersmaken.
Dag 2 (oppbevart på halv flaske i kjøleskap) er den blitt enda bedre, rundere og mer harmonisk og balansert. Luft godt hvis den drikkes nå! Nydelig blåbærfrukt i ettersmaken.
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1300-2700 feet elevation, 15 miles from Pacific. Same vineyard as Monte Bello, just younger vines. Soft style, Bordeaux-esque but fresher. Medium plus tannins and structure come off subtly.
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restrained in style, so charming at the subtle level, decanting mellows the tannin, aromas of mint and berry morph into floral aromas, rich and inviting, the palate shows cassis, smoke, dark berries and mineral, the tannin will keep the potential of this wine up, very nice with rib-eye steaks, give it air if consuming soon
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Pure cassis on he nose, but the palate is powerfully tannic with high-ish acid (so already, this would be fantastic in ~15 years). Light herbal pyrazines, just enough to be varietally correct. Really nice, restrained style of cabernet. I would have been really impressed by this if it wasn't followed by the Monte Bello.
Characteristic Monte Bello high toned fruit but unlike that eponymous Cuvée, this is diluted with an average finish. There is better cab at this price point.
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I've been drinking this bottling for many years, I've noticed that the acidity and lifted fruit has really dominated, much like the Montebello bottling. Anyway, this used to be more meaty and chewy. Not lately. This was enjoyable but in a bright, zesty, acidic, lifted fruit kind of way, very similar to the '14. Only 13.8%ABV
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Tasting room visit - leafy tobacco, cassis, spices, cigar box, distinctive aromas. Elegant and stately on the palate with rich and bright fruit and ample secondary depth. Round middle, with fleshy dense tannins and a nice finish. Very nice.
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Baby Montebello, but clearly coarser and less nuanced. Black fruit with a bit of dill. Nice depth for a wine of this price level. Tasted at the winery.
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Simple and delicious, nothing complex or interesting, but enoyable. Is this the best of the new globally warmed wine world? I paid $67 for this wine at Di Laurenti in Seattle, that tastes like a good $30 table wine, maybe comparable to a $35 rioja at Total Wine.
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with 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc. 17 months 35% new American oak. Medium nose gives dark fruit, violets, fresh earth. Palate is bigger than expected, full structure, fruit flavors show well, blackberry, dry finish.
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Prefered this more than now a few months ago. On the nose I found aromas of black and dark red fruit, sweet spices and black pepper, this full-bodied wine was rich along with ripe blackberries, vanilla, nutmeg, the finish was rich. 5-10 years of ageing will significantly benefit this. A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc in 100% American oak (new/used) for 17 months.
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Enjoyed at Postini Denver. PnP but opened up as we consumed. Flat at the onset but then gets better. Not much on the nose - little dusty w black fruit. Overextracted but enjoyable. Heavy fruit (too sweet for me). Tannins already grippy. Short finish.
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Up the PCH; 6/4/2019-6/16/2019 (Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Paso Robles, Napa, and Willamette): A monster. Needs way more time. Similar to the Merlot, I'm glad I was able to taste this in the tasting room without sacrificing my only bottle. Now, you could decant this 4-5 hours and it would be OK, but in my opinion you probably have some better bottles to open sooner than this, right??? This had very grippy tannins, and a hint of anise. Do yourself a favor and wait a bit on this and I think it will reward us all.
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Tight and structured. Although that seems to be my palate today.
THis is apparently NOT declassified Montebello. 40 blocks dedicated to Bordeaux varietals and there is no recipe for either wine. So the team very carefully creates two very different expressions of the wine. Montebello is built for the long game. The estate Cab is for immediate drinking.
Off a list where it was marked as the Monte Bello. It's actually a very nice wine, but not at that level. Prob more accessible now although we'll be aging our bottle since I think some extra time will help. This was a bit tight in the beginning. Had decanted and needed a touch of time to open up. As it did it's that nice old world style but new world fruit that I am a fan of. Lots of darker notes. Not very ripe. Nice balance.
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Initial pnp seemed a bit tight so ran through vinturi into decanter and drank over 3 hrs or so. Dusty dark cherry nose. Cedar, juicy dark cherry, tart dark fruit, good acid, medium gritty tannin (needs a little time to mellow), medium body (lighter side for cab base), lengthy finish. I have heard this wine was one of the best value Cali Cabs and I find it hard not to agree. Very approachable now with a good decant and will probably age nicely for 5-10 years although I doubt mine will last that long. 90-91
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Vinetasters: Ridge Monte Bello (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. The nose has a little more dust here than I typically expect from this wine, and in general, this is a little more simplistic and less oak-driven than some of the earlier examples. It’s got more tart red fruit and a little bit more of a kick in terms of vibrancy. However, it’s a bit sweet and simple -- likely just too young. My 8th, group's 7th.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (T&L's): Blind. Notes of red fruit, licorice and plum. Dark fruit on the palate. Medium/firm tannins. Plum, florals and spice notes. Well-balanced, with a long finish. Excellent. Guessed cab sauv blend.
This had been decanted for about two & a half hours before being rebottled. This found its way into the third flight, about five and a half hours after the cork was first pulled.
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Brief tasting during a walk around of California Wineries, Montreal.
Very elegant Cabernet, notes of black and red fruits, crushed stones, chocolate, soft spices medium finish, this needs a little time but well made. Was expecting to be more impressed than this, 92+
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Green peppers, pencil lead, redwood, blackberries, violets on the generous nose. Dense chewy bright fruit on the palate with a lovely acid clarity and some sweet juicy aromatics at the back, with a spiny tannic finish. Young and vibrant, sweet and tannic. Probably needs a lot more years (although I don’t have empirical verification for that hypothesis). 50 + 17 + 17 + 9 = 93.
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Denne vinen som også har druer fra den berømte Monte Bello marken innehar 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% Petit Verdot og 5% Cabernet Franc. Hele klaser ble fermentert på lokal gjær og vinen har gjennomgått maloaktisk gjæring på ståltank før avslutning på eikefat der vinen hadde ytterligere 16 uker sammen med døde gjærceller. Vinen er modnet i 19 måneder på amerikanske eikefat derav 70% nye fat.
Rødlilla med mørkere kjerne og lysere kant preger vinens farge. Forførende, dog ikke for intens, med rød saftig fruktdreven nese med kirsebær, solbær, lett lær og noe kaffetoner.
Middels + konsentrert på paletten med saftige litt sødmefulle røde bær med fin syrlige nerve som fører vinen middels bredt rundt i munnen. Også noe jordlige toner og et snev av lyst røyket kjøtt. Det er en meget god vin dette, som trenger litt tid i kjelleren. 92 poeng.
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3/28/2024 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful, rich cab-blend.
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3/21/2024 - timewithwine Likes this wine:
This blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cab. Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot is singing strong just now. Deep purple at its core with plum on the rim. Loads of plum, cassis, cedar, licorice, and mint. Definite finish of vanilla. The round tannins glide across the palate. Plenty of life left in this wine. A bit of grainy sediment in the bottle following decanting. 13.8% alc. With grilled (beef) sirloin steaks under sauteed mushrooms for late, quick weeknight meal. 03.21.24. Recommended.
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3/10/2024 - Hrv123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs then drank over the next 2. Nose was the highlight for this bottle. Initially the palate was overwhelmed by oak but this faded shortly after the first few pours. Not much depth to the fruit and flavor after the oak influence softened though. Agree that this may be in a shut down phase as it had nowhere near the depth of previous bottles. Check back in a couple of years.
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2/17/2024 - BrendanMcS wrote: 89 Points
A bit one dimensional. Not what I’ve come to expect from Ridge. Could just be shut down at the moment.
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1/13/2024 - Pogypogy Likes this wine: 91 Points
I paired this with prime sirloin cap cut. It took at least 6 hours to fully show its depth. This was just enough jam for me without being over the top. The nose was pleasant and lingering and initial mouth feel was smooth leathery but fade to jam. Not a perfect steak pairing however I thoroughly enjoyed finishing the bottle with some dark chocolate the rest of the night.
Needs a few years and this will be even better.
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12/21/2023 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Solbærsaft, hint av maling og noe blyantspiss. Ganske primær ennå. Frisk syre i munnenog god tanninstruktur som ikke er nedslepen ennå. Snerper en del i ettersmaken. Best til mat må, men lover godt.
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12/9/2023 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 94 Points
Really in a good spot after 24 hours of air. Dark fruit, coffee on the nose and palate. Silky tannins. Early maturity. Persistent, well defined and balanced.
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12/4/2023 - marco.grazioli@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine was definitely very good and high quality, but still too much affected by the wood for my taste. After a while the profile changed to a more interesting one so there is room for improvement with aging.
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12/3/2023 - BrendanMcS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good “mini Monte Bello.” Left bank Bordeaux style. Well balanced. Black cherry and blackberry fruit followed by earth tones and mushroom. Chewy tannins. Overall a very good wine.
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9/29/2023 - Nikolaisen wrote:
Godd tannins meny years left
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7/28/2023 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
We rarely drink CA Cabernet anymore, but I really enjoyed this one. There is some oak here, and I always wonder what these would be like if they used French oak instead, but it is not overpowering the wine. I need to be picking up a few of these every once in a while when the opportunity knocks.
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7/7/2023 - ppandian wrote: 91 Points
Still young, full bodied with heft and fine tannins. Leather, pencil, notes of red and black berries.
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3/26/2023 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young, but with some air it’s approachable now. Full bodied, firm, but smooth tannins, black cherry, leather, dried tobacco leaf, vanilla. This wine is typical of Ridge’s style and more old world than new, meaning it’s not a jammy, fruity wine. There’s depth and layers. Enjoy now with a decant or hold 10+.
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2/6/2023 - SABRCW Likes this wine: 97 Points
Better than I was expecting for still being relatively young! Nice value!
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1/27/2023 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent - very drinkable -- clearly comparable to the Monte Bello
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1/22/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Woof. Drinking this felt like the bit in a musical before everyone breaks out singing. There’s great structure here, tannins, a spicy hint of oak and lovely acidity. This has got decades in front of it but drinking wonderfully now.
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1/20/2023 - FoMoCo Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last bottle of 2016. While it was excellent, I have a feeling that it might have been even better with another year on the rack. Flavors still coming together and the tannins had a little bite - not an astringent feel, but not quite “there” just yet. No regrets - just a bit curious where it could have gone.
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12/25/2022 - azscot wrote: 91 Points
4 hr decant. Muted nose, red fruit on the palate. Medium finish. Still very young and seemed restrained even after 6-7 hrs. A little disappointed but will wait another couple of years before trying again.
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12/24/2022 - Willy2782 wrote: 94 Points
Way improved since the last year.
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11/26/2022 - YNWA08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Concentrated yet precise. Lots of classic red fruit but feels light on its feet and balanced. Two hour decant and ready to go. Even better on night 2. If Monte Bello didn’t exist this would get more praise IMO. 94-95
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11/2/2022 - iamandyc Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Maybe bottle variation or storage (wine auction purchase) but this was not pleasant to drink. Tried over 2 days and decanted but never opened up or shook off a stringent almost sour note on the finish. with food, you could drink it but why?
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10/23/2022 - LilSeb_58 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really nice wine wine a decently long finish. Continued to open as the evening progressed. Classic complexity with dark and blue fruits, elegant tannins with vanilla, spice, and licorice on the noise.
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10/22/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Night 2. This is just lovely - the freshness is there, all the depth, and this lovely core of silky tannins balanced with good acidity. This really can approach the MB in quality.
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10/21/2022 - cassell04 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful dark fruit on the nose of dark cherrys, blueberries and blackberries with a touch of vanilla and oak. You get the same fruits on the palate but some baked fruit as well with a charred oak finish.
Delicious juice. Will buy again.
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10/20/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Popped and poured, a single glass following the Ardanza (the rest is left until tomorrow). Still young but drinkable in its youth, as the Ridge cabs seem to be these days. Crimson with a hint of purple, powerful nose - hint of menthol, wooden box. On the palate - fresh, the menthol is there with good acidity and a lovely core of gentle tannins. You pay for this wine - it’s 1/2-1/3 the price of the Monte Bello - but it performs. Jolly nice - looking forward to the rest of the bottle.
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9/16/2022 - WORLDTRAVELLER10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Impressive wine. The finish is not long, although the wine is very good.
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8/22/2022 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
Drank after 3 hour decant. Good structure, typical Ridge profile, and paired well with a ribeye. Better the second night. Will likely hold my other bottle for a few years. Very good but not great.
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7/2/2022 - GrapeCrusader Likes this wine: 90 Points
While delicious, i have to say, I was just a tad bit disappointed with the estate cab this time around. Normally pretty damn good, but the 2016 was missing a little something. I think there was a lack of a mid palate, and the finish was a little short with a little bit of a drying quality. Great flavor profile as usual, with dark cherries, plum, blueberry, clove, lavender and a bouquet garni of bay leaf, rosemary, thyme. Also some leather and tobacco on the palate. I just wish there was just a little more flesh and stuffing, otherwise, another solid effort. I don't think this will improve much with age and is in a great drinking spot right now. Sure, the tannins will eventually resolve, but again, because there wasn't much fleshiness and mid-palate, this will only get more interesting with age, but not necessarily "better."
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4/29/2022 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black fruit, herbal notes, cedar, spice finishes with balanced acidity. A-
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4/24/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for approximately 90 minutes then poured back into the bottle and consumed out of Grassl 1855 over approximately 2 hours. The wine was paired with a Flannery Midwestern Hanger Steak.
The aromas were of dried flowers, red fruits, cocoa and tobacco. The palate is of red tart cherries, black cherries, blueberries, licorice and minerality. There is medium+ acidity with medium rustic tannins. The body is medium to medium-full. It has nice upfront appeal but lacks a little in the mid-palate.
The wine is enjoyable today but will benefit by a point or 2 with a little more cellar age. With another year or 2, the tannins should be more integrated and the the wine should be more balanced.
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1/30/2022 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours then poured back into bottle for and additional 4 hours. Nose of dark cherry, vanilla, dill, cedar and violets. Tastes of dark cherry and ripe blueberry fruits. Accents of vanilla, green herbs, charred wood and a sanguinous minerality. Medium + acidity. Medium tannins. Serial tasting over time suggests a 2-3 hour decant might be optimum.
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1/18/2022 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted. Drinking very well with nice fruit, wood largely integrated for my wood tolerant palate, excellent balance, great food wine.
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12/29/2021 - cclearningwine wrote: 92 Points
It's not a California cabernet ... in the most beautiful way. It's rich and earthy with deep, dark fruit and a long finish. I get blueberry and cassis on the nose. On the palate it delivers a combination of rich, baked fruit - like blueberry pie - with spice and a touch of roasted sweetness, like cinnamon or cardamon.
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12/24/2021 - OnWisconsin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coconut, cocoa, cedar, and cassis. The American oak on this wine rocks.
Medium acid and medium plus tannin. The acid keeps everything fresh.
This is everything I expected and more. Haven’t had Monte Bello in a few years, but could see why some refer to this as a baby Monte Bello. It’s drinking really well right now for primary notes, but definitely has the structure to go 10+ years for tertiary.
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11/27/2021 - RichardsEric1 wrote: 93 Points
Once again this wine is amazing.
Color. Dark saturated red.
Nose. Cedar, cassis, creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, cocoa, tree bark, charred meats.
Palate. Cherries, balanced tannins, balanced acidity,
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10/17/2021 - Frank Schneider wrote: 93 Points
Juicy cali cab. Great body and finish. Will improve over the years. Wait
93 +
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8/31/2021 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine:
it is jam
but jam with soul
(just a glass without decant, likely will develop more with air or time)
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8/29/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second half of a 1.5L that I opened a few weeks ago and then transferred. Very smooth, and I wonder if that process contributed at all (like decanting). Anyways I’ve enjoyed this bottle from release. It’s balanced and kind of a new role / old world combo.
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8/27/2021 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 92 Points
So much value with this outstanding wine!
77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
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8/24/2021 - winesteward Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very dark. Initially, plums and roasted meat. Strong tannins and acidity straight from the bottle. 30 minutes in the glass and the harshness dissipates. After an hour, sweet, ripe, red and black fruit become dominant. Coffee notes as well. Roast meat sill there. Tannins still a bit strong. Medium+ weight. Good length. Freshness provided by a gentle acidity in the background. Excellent now with an hour decant. Should be perfect in about 2 years.
77% Cabernet, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
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7/7/2021 - Andrew H wrote: 90 Points
Deep red with hints of purple. Rich, slightly fruity cherry nose, some vanilla. Thins out a bit on finish.
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6/8/2021 - RichardsEric1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great find at $49.
Color. Perfect red.
Nose. Cherry, cassis, raspberry, grilled meat, anise, and a touch of charred oak. No alcohol smell at all.
Palate. Warm red fruits. Perfect symmetry of tannins, fruit, and acidity. The finish is not super long, maybe 20-30 seconds, but it's powerful while it lasts.
This wine is seriously great. One of the better young-ish California Cabernets that really has it all. I can't begin describe the polish, the power, the rich fruit, and enjoy-ability of it all. Definitely buying all that I can find for a 10-15 year study.
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6/1/2021 - wineguy1968 Likes this wine:
Tart is a good descriptor for this wine. High acid but a very interesting floral characteristic. If tasted blind i might mistake it for left bank. I didn’t find it as tanic as others but did feel acid level was high. Drank with a ribeye on memorial day, wrapping up bottle on day 2. Nice wine, but you definitely need to like this more restrained old world style, this is not flamboyant fruit forward CA blend, more mineral, earth , acid with a gritty medium plus finish. Well made wine!
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5/25/2021 - catowne1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
95 because I truly believe this wine is going to stand th test of time. At five years old, this wine tastes like it’s straight from the barrel. So wound up and pissed off. Extremely tannic. Previous reviews say tart, and I would agree, but knowing Ridge and the style of wine they produce, unfortunately, I seriously think this wine needs a minimum of 10 years before it hits its peak and I could see it going for 30 before it dies off. In my opinion, Ridge is one of the few producers that can compete with the longevity of Bordeaux. Maybe that’s your thing, maybe not.
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5/20/2021 - Renzloh wrote: 89 Points
Beautiful bouquet. Seemed a little tart to us...even on day 2.
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2/15/2021 - Shrages wrote: 92 Points
Just delicious. More red-hued than Napa cabs. Nose of rich berry and American oak. Beautifully balanced fruit, oak, acid in the mouth. Coats with already nicely integrated tannins. Very similar to the 2016 Sequoia Grove Napa bottling, which I also truly enjoyed -just a touch more acid here, as you’d expect from the cooler climate. Peak 2022-2028
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2/13/2021 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 0.375 bottle. This is showing even a little more open than my last bottle almost a year ago. Layered, balanced and pretty complex, as well as silky and fresh. This is as classy as California gets in this price range. It‘s actually much better than most of the wines there double the price. Another winner from this great producer.
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1/13/2021 - ralaspech wrote: 90 Points
Classic cabernet style with a fair bit of acidity and tannin. Expect improvement over time and I will probably wait at least a couple years before opening the next.
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1/10/2021 - andydnyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agree with the other recent reviewers here. This will mature over several years but can be drunk now with a decant and thoroughly enjoyed. Fantastic value.
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1/9/2021 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and drank with rib eye steak cooked sous vide and seared with infrared grill. Balanced, with notable (but not overwhelming) acidity and tannins accompanying classic Cabernet fruit flavors and oak. Classy wine, fun to drink, and I think will continue to improve as the tannins further integrate. Drinking well now also.
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12/24/2020 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Great price point. Drinks nicely now. Decant for a good 2 hours.
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12/15/2020 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Young, but drinks well with good balance. Dark fruit, some wood and tannic bight as one would suspect at this age. Will improve with time.
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12/5/2020 - pepmi wrote: 91 Points
I've been blessed to have the Ridge Monte Bello on the rare occasion and have drunk my share of the Ridge Zinfandels across the board. I had not known about the Estate Cabernet until recently and thought it was worth a go. This is the first of two bottles recently purchased.
First impression is one of subtlety, which is a song of high praise for anything coming out of California these past two decades. For a relatively young wine, open and inviting in both the nose and the palate. Dark fruit with a restrained amount of oak and the softest of tannins. Round -- maybe a tad thin but in a tradeoff I would take a tad thin over a jammy blockbuster any day of the week. Perhaps that is the skill of the winemaker showing her/his best -- just enough fruit without giving one a headache. The finish puckers but in a good way.
My gut says that this wine would be best within the next 3-5 years. Its vitality should be enjoyed before it fades. Beautiful.
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8/14/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing quite a bit of oak with quite a bit of dill notes. Blue black fruits on the palate, typical of SCM. Drying oak? Tannins are rather distracting. Strong finish. Best to hold.
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7/18/2020 - RichMP3 Likes this wine:
As it should be. Full bodied, well defined, tight tannins.
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7/3/2020 - StormyWeather wrote: 91 Points
Sweet fruit on the nose and palate. Plum, cassis, cedar. Still quite tannic. Enjoyable now but I would wait a few years yet.
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6/25/2020 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2016 Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showed ripeness with restraint, and fruitiness with herbal complexities. The youthful Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet-dominant blend was deep ruby in colour without any sediments. Freshly uncorked, it jumped out of the glass with aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plum and vanilla sweet spices. With two hours of aeration, the structure loosened up to give balancing complexities of mint, bay leaves, violets and earth. The mouthfeel was dry and rather full-bodied, complemented with medium-high level of balanced acidity and high level of finely grained tannin. Flavours of cassis and eucalyptus lingered in a long liqourice-tinged finish. Alison was on point by drawing an analogy with Chinese cough syrup, for the richness and flavours of dark fruits, mint and liqourice.
The blend composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged in 70% new American oak for 22 months. The alcohol level was at a modest level of 13.8%, and it was probably among the lowest levels in California in the warming world.
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5/30/2020 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium ruby/purple color. Needs a moment to open up, still young and primary. But amazing aromatics of cassis, elderflowers, black cherries, leather, menthol, sweet spices, also some more flowery notes. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent balance of medium-high acidity, some medium+ tannin that is very silky and very good mid-palate depth without being heavy. Long finish with building complexity. A superb Estate Cab from Ridge, probably my favorite producer from California. Pretty much everything they touch turns into gold.... (93+)
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5/17/2020 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tried samples from Coravin with the 2011 and 2012
versions of the same wine. All very nice and good value.
Heavy cassis nose of the sweet but not jammy kind. Very pure. Nice balance and concentration with relatively high but fine grained tannin. A bit inky still. Hold for another 5-10 years before trying, will keep for 15.
92p
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5/1/2020 - Dlopez3102 wrote: 93 Points
If you’re looking for “restrained” California Cabernet this is one to get. Yes, it needs time but drinks deliciously now. 2hr decant is a good starting point. Next time, if I’m patient, I’ll try a 6hr decant.
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4/26/2020 - Stefanatic wrote: 86 Points
Forget for another 5-10years. Oak is very present and not too balanced in, even the third evening after opening. I do like the velvety taste (from the Pt. Verdot/Cab.Franc?) and it does feel powerful, so do enjoy it at 15yrs+.
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4/16/2020 - Bam_Man wrote: 92 Points
A very youthful-looking, semi-opaque, dark magenta in color. Absolutely fabulous on the nose. Powerful, complex aromas of earth, spice and violets fill the glass. Medium-to-full-bodied and very traditional in style and texture. There's plenty of mouth-watering, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit character here - with very good depth and focus. Beautifully balanced, but ever-so-slightly hollow on the mid-palate, though. Finishes very long, with chewy tannins, and a lingering burst of tangy fruit and cassis. Youthfully tight. Just needs time to loosen up and come together. An excellent second wine and a phenomenal value when compared against Big Brother Bello.
50+5+13+16+8=92
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4/14/2020 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sourced from the Montebello Vineyard, this opaque ruby blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc is a structured offering that is built for the long haul. Loaded with black fruit, licorice, cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate, it adds notes of eucalyptus that are attributable to its élevage in American oak. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with restrained alcohol (listed as 13.8%), it wraps its flavors with plentiful grippy tannins that will require a significant amount of cellar time in order to resolve. The lengthy finish, however, is a great indicator of where this wine is headed. Drink 2025-2040.
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4/8/2020 - Timbalimba wrote: 94 Points
Second bottle in the case, much better this time around, sweetly perfumed cool Cab aromatics of blue fruits, that delicious black cherry note I always find in Monte Bello, restrained oak, echoes of cold cuts of prime meat. Very well balanced, complex, only tantalisingly hinting at future glories. Will improve, no question, but already showing off.
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3/12/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Classic mountain cab profile being cooler and darker rather than warmer and redder. Much more open and in business than I would have expected. Also not as dense or tannic. I don't think this will be a wow vintage down the road but considering the price you can find it for it's really good. I'm giving my remaining bottles at least another six years but I prefer my cabs in secondary phases. I'm just not going to mark this one as something that's going to go for decades. I think it's a medium term wine. Still blows doors off most any other cab from CA in the price range.
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3/8/2020 - Pålla wrote: flawed
First time flawed from ridge.
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2/21/2020 - jhw425 wrote: 92 Points
Had two different bottles over the last month. The magnum was really tight and hard to read but the 750 was absolutely singing. Really good - fruit, American oak were very prevalent but the balance worked great. Old school but pretty forward and ready to go.
Rating reflects the 750ml
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1/23/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hand harvested, sustainably grown and fermented with indigenous yeasts with grapes from the younger vines and lesser blocks/barrels made from the Monte Bello Vineyard. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% ABV.
The beautiful 2016 Cali Cab vintage is so reminiscent of the old-school vintages of yesteryear to me. At this point this is still a very young wine that has at least 2 decades of useful life. It is rather approachable now as well. The color is a medium to dark garnet with a rich crimson (almost purple) meniscus. The nose initially carries a significant oak influence of sweet vanilla that with swirling releases ripe black plum, cassis and blackberry and a touch of minty menthol. Not much earthiness at this stage but I'm sure that will develop over time in the cellar. Palate has very nice acidity for a Cali Cab and some youthful tannin that needs air and/or time to soften and integrate. There are some hints of earthiness and wet stones on the palate in addition to the fruit mixture from the nose. The finish is long and more mineral oriented. This is a great QPR for age-worthy "old-school" Cali Cab. It certainly doesn't have the depth and overall beauty of its big sister which I tasted last week but is a great buy for the price. If served in the short run this needs a multi-hour decant.
91-92 on its own today...Handicapped to 93 for age-worthiness.
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1/20/2020 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really good, if a little young for my tastes. Opened with my wine group at a NYC restaurant and about 1/2 the group loved it. I think it will be better in a year or two.
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1/8/2020 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Another Year, Another Napa (aka Winter in Wineland IV); 1/5/2020-1/11/2020 (Napa/Sonoma California): The baby brother of the tasting. These are some of the younger vines, etc. from the Monte Bello set of vineyards. This wine is very approachable from the start. Darker fruits. A bit earthy, a bit of dust. Very fine tannins. Suspect it will drink better with some more years, but doesn't have the same level of power and depth the the MB does.
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12/8/2019 - MRichman wrote:
Fine tannis, green pepper, black pepper. Tight, firm fruit and oak. Very good but very young. Has some wood to it.
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12/5/2019 - Ryanh8 Likes this wine:
Awesome wine. Would definitely benefit from at least 5 years in the cellar or an hour in a decanter though. Structurally one of the best wines I’ve had, exceptionally balanced with good acidity and firm tannin. Super concentrated on the nose with strong black fruit and mocha aromas. In contrast, on the palette it is very elegant and nuanced. Very complex and a long finish round out this excellent wine. It definitely punches above its price point
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12/1/2019 - ppearson9 wrote: 91 Points
too young
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11/29/2019 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sper drinkable today. Has earth tones to the entire process. First time having this wine...every. heard a lot about it, and I am glad I bought 3 of them, so i can save the other two. Cheers!
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11/15/2019 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well made but young.
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11/13/2019 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Blåbær, plommer, lite snev av alkohol. Deilig fruktsødme i munnen med søte, røde bær. Med litt luft kommer også noe pepper. Preg av varm frukt, men ikke slik at det tipper over. Myk munnfølelse helt til slutten, hvor tanninene og et lite jordpreg melder seg. Veldig rå og ung nå, syns Dag i alle fall - trenger litt tid før alt går opp i en høyere enhet. Men hvis det skjer blir det supert! Etterhvert litt lakris i ettersmaken.
Dag 2 (oppbevart på halv flaske i kjøleskap) er den blitt enda bedre, rundere og mer harmonisk og balansert. Luft godt hvis den drikkes nå! Nydelig blåbærfrukt i ettersmaken.
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11/6/2019 - GTFreek wrote:
1300-2700 feet elevation, 15 miles from Pacific. Same vineyard as Monte Bello, just younger vines. Soft style, Bordeaux-esque but fresher. Medium plus tannins and structure come off subtly.
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11/1/2019 - whits Likes this wine: 92 Points
restrained in style, so charming at the subtle level, decanting mellows the tannin, aromas of mint and berry morph into floral aromas, rich and inviting, the palate shows cassis, smoke, dark berries and mineral, the tannin will keep the potential of this wine up, very nice with rib-eye steaks, give it air if consuming soon
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10/11/2019 - mkribar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pure cassis on he nose, but the palate is powerfully tannic with high-ish acid (so already, this would be fantastic in ~15 years). Light herbal pyrazines, just enough to be varietally correct. Really nice, restrained style of cabernet. I would have been really impressed by this if it wasn't followed by the Monte Bello.
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9/21/2019 - unrelenting wrote: 91 Points
Characteristic Monte Bello high toned fruit but unlike that eponymous Cuvée, this is diluted with an average finish. There is better cab at this price point.
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9/16/2019 - wineotim wrote: 92 Points
I've been drinking this bottling for many years, I've noticed that the acidity and lifted fruit has really dominated, much like the Montebello bottling. Anyway, this used to be more meaty and chewy. Not lately. This was enjoyable but in a bright, zesty, acidic, lifted fruit kind of way, very similar to the '14. Only 13.8%ABV
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9/10/2019 - MattMauldin Likes this wine:
Tasting room visit - leafy tobacco, cassis, spices, cigar box, distinctive aromas. Elegant and stately on the palate with rich and bright fruit and ample secondary depth. Round middle, with fleshy dense tannins and a nice finish. Very nice.
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9/5/2019 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
Baby Montebello, but clearly coarser and less nuanced. Black fruit with a bit of dill. Nice depth for a wine of this price level.
Tasted at the winery.
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8/28/2019 - mathwonk wrote:
Simple and delicious, nothing complex or interesting, but enoyable. Is this the best of the new globally warmed wine world? I paid $67 for this wine at Di Laurenti in Seattle, that tastes like a good $30 table wine, maybe comparable to a $35 rioja at Total Wine.
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8/26/2019 - Richard P Howden wrote: 91 Points
Very tasty
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8/26/2019 - rlesher wrote: 94 Points
Love this Cab!
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7/14/2019 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pepper, cherry, a hint of tar. Much leaner on the palate than expected, it clearly doesn't see much new oak. Red fruit, maybe a hint of cola?
I liked this wine, but I feel like some will be disappointed, as it's not ostentatious at all and feels very precise on the palate.
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7/13/2019 - soon.wine wrote: 87 Points
Surprisingly one-dimensional. More left bank than Napa, but lacking in complexity. Could do with some age but can’t see it becoming a lot better.
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7/5/2019 - GTFreek wrote:
with 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc. 17 months 35% new American oak. Medium nose gives dark fruit, violets, fresh earth. Palate is bigger than expected, full structure, fruit flavors show well, blackberry, dry finish.
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6/28/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prefered this more than now a few months ago. On the nose I found aromas of black and dark red fruit, sweet spices and black pepper, this full-bodied wine was rich along with ripe blackberries, vanilla, nutmeg, the finish was rich. 5-10 years of ageing will significantly benefit this. A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc in 100% American oak (new/used) for 17 months.
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6/22/2019 - WizardNeedsFood wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed at Postini Denver. PnP but opened up as we consumed. Flat at the onset but then gets better. Not much on the nose - little dusty w black fruit. Overextracted but enjoyable. Heavy fruit (too sweet for me). Tannins already grippy. Short finish.
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6/8/2019 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Up the PCH; 6/4/2019-6/16/2019 (Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Paso Robles, Napa, and Willamette): A monster. Needs way more time. Similar to the Merlot, I'm glad I was able to taste this in the tasting room without sacrificing my only bottle. Now, you could decant this 4-5 hours and it would be OK, but in my opinion you probably have some better bottles to open sooner than this, right??? This had very grippy tannins, and a hint of anise. Do yourself a favor and wait a bit on this and I think it will reward us all.
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5/29/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Tight and structured. Although that seems to be my palate today.
THis is apparently NOT declassified Montebello. 40 blocks dedicated to Bordeaux varietals and there is no recipe for either wine. So the team very carefully creates two very different expressions of the wine. Montebello is built for the long game. The estate Cab is for immediate drinking.
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5/25/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Off a list where it was marked as the Monte Bello. It's actually a very nice wine, but not at that level. Prob more accessible now although we'll be aging our bottle since I think some extra time will help. This was a bit tight in the beginning. Had decanted and needed a touch of time to open up. As it did it's that nice old world style but new world fruit that I am a fan of. Lots of darker notes. Not very ripe. Nice balance.
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5/17/2019 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 91 Points
Initial pnp seemed a bit tight so ran through vinturi into decanter and drank over 3 hrs or so. Dusty dark cherry nose. Cedar, juicy dark cherry, tart dark fruit, good acid, medium gritty tannin (needs a little time to mellow), medium body (lighter side for cab base), lengthy finish. I have heard this wine was one of the best value Cali Cabs and I find it hard not to agree. Very approachable now with a good decant and will probably age nicely for 5-10 years although I doubt mine will last that long. 90-91
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5/12/2019 - MRichman wrote:
Dried herbs, solid purple fruit, a bit of toasty oak. Acidic tannic finish. really excellent. On the light side.
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5/11/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (Ridge Monte Bello, Cupertino): Balanced, great fruit, a nice unique spice; excellent approachability, drinking well now. Great value. 90
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5/5/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Vinetasters: Ridge Monte Bello (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. The nose has a little more dust here than I typically expect from this wine, and in general, this is a little more simplistic and less oak-driven than some of the earlier examples. It’s got more tart red fruit and a little bit more of a kick in terms of vibrancy. However, it’s a bit sweet and simple -- likely just too young. My 8th, group's 7th.
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4/27/2019 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (T&L's): Blind. Notes of red fruit, licorice and plum. Dark fruit on the palate. Medium/firm tannins. Plum, florals and spice notes. Well-balanced, with a long finish. Excellent. Guessed cab sauv blend.
This had been decanted for about two & a half hours before being rebottled. This found its way into the third flight, about five and a half hours after the cork was first pulled.
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4/23/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brief tasting during a walk around of California Wineries, Montreal.
Very elegant Cabernet, notes of black and red fruits, crushed stones, chocolate, soft spices medium finish, this needs a little time but well made. Was expecting to be more impressed than this, 92+
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4/6/2019 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Green peppers, pencil lead, redwood, blackberries, violets on the generous nose. Dense chewy bright fruit on the palate with a lovely acid clarity and some sweet juicy aromatics at the back, with a spiny tannic finish. Young and vibrant, sweet and tannic. Probably needs a lot more years (although I don’t have empirical verification for that hypothesis). 50 + 17 + 17 + 9 = 93.
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4/6/2019 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black fruit, pepper, tobacco, layered complexity. A-
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3/24/2019 - Omar Khayyam wrote:
Dream Big - Discover California Wine Tasting (Stockholm, Gamla Riksarkivet (old government archives building) March 2019): Good classic cabernet nose, quite chewy on the palate, but not a heavy body, very good structure. Recommended.
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3/11/2019 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 92 Points
Harpiks, moreller, blåbær på nese. Strukturert munn med svartbær, kaffe, menthol, tobakk, svart te. Lang og balansert,. Flott vin. 91-92
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1/27/2018 - Bjorn62 wrote: 92 Points
Denne vinen som også har druer fra den berømte Monte Bello marken innehar 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% merlot, 6% Petit Verdot og 5% Cabernet Franc. Hele klaser ble fermentert på lokal gjær og vinen har gjennomgått maloaktisk gjæring på ståltank før avslutning på eikefat der vinen hadde ytterligere 16 uker sammen med døde gjærceller. Vinen er modnet i 19 måneder på amerikanske eikefat derav 70% nye fat.
Rødlilla med mørkere kjerne og lysere kant preger vinens farge. Forførende, dog ikke for intens, med rød saftig fruktdreven nese med kirsebær, solbær, lett lær og noe kaffetoner.
Middels + konsentrert på paletten med saftige litt sødmefulle røde bær med fin syrlige nerve som fører vinen middels bredt rundt i munnen. Også noe jordlige toner og et snev av lyst røyket kjøtt. Det er en meget god vin dette, som trenger litt tid i kjelleren. 92 poeng.
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