A wine of real character, the 1992 Ridge shows redcurrant, blueberry, green peppercorn, and coffee, growing in time as the American oak grows less conspicuous with air. This is drinking well though protein is an obligatory accompaniment given the amount of tannin still felt on the palate. This kept on improving - did we even see it at its best?
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A Medlar lunch (Medlar, London): Oh gosh, if ai thought the Mouton was good… Gorgeously cool blackcurrant fruit. So poised and elegant. Focus, precision, depth. Opens to show some riper cassis, but tempered with some blackcurrant leaf. Gorgeous and unsurprisingly a clear step up from a previous bottle eight years ago.
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Took a long time to open - about 3hrs in a decanter. Tightly coiled pure ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, all blackcurrant and plum. Slightly rustic tannins and lower acidity made it tiring and we only got through half a bottle. Lacked the complexity I expected - no tobacco or cedar notes. Hold off opening until at least 2030. 94++pts
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Powerful! Could handle another 10 years in the bottle. Notes of chocolate, leather and licorice. Great depth and balance. Complex and long finish. Drank at the Bruno’s with Bobby and families. Paired beautifully with grilled steak tips.
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This looked viscous, but it turns out, it’s just dark and opaque while still having a medium plus weight and a racy, silky, swift mouthfeel. This fills the palate with fresh mint and sage, cassis, beef blood, and milk chocolate. Excellent. Moutonesque.
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This was pure silk. Velvet, red fruits and great harmony of oak and fruit. My guess the bottle was not stored the best before, so I can only imgaine this bottle, if stored properly, would have a ton of life left and be even higher score. Aas it was it was all togetehr and had room for growth. Only thing that I dont like, is all the bottles I have 2005-2021 will take another 20-30 years before they are in a good place. These wines at 30 years are so damn good!
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Deep Garnet with a hint of purple Intense nose Black fruits, gentle sweetness of drying fruit, not honeyed, verbena, floral herb (lavender?) Acidity M, tannins fully resolved, alcohol M, glorious balance Taste lasted way beyond any count.
Probably the best, most balanced CabernetI have tasted in the past 10 years. If there is perfection in wine, this vintage of Ridge comes very close. An extraordinary wine, will easily go another decade if well stored.
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Aromatics were extraordinary, simply jumping out of the glass, dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, cedar, lush, integrated tannins, long, long finish, just spectacular
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Decanted about an hour and drank over 2. Fantastic. Dead ringer for left bank BDX. Pencil, leather, saddle, dark berries, good tannins well integrated. Good complexity and density. Long finish. This is a masterpiece of a wine and easily has years left. 94+
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Final Wine Tasting Dinner of 2021: Superb nose of great depth, richness and darkness. The American oak handling is very apparent on this wine, but for me, is part of the style of this great wine. Whilst a wine of (by California standards) modest alcohol, the proportions of the wine are immense, with a thick structure, opulence, and creamy coconut aspects that do not become overbearing. It is an old-school style that has little to do with Bordeaux, but it manages to convince in its own terms - it is a great expression of place. Drinking really well, but based on this bottle (stored in a cool cellar) will go for another two decades. It will be fascinating to see what happens to the obvious US Oak with time, although at the age of 29, one would have thought this overt character would have somewhat moderated!
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Funky nose to begin with. Btl storage? Decanted and opened up. Good nose and flavor. Light on the palate feel, good finish. Probably better 10 years ago. DRINK
WOW!!! Utterly magnificent. Perfectly balanced. Elegant to the extreme. Decanted at 5pm and tasted over 4 hours or so. Tasted along side 1986 Ch. Pichon Lalande. It would be impossible to tell which of these two wines was the Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Youthful beyond description with not a trace of brick. Slightly translucent dark garnet. 13.4% ABV. The nose is floral and woodsy, earthy and highlighted by tobacco and cedar and a hint of graphite. The fruit comes out on the palate...cassis, blackberry, black plum, then the layers of licorice, pipe tobacco, menthol, chocolate and crushed pine needles. Finish is outrageously long and deep. Superb! One of the very best Cabernet based wines I have had...right up there with 1990 Ch. Margaux, 1974 Ch. Montelena, 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, 1982&1986 Ch. Mouton, et al. Superb with grilled strip steak and sautéed mushrooms. The mouthfeel and length are just thrilling...velvet on your tongue with a richness and depth that is what makes great aged wine great! Of note... I paid ~$67 for this on release.
p.s. More than 24 hours later this wine is still going strong. The fruit is a little less rich, the finish is a little more tart but there is a whole new layer of flavor that really lingers of chocolate covered cranberry. Very interesting and impressive and another sign of the potential longevity of this wine! I think it should easily last for another decade or two in a good cellar.
Drinking magnificently now. Peals of dark fruits submerged in still spicy, but smooth tannins. Saturated flavors, sublime in complexity and length. Cherries and smoke. Still fresh! Balanced and ready to age for another decade. Decant for an hour before enjoying.
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One off 375 purchased for me by my sis when we toured the winery a bit less than 5 years ago. Cork crumbled on initial corkscrew contact, and when I couldn't save it with a two pronged opener, I pushed the cork in and used my fine strainer pouring it into a decanter. 1 oz pour was all about secondary notes, tannins and acidity, with earth, smoke, dried spice, a bit of barnyard and leather and muted, semi-sweet cran-cherry. After 90+ minutes of air, the cherry notes thickened and sweetened up a bit, but the fruit was still pretty receded (CT joke from a modern Napa cab drinker: how do you know when the fruit has receded in a Montebello?); I've had enough MBs to know that even when I won't confuse them with Outpost Trues, I won't confuse them with Stony Hills, either. Beautiful, deep, dark purple with a slight brownish hue, light to medium bodied, medium legs. Very present but silky tannins and acidity, no heat, but you knew that already. Good complexity, very light persistence and intensity, nice mouthfeel. Amazing complement to mixed grill. Maybe it's because the fruit wasn't as vibrant as it might have been, but this had a wonderful saline and saline quality which, as another writer mentioned, gave it an almost syrah-like quality.
If I were rating this, I'd be about a 92-93, but I don't think that's fair both because I think that something happened to dilute the fruit, other than just age (look at the recent TNs and Parker's fairly recent score) and also that while my strainer did a great job, there was likely still some effect from the disintegrated cork. From the reviews, if you have an unaffected bottle, this may go on for some time, although it seems unlikely to improve, so I'd say bottom's up. This was more interesting than great, although there were enough glimmers of what a great MB can be that I'm glad I had it (especially since my sister bought it). Note to self: drink that '96 Ducru sooner than later . . .
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From magnum. Double decanted about 2 hours before consumption. Leather, muted blackcurrant, cream, earthy, cedar, muted sweet spice, little plum and black cherry on the nose. in the mouth it's juicy, rich, emery paper rasp to the tannins on the palate, leather, earth, a little gamey, blackcurrant, plums and cherries, sweet spice on the palate. Nice.
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Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): Magnum. From Coravin. Generous blackcurrant and plums, leather, polished oak, cigar box, slight vanilla and sweet spice., smells serious and almost a little austere despite the fruit generosity, a little biscuit and pepper as well. With time in the glass it gets more leathery but also denser. On the palate it's got juicy acidity, pure Cabernet blackcurrant with Cassis balanced with silky tannins. Preposterously long. Finish just doesn't quit. In a great spot now. Really lovely. Impossible to spit. I got this for a milestone birthday a couple of years ago but it wasn't showing so well...and now it's my birthday in about 2 1/2 weeks...Soooooooo
Really enjoyable, and got better with more air time. Tasted this along the 96 and we all found this to be darker and more broody. Wet forest, graphite, truffle, tobacco, and funk was our initial impression, but with about two hours of air time the fruit really began to shine through. This easily has another ten years ahead of it , but I think it's in a perfect drinking window now
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An absolutely gorgeous wine. Tasted blind with a group of savvy wine industry people, people were guessing Cheval Blanc 1989 here, or Margaux 1990 there! Definitely of first growth level, racy and refined like no other American Cab I have ever had. Fabulously complex nose of blackcurrant, with a minty component, scorched earth and mind-blowing black truffle, esthery aromas, it stole the show. Tannin are silky and fully resolved. Drinking great now, would drink in the next 5 to 10 years.
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Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #5 in our blind. I didn't get this one at all. To me it was more savory and almost meaty. Dark fruits. Very young. Hint of the animal notes. I don't normally associate that with Ridge but perhaps there is some in the Monte Bello? I was expecting a Syrah but was surprised to find the cab. Also a favorite of mine though in the group.
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Acker Merrall & Condit Bordeaux vs. California Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel): Tasted blind next to the '90 Leoville Las Cases. While I called it immediately as the California wine between the two, I actually think I enjoyed it more than the '90 LLC (blasphemy coming from a Francophile, I know). However, this was one of the most balanced and complete wines of the night. The finish also went on for what seemed like a minute or more. Wow!
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It took half an hour to open up in the glass. We didn't decent it. Ripe Raspberry, cherry, plum mixed with leather, Chinese tea on the nose, on the palate it is very much consistent with nose. Bright acidity balances the fruit suggests it's a wine from cooler climate. Tannin is smooth, polished. Medium-long finish, minerality kicks in the late palate. It's a very elegant Bordeaux blend.
In 3-4 hours the aroma fades away. It's more tea and leather dominating. After 4 hours the wine starts to lose its structure.
Nevertheless I think it's still at it's peak or just past it. It's a beautiful wine. Certainly the best ridge I have had.
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PnP, bottle sourced directly from producer. Cork stained slightly and some minor ullage below the capsule, but no problems with the wine.
Rich nose, complex and smoky with almost quince and plum notes like from a sweeter wine. Flawless attack with everything present: soft, muted red fruit, a spine of acidity, fully integrated tannins, and spicy tertiary flavors of leather and cigar tailing off into a butter-smooth lingering finish. Indistinguishable from a perfectly aged First Growth Bordeaux and clearly the doyen of American wines. Bravo Ridge!
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Quite mature now with a beautiful Claret-like texture and delicious ripe but faded and earthy black cherry fruit. Good acidity underneath keeps it lifted and fresh and the finish is full of finesse with notes of dark spices and minerals. 12.7% alcohol. The good old days in Napa.
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Somm3 Tasting (Tribeca Grill): Gorgeous smokey nose. Vibrant fruit that's very alive with great tertiary development. Very nice underlying acidity. Light body but great depth of flavor. Delicious!
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Drunk alongside the 1990. Very similar profiles - hard to pick a favourite. The 1992 had slightly more exotic elements to the plum and dark cherry fruit and showed attractive cedar, leather and tobacco elements. Drinking brilliantly now and not sure will get better but felt at the earlier end of its maturity plateau. Clear *****
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Just a stunner of a wine. Old, must/dust, violets and pencil shavings on the nose and lots of graphite and light velvet on the nose. Very Bordeaux driven styling with a long, long finish. I was sad to finish this wine.
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Garnet to the edge. Finally approaching maturity, but can age another 10 years. Still some ripe tannins front and center, leather and subtle tobacco notes along with dark plums, cherries, mocha, and great length. A terrific wine. Needs 90 minutes in a decanter.
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As usual, Monte Bello proves itself one of the great wines of the world. This bottle was in a great place but by no means is this wine finished maturing. It is quite tertiary, with cedar/leather/cigar box but it has a lovely bouquet of red fruit and a touch of something floral. Power, but not too powerful. This is more like a claret than a cali cab. I hope to have plenty more!
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A night of awesome wine (67 Pall Mall): One of the stars in a very tough line-up (Margaux, Grange, La Mouline). This wine continues to be just beautiful every time we have it. Spicy red fruits and a certain level of 'prettiness' and perhaps a touch of floral. More time and there's herbal notes as well. It's complex and interesting and while drinking very well now still has much life left. Really a treat.
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Magnum. Aromas of, if you can imagine, cool air on an Autumn night in the English countryside; fungus, brambles, leather, earth…smell like old Bordeaux…perhaps a little forward for a magnum. It's a little warm initially on the palate which belies it's origins though this is superb.
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Casual Friday Dinner with Friends (Booth One - Chicago, IL): Caught this one in a perfect place to my palate. Epic, concentrated and nuanced nose of fresh plum and currants, with cigar and bell pepper beneath. A kiss of American Oak herbs and vanilla. The palate is super concentrated and powerful with precision and elegance. Tannins are suave but provide a sturdy counterpoint to the fruit.
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deep color, bricking rim. aromatically sings with all sorts of earthy, spiced dark > red fruits... on the palate has good acidity, a stunning amount of flesh on the mid palate, lots of very rounded smooth tannins, very low alcohol. this is a gem of a wine... amazing depth with such a low alcohol... brilliant.
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Uncorked on the spur of the moment (cork splintered into 2 pieces) on a cold early February evening. Had high hopes based on a first taste out of the bottle, though even a 2 hour decant did not bring out the magic. Deep and brooding, with an appealing silkiness, but lacked a degree of acidity or liveliness that would have allowed the fruit to sing. Have one more in the cellar so will revisit in a few years.
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Incredibly young, with a nose still largely defined by wood. Stylistically it is what it is, but given that, this is well crafted and should age well. 92+
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Wow. A stunner. Thought it would be more melancholy but this was simply Ready now. An aged crescendo of layered flavors. Starts with blueberry and leads to tobacco leaf with dried cranberry fruit. Quite enjoyable and rich.
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Absolutely terrific. Blackberry, black cherry cedar, dark pressed flowers, and a bit of leather on the nose. The palate shows similar black fruit, cedar, some eucalyptus, vanilla, and herbs. Perhaps a bit of chocolate comes out, and some earthy character. Dusty tannin and great acidity, medium body. Long gritty, earthy finish. Gorgeous, and amazingly a crowd pleaser across a group with differing palates. Not at all at risk of immediate decline. Yum!!!
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Whoopie! The balance on this baby was spot on, the fruit fresh (currants, blackberries...), and spicy cedar and menthol notes all contributed to a wonderfully integrated and delicious wine. It went down with ease.
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Absolutely in its prime - perfectly integrated wood and fruit, impeccable balance, silky mouthfeel. Favorite among group of 20-30 year old flagship california cabs from the likes of phelps, dominus, montelena, stags leap, BV, etc.
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This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink.
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Really good. Opened and decanted about 30 minutes and consumed over 2-3 hours. Tobacco, cigar leaf, a little eucalyptus ad very left bank in nature. Another at the table was tasting blind and guessed left bank Bordeaux. Rich and integrated. Still dark and somewhat brooding but balanced and nuanced. Doesnt feel like this near decline and its showing really well at age 25. Lots of life left here and some upside.
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Purple center fading to a brick red rim. Nose begins with significant leather, sweet smoke, and some minerality. Followed by cedar, black cherry, slightly baked blue and dark fruit, slight moss, and dried thyme. Eventually, somewhat mushroomy, with a salty note of pyrezines. A bit of a decaying note. On the palate, body is medium-minus, alcohol is medium, and acidity is medium-plus. Blackberry and plum are followed by minerality, herbs, and tobacco. A fair amount of sweetness. Some notes of smoke and pepper on the long finish. Slight chalky tannins remain, which, along with the acidity, indicate much life left for this wine.
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this was one of the most amazing wines, having aged it for 20+ years- I will not do it justice, but overall, had to decant for over an hour- then it was opening up, hit it's ideal around 1.25 hours into meal, but started with champagne. Restaurant we went to for annivesary - by far one of the best kobe steak places-511 in akasaka tokyo japan, all about steaks. The scent was incredible- like a well aged bordeux from france- earthy, mossy, wow! initial taste was tight, which shocked me after being well aged in bottle in my cellar (and brought back from america to tokyo). Full of soft berry, plum- cedar-moss- again, like others, not doing it justice. Long finish lingered for almost a minute or more. Just simply amazing. Smell turned into the carmely/butterscotch i know some of my finer cabs from napa do- but the taste and essence, still strong earth. With steak it was simply sagoi/subarashii- amazing! This was a wine i will remember a long time. i have many of these bottles aging in my basement and i am looking forward to enjoying them once it is time. Ridge is one of the finest wow- and i guess a true value (though once aged, price would skyrocket).
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Coravin fun - Ridge Monte Bello & others (Kennards, Waterloo): From Coravin & from Magnum. Leather but predominantly black cherry over black currant. The fruit is quite sweet with sweet spice, earthy elements, touches of plum. But I am not doing this justice with my clumsy phraseology. This has a faultless, harmonious nose. Almost savoury Ribena, juicy, fleshy, fruit persist with touches of cherry, berry, plum and woody notes. Tannins are fine but present the whole is harmonious and quite exceptional and ridiculously long. Crikey.
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Double decanted for a good 2 hours. Needed we would say. Such a beautiful wine. Starts of withe quite a bit of oak but then that relaxes and shows its more evolved, leathery side. The fruit is very much there, good rich core still very much vibrant and dare we say this is still a young wine and easily has another decade of legs. Once that oaky side relaxed in the glass the wine was just ever so beautiful. Very classy. 94
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From a half bottle, purchased from the winery's cellar stock a few years ago. Starts with an ebullient nose of earth, mushrooms, bit of dill oak but not obtrusive or overwhelming. Beautiful medium depth of dark red fruit, red cassis, fine tannic structure, showing nice evolution and well into its drinking window, but still youthful with plenty of years to go. At this point, though the 91 Monte Bello was the stronger wine early on, I think the 92 is the better distance runner.
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Q3 Tasting - Aged Cali (The Apt): Wine #7: We'd had this wine a few months ago at a dinner and I was very impressed with it then and continued to be here. The fruit was a lot more striking than one would have expected although I think it was more muted and balanced a bit more with cigar and leather than some of the other wines. I do wonder what some more time would do. We opened and decanted and it prob had over an hour before the first pour and yet it was youngish. I have a feeling another 10 years would add quite well to the wine. (4 pennies)
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Q3 - 2016 Tasting - Aged California Wines - Pre 2006 (New York, NY): #7 of 20 wines tasted double blind. The color is ruby red with no bricking. On the palate this tastes older than the color would denote - the fruit is more subdued and it has an earthiness. Very soft and subtle, so perhaps suffers in such a big line up of bolder flavors. I like this but does not really stand out for me - Middle of the pack. The group had this tied for 11th place with six others at 2 pennies.
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Drank from half bottle that was decanted 2 hours. Cork came out but crumbled into bits with some stuck on the sides. Still a tons of acid and tannin. The rich dark fruit found in the 91 is not present in the 92 which is dominated by smokey leather, eucalyptus, damp wood, and mossy earth. Nicely made with time left but just not my style.
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Shockingly young upon opening, with significant wood on the nose. After 30 minutes air time, the nose and palate took on appealing depth with dark fruit leading to soil tones leading to dark savory spices. This bottle needed at least 5 years, if not more. 93+
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Very dark, remarkably youthful garnet colour. Very pure cabernet nose - it might be 20% merlot, but the merlot's hiding from me. A sweet, pure cab palate with lots of tobacco flavours. Hefty tannins on the finish.
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Absolutely stunned at the youthfulness of this wine. Color gave no indication of age and it tasted fresh and bright. Lots of berries balanced with earthiness on the finish. High % of Cab definitely comes through in this one. Acidity and tannins are present. Could easily go 10+ years. Amazing.
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Our first Ridge (courtesy of Grapes, White Plains) (Landmarc): Definitely definitely WOTN. My first experience with a Monte Bello and my first reaction is 'wow - this is really young' and then I realized it's a 24 year old wine. From a drought year and aging well. Pretty impressive. Could definitely go for another 10 and maybe even 20 years. Clean cherry flavor, some spice. More time and I'm also getting mint and eucalyptus. On the nose there's hints of alcohol, but it doesn't come out on the palette at all. Very nice wine.
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Reads much younger and primary at first but opens into an aromatically complex and beautiful bouquet. Big with black cherry, loads of menthol, and big minerality. Sensational nose but massively tannic on palate, good acid and high minerality. Rich and dense.
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Pnp from a 375ml. Nose had tobacco, prunes, plums, and soil. Palate had good depth and intensity with black fruit, prunes, leather, tobacco and liquorice. The half bottle format is drinking very well now. I believe the 750ml will have at least 8-10 years to go.
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Quite dark ruby, not opaque but solid, with lightening at the rim. No sign of browning. Classic nose of cedar and lead pencil, with red fruits. Haunting perfume. Lovely round red fruit in the mouth, very lively, all tannins resolved but still rich and flavory. This has time to go, but it is drinking beautifully right now. Lovely drink, plump, ripe and velvety. Bravo! 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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at pop and pour, the cork came out easy, hopefully not too easy. still shows a high level of primary fruit on the palate. definitely showing some maturity, but not the 23 years worth that this show proport. within just a couple minutes of air, this starts to take a dramatically complex turn. iron, violet and delicate on the palate. medium/+ acid and medium/- tannin. Later that night, this really took on steam, still delicate, but damn fine. Water weight.
Half bottle purchased directly from the winery. Youthful deep ruby all the way to the rim. Marvelous nose that leaps out of the glass-mint, wintergreen, and olive. Medium to full bodied, densely packed but yielding with air. Ripe cassis and blackberry lifted by subtle herbaceousness, good acidity, and round tannins. Particularly in light of this being in small format, I'd imagine that this must be a 50 year wine. Its concentration without excessive extraction is just thrilling, and the balance is superb. The best Cabernet-based wine from anywhere that I've had in a long time (ok, I'll admit, there have not that many, but still...).
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Pre-1997 Cabs from Santa Cruz Mtns - Berserkers Offline (The Palace Steakhouse, SF): Seems bustling with density of fruit on the nose. Slight dusty baked earth, laden with intense blackcurrant and blackberry, A bit tannic and also maybe lean on the palate, but I like it. Super sweet vanillin and toast, slight toasted coconut. Score: Around 9
Wineberserkers cabernet offline (The Palace, Mission, SF): Aromatic nose with deep black fruits, blackberry, black currant, slight chocolate, has deep dark density on the nose, some minerals; palate is full bodied, excellent acid, deep black fruit, very dense; medium-long finish. This is superb but lacks some of the bordelaise complexity that monte bello can show, but it is a superb balanced california cabernet with decades ahead of it. Still young. 95-96++
Absolutely spectacular! Thank you Matt Kramer for recommending this wine for me to purchase for my son on his birth year. This was my last of 3 bottles. This wine aged beautifully! Enjoyed it with family and friends.
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Good but not great. Hollow in the midpalate, but the finish is outstading. These are beginning their decent, and if you don't enjoy tertiary flavors (which I do), drink them up.
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A Ledbury lunch (The Ledbury): Dark, blackcurrant colour with little difference across the three Montebellos (92/96/99). The 92 is a little softer and relatively muted on the nose. Good core of reasonably sweet cassis fruit tempered by an elegance and line. Harmonious. Such a strong family line between three. ****
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Beautiful deep, dark color... very forward fruit on the nose. Rich Cabernet fruit on the palate including dark berries & plums with a slight hint of spice. Finish was smooth & elegant as the bottle had aged perfectly. Excellent accompaniment to Prime Rib, twice baked potatoes, and grilled asparagus for Christmas dinner - 2014.
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There's a bit of roulette involved with 22 year old cali cabs but this one came out on top today - giving one of its very best showings. Complex and pleasing with fruit, a ton of secondary flavors with some orange peel, black and red fruits and a touch of graphite. The total package so much better than the sum of its parts. One of the very best bottles of cal cab that I've had the pleasure to drink.
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Dark ruby with a bricky rim. Nose is clean, floral and fresh bouquet. The palate has dark, black fruit, tannins still there. Complex and therefore difficult to describe.
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Even from a half bottle, the 1992 Monte Bello remains vivid and youthful, bursting from the glass with a bouquet of briary blackberry and wild plum fruit, with nuances of cedar and leather. There seems to be a brett influence here, which adds complexity but also imparts a slightly rustic character to the wine compared to more polished and polite vintages like 1991 or 1996. On the palate this 1992 is still vibrant and firm at the core, with a long, persistent finish. There is absolutely no rush to drink it, but it's offering a lot of interest right now.
Dark color. Nose still has hints of dill, but mostly expressive dark red fruits, violets, and sandalwood. On the palate, there is still good dark fruit, but not ripe and starting to fade to secondary elements of herbs and spice. Round, supple mouth feel but not at all heavy, balanced though I wish there was perhaps a touch more acidity. Finishes long with mostly resolved sweet tannin.
From the list at Golden Sheaf in Harrisburg. The waiter had some problems with the cork, and this had thrown quite a bit of sediment, but otherwise a pristine bottle and a pleasure to drink. Really an individual expression of CA. 13.2%
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From a half bottle bought at the winery recently. Popped and poured. Dark red but no sign of bricking. Earth, black fruit, cassis, tobacco. Soft ripe tannins to balance the dark fruit and the acidity. Lots of cassis on the palate and a touch of mint. Still fruit driven but with an elegance to it . Great balance and complexity. If not a wow wine, just short of it. At peak, but could probably last for years considering this was from a half bottle. 92-93p
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No time for detailed notes. While this was a little tough to read and did not necessarily promise future greatness, it is certainly too young right now. This might give some pleasure now with a very long decant, but if I had more I would try holding 8-12 years to see where it goes. Not scored.
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Big, spicy, minty, rich bouquet, in a classic Californian mold, with some roast, some char. Sweet, lots of mint, juniper berries, and a cool streak of menthol, a big round slug of sweet Cali cab fruit on the attack, followed by brisk acids, good depth, and near perfect balance. Ready to go. Very classy but still a New World style in my book (not a criticism). There's a spicy, piney thing to the fruit that I get from lots of Priorats (must be the oak). My quibble is I'm not sure it's better than the lovely 1992 Ridge Santa Cruz Cab I had recently. 92 or 93 pts.
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Very subdued at first. Nice aromatics of faint berries, saddle leather, hints of iron/blood. Palate quite complex. Soft berries followed by earthy leather, blueberries, Finish goes on and on. Very pleasant.
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Deep crimson color. Aromas of black currants, black raspberry, sous bois and herbs- almost weedy. Medium-bodied, with dark fruit and a weedy, vegetal flavor on the palate. Improves quite a bit as it sits, becoming more perfumed and florally in the bouquet, along with a melange of red and black fruits and worn saddle leather. Red fruit- currants, violets, herbs and green tobacco flavors. Long finish; balanced. I guessed "old school" Napa Cab.
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Unusual mixture of mature and immature; Still somewhat sturdy while at the same time showing rather lots of tertiary flavors as one would find in a very old wine. May not be a perfect bottle, as the cork was completely brittle and crumbled into a thousand pieces. Still a very nice drink, but we'll see how it holds up the next day.
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This is my oldest sons birth year wine. Matt Kramer recommended we purchase this wine. A wonderful choice! It is drinking beautifully right now. Thank you Matt!
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Brought to Angelo's Prime 667 in Albany for dinner with Virgil & Monica. Decanted on the spot. A touch sour on the nose initial, but opens up after 15 minutes. Gorgeous and balanced. Mature but still with beautiful fruit and a long finish. This showed really well tonight. Need to find an occasion to pop that mag.
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Still quite young upon opening with dominant flavors of tea, minerality, and tannins. Decant for at least an hour before serving. With decanting it becomes smoother, the tannins recede, and copious fruit emerges. Flavors include black cherries, licorice, tobacco, juicy black berries, tea, and the signature aromas of Monte Bello beets. Well made, completely balanced. This still needs 5 - 8 years of additional cellaring to reach its peak. It has a lot to offer. Try again in 2018.
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Vår tredje flaske, perfekt flaske på The Gilt for to år siden, og en litt sliten halvflaske på Clos Maggiore i februar. Denne var nær flasken på The Gilt. Paulliac med noko attåt. Parfymert, lett på foten og, hold deg fast Andreas Viestad, feminin. Utrolig elegant. Tertiær, men likevel med en klar underliggende frukt av solbær og noe bjørnebær(?). Pen syre og avslepne tanniner. Drikker perfekt nå.
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From a half bottle, library release from the winery two years ago. Very dark color, opaque garnet with some brown tinges, nose is a wonderful melange of truffles, earth, mushrooms, old wood; beautifully developed rich, dark, plummy fruit, great acidity, fine tannins, hints of truffle, roasted mushroom, grilled meat, gorgeous wine. This is really at peak from half bottle, has plenty of life left. I would say that full bottles are still on the upswing, and should easily go another decade before hitting peak and starting down the other side.
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Bottle was in excellent condition. Purchased for $175. Complex flavor profile, kept me interested and searching for nuances. Mature tannins. Memorable experience.
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Clumsy handling may have impacted the performance of this bottle. Staff ran through Vinturi despite being told to decant only. Cork came out in many pieces. Decanted through Vinturi and consumed over two hour meal. Medium-dark red color. Beguiling aromatics with cherry, plum, currant, anise, and the beginnings of some cedar and pencil notes. Palate has fully integrated tannins that frame a lush red-fruited wine with cedar and vanilla accents and a licorice note that comes through on a long finish. Satisfying, and to expectations, but not at the level of a bottle a few years ago and I suspect service was involved in the perceived partial miss on this bottle. My favorite of the '90-'92 Monte Bellos, still. Drink or hold.
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Cork came out perfectly, and the wonderful aromas charging out of the bottle put a great smile on our faces. Decanted for a little more than an hour. Very youthful. No bricking. Fabulous nose of blackberry, with a bit of leather, tobacco and spice, but mostly dark fruit. Full and velvety in the mouth. A bit of chocolate, but with refreshing acidity and good tannic back-bone. Best wine I've had in a long time.
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Ridge Vineyards Post Harvest Celebration Tasting: Medium garnet color with earthy, cassis, black cherry aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, fresh, complex, and balanced with well integrated sweet tannins, and cassis, black cherry, and mineral flavors. Long finish. From 375 ml
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Tobacco, cassis, earth and spicy dark berry scents led to a medium/full bodied, tannic wine. It was surprising to find this much tannin in a 20 year old Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine felt dry in the mouth and could be seen as an austere style of Ridge. It shows like it needs more time. but at 20 years of age, it is what it is. Some tasters are clearly going to enjoy this wine more than I did. I sensed the quality, but this blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc did not offer nearly as much pleasure as the 1991.
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Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Intensive red, a bit more mature than the 1991. Taste of leather and coffee (reminds me of a Pauillac). Sweetness and ripe berry notes, well integrated tannins, balanced and long finish. Drink now - 2025
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Enjoyed this wine over two nights. Gorgeous nose right out of the gate, with a big blend of tobacco, cassis, and floral aromatics and a slight whiff of mint. Even with a long decant, it was still a bit grippy on the palate, with the tobacco of the nose mingling with iron and oak spice flavors. The secondary aromas and tastes truly dominated, even to the point of making me wish there was a little more fruit to balance things out. Everything smoothed out the second night as the wine gave more of a finessed, silky mouthfeel. Clearly, twenty years of age was not enough, and it would be fun to try this beauty in another 5, 10, or 15 years to see what else it might reveal.
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A beautiful classy bouquet of redcurrant, leather, cedar, and graphite introduce this fine wine. On the palate, she is medium full in body with great concentration to the flavors of redcurrants, berries, and cedar. In addition, there is great structure here, with excellent sophisticated tannins and medium high acidity. A graceful beauty of elegance, class and sophistication. Drinking beautifully!
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Bordeaux like nose and complexity with Calif fruit. This bottle aged beautifully - Ridge ages as well as any Calif wine.
Classic Ridge flavors, black fruit, cedar, tobacco, floral nose. Big mouthfeel but very elegant.This bottle opened up pretty quickly, was showing well after 15 minutes hitting stride in about an hour. Would decant for an hour with next bottle.
Would have been WOTN but drank this next to a 1990 Lynch Bages which was unbeatable. This wine still has years ahead of it, drinking beautifully right now
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Decanted for 4 hours and drank over the next 3 hours. It was WOTN against several '89 and '90 Bordeaux. Beautiful nose followed by a rich, complex, balanced taste. I would say that the wine is at its prime and could be drunk over the next 5 to 10 years.
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Double-decanted 4 hours in advance and still took its time to open up. Initially very Cabernet Sauvignon character, but all came into beautiful balance when drunk with pork cooked with oranges and jerusalem artichokes (!). Then it was powerful but subtle, exciting and lively, long and gorgeous.
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Need about one hour to open up, not decanted, 2nd time tasting this vintage in the last 2 months, both good. i was struck both times by how elegant yet powerful this wine was. The nose is classic Bordeaux with lots of complexity, tannins are quite well integrated but there is still a lot of life left in this wine, probably many years. becoming a big fan of Ridge now.
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upon opening smelled a bit dead and upon first taste was shut down and borderline over the hill. With about an hour of air this thing was humming. Massive floral nose with ripe berries, tobacco, and some cedar. really impressed with the structure and the sweet fruits. Holding amazing well for 19years
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San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): ’92 MB– Sensational wine to start the evening. Slow o’d and only half the bottle remaining on arrival. Fantastic flamboyant inviting nose with tell-tale Montebello character—green pepper, tobacco leaf, mint/eucalyptus. Fleshy, lively mouthfeel, with great depth and complexity adding a long mocha finish. This is really just starting to come into it’s own. On par with the ’90 and still a step behind the ’94 though the oak was more tactful this year.
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Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, slightly faded at the edge. Nose with noticeable barnyard notes, ripe fruit with blackcurrants, plum compote, dried spices, sweetish and nuanced. Very similar to the nose of a developed Bordeaux, possibly with some right bank character. Slightly more sweetish nose than the 1995. Full bodied -, palate with ripe dark berries, quite noticeable tannins but of a softened character, spicy, quite concentrated aromas. Accessible, nuanced, but still rather young! 94-95 p
From half bottle! And it is so great that I awarded my highest score of the tasting here! Wow!
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Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Deep garnet colour. Mature nose with inky black fruit and minerals. Beautiful palate with damson, nutty and spicy flavors, and toast from oak. Velvety texture and mellowed structure.
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Discovered 3 bottles of 1992 Ridge Montebello in the cellar. Opened and ran thru Vinturi - less fruit than in previous tastings but still remarkably robust. Pronounced tannins but softened with even 15 minutes delay after decanting. Black fruits, leather, mineral/flint edge. nose is parsimonious but palate very pleasing.
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80% Cab Sauv, 11% Merlot, 9% Cab Franc. Cork is in good condition. Color shows slight signs of age but still a deep rich purple black hue as a whole. Nose shows a promising aroma of anise driven blackberries, plums, figs and dates as well as some strong iron and volcanic soil. The weight on the tongue is excellent. Masculine but royal and elegant. Some serious finesse and supple action on the back end. The finish has some heat still showing though the label only says 13.4% alcohol. An excellent vintage of Monte Bello still showing fairly well. Though the heat may die down over the next few years, a lot of the fruit has been replaced by mineral and rock driven aromatics and flavors.
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Wow. Last time I had this wine four years ago I thought it was slightly going over the hill. If that was the case I was wrong. Tonight -- a depth of color, luminescence with only slight bricking at the rim. On the nose: leather, animal, cedar but with a core of red and black fruit. On the palate: the definition of umami. Rich, succlent, graceful, full of verve. It drank like water. In a word, wonderful and a treat. I would guess that it is at its absolute peak. Had side by side with a 2000 Gruard Larose (another wonderful wine), which was clearly outclassed by the Monte Bello. But somehow I managed to love them both. Cheers!
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Ridge Fall Release Party (Monte Bello Vineyard): 80% cab, 11% merlot, 9% PV. Effusive nose of crushed stone/charcoal, tar and mushroomy loamy earth. Some of that dried berry, dusty cavey goodness. Tannic and still youthful. Nice.
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Ridge Fall Release Celebration (Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard): Poured from magnum. I hate to be the odd man out here, but I found little to rave about. The nose was very mushroomy and fungal, with some leather as well. On the palate the wine was thin and acidic with red currant fruit in the background. Nice soft tannins consistent with a wine of this age. I never would have guessed this was an aged Monte Bello. Very disappointing.
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Consumed at The Vineyards Wine Company with family in celebration of Tyler's baptism.
Decanted 30 minutes prior to drinking. Beautiful wine expressing all of the nuances of a well made, aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderful nose of cherry and mushrooms. Very smooth on the palate with more red cherries, cassis, mushrooms, licorice and chocolate. Just a touch of tannins.
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A very good to excellent bottle, which blossomed over a three hour period, and therefore was probably consumed several years too early, especially given it's exceptional bouquet. In marked contrast to my previous two bottles, this was dark, still showing slightly unresolved tannins, albeit silky ones, and was just a bit monolithic on the mid-palate and finish which was a bit shorter than ideal. Still elegant, with cassis, tobacco, currants, and a whiff of volatile acidity. A classic "old-fashioned" California cab. Must buy more.
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Very nice wine. Evolved over the course of a few hours. Started off leather on the nose, red fruit on the palate. Ended eucalyptus on the nose and muted black fruit on the palate. Lots of earth throughout, fine tanins on the finish. Not a long finish, but very enjoyable cab. In a nice spot.
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Delicious and amazing. Very expressive nose. We popped & poured, and it was great straight out of the bottle. Nicely balanced layers of red & dark fruit and earth/tobacco/cedar.
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Monte Bello Cabernet Offline (Gauthier London): This is the most 'classic' of the flight. Most like the 98 from the first flight. Seems more Bordeaux than California. Again really lovely wine.
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Dark red-violet, very young looking. Aromas are slow to open, but in two hours giving cassis, licorice, cedar chest and a dusting of a complex spice cabinet. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Fairly stout wild red currants on the palate (quite intense) with some bell pepper and olive. Finishes with very long, fruit and herb and tannin balance. Old fashioned cabernet, low alcohol. Quite young at 19 years old but drinking well. Bottle #5 of six.
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Currant paste, pebble, sage, tobacco and pencil lead. Silky tannins, lovely finish and nice body. Youthful and truly lively, with the secondary nuances in full-swing at the same time. Not Bordeaux, not Napa; pure Santa Cruz. Drink now - 2018.
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Spontaneous Mini Ridge Monte Bello Vertical (Home): 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)
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Still incredibly fresh and primary. Black fruits, some understated cabernet "earth". Needs at least 5 more years to go from dapper youngster to sophisiticated statesman.
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Friday Dinner at Crown Wine Cellars (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Purple-tinged and completely opaque black/red colour. Nose is charcoal-ish, still fresh-sawn box wood, everything is still very young, briarberries fruit. Palate is WOW! wonderful matured blackberry with great pureness and cassis intensity....almost like Ribena concentrate in a bottle from my childhood. Gorgeous fresh, vibrant acidity. Perfectly balanced and resolved but still with a stout spine of tannin to keep everything in place. Like a lean but elegant Lafite. Very complete. Understated length and resonance that just goes on and on and on. Just has that extra sophistication over the Dominus 1992 and Pahlmeyer 1996 we drank alonside it. Continued to improve even 5 hours after opening. Gosh.......95+.
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I have not had enough experience with wines over 15+ years of age to rate. Given CT comments, decanted for 2+ hours - wine looked young (clear around the edges with a touch of brown and mostly dark red) - On nose, cassis, cedar and faint touch of red licorice. On palate, medium body, surprisingly vibrant acidity and consistent with the nose - very long finish and tannins were well integrated. 92-94 if rating the wine today. Very enjoyable.
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Nose - deep cedary black currant with a higher toned funky tobacco. Classic cedary black currant, touch of iodine and green chile, dark gritty/dusty tannin.
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Fabulous. Fruit, tannin and acidity are all perfectly balanced, drinking well now. Wonderful notes of chocolate and dark fruits. Remarkably similar to a great vintage of Lynch-Bages. Had it with steak au poivre and it was a perfect combination.
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drunk next to a great bottle of palmer from the 80's which was a mistake as this bottle of ridge still very young full of fresh california fruit , mint and euculyptus. full lush and long. very good bottle but would have shown even more not next to a fantastic maturing claret
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Young. Long and complex. Started off showing high acid behind a little fruit and finished with oak notes. As it opened up showed greater length and complexity.
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Nose - nice mature cedary plum and black currant. Dark and deep. Smoky, carmelized plum, good minerality, black currant, dusty sweet oak. Drink now-'30.
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Dark nose almost old world. Tannins nicely integrated now and still has lots of life. Some pepper on palate. Docked it a few points considering its price point. Maybe I did not give the wine a fair chance as only decanted for one hour prior to dinner and beginning consumption.
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Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 1972-2003 (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Black cherry and blackberry on nose. Same fruit on palate, very big, ripe, and primary, well situated in front of powerful and bold tannins. overall well structured for a long-term cellar hold.
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Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 72-03 (Ken's house, northbrook IL): nose: lovely restrained and classy nose with pretty tones of black currants, cedar, bits of tobacco, black cherries, and some tones of perfumes. This was coming off rather tight for me and just didn't seem to want to give it a full go
taste: classy medium/full feel with good tannins. Lovely tones of cedar, menthol, tobacco, black cherries and bits of dark berries blend well together. Comes off as understated on the palate with really good depth and medium+ acidity
overall: my no6, group's no2. To me this just didn't seem fully ready for primetime, or at least it wasn't giving me its all in the glass. Following up the 91 was a hard act to follow and this was rather taught for me in both the glass and on the palate. It needs a real good decant or more time sideways as the color on it wasn't really showing much age to it, and there was certainly no way to guess that this was about to turn 17 years old if the vintage wasn't known
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Harmonious, integrated, and throughly fun to drink. And throughly great wine as well -- we drank it with a Latour '93 and a Mouton '96 and I felt this was the most exciting of the set.
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Waterford slides to Hinterland. (Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub, Milwaukee): Decanted 4.5 hours. the center is barely opaque and the edge just a hint of browning. really doesn't look 17 years old. very present blackberry expression on the nose and that elegant anise acting as the choir director to make everything else sing. iron and definitely a hint of potpourri. soon iron and granite dominate the nose and surely whafts of cinnamon just before my first taste. delicate touch in the mouth. what tender tannin and delicate fruit on the palate. the violet is so present on the finish. what a beauty.
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i concur.......... this is a fantastic example of a great California cab. i've had it from a 750 ml and from a magnum & it does not disappoint. OH CONTRAIRE ! Dark color, cassis & spices, and ripe tannins make for an ethereal glass of vino .............. a heavenly wine !!!
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Damned good bottle of Calif cab. Pretty much everything you want, but not either too heavy or too ripe - over the top. All the standard flavors / descriptors for these kinds of wines, went great with the ribeye...
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The older Ridge's are always a pleasure to drink. While I feel the '91 is the best of the bunch, the '92 is similar in style, but with a little less fruit (relatively speaking as these are not fruit bombs). As usual, takes about 90 minutes for the wine to really open up and then drinks well for the next few hours. Leather, earth and graphite on the nose, sour cherry and plums on the palate with a long dry finish. A great american version of a Bordeaux blend.
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Dominated by sweet cassis from the opening bell. On the nose, the palate; you could smell it from accross the table on the first pour. Amazing purity and persistance here, and also very generous and plush for a Monte Bello. Still enough tannin to support a long, caressing finish. This wine is peaking (if it hasn't, in fact, already peaked), and will hold out for perhaps some time yet, but I see no reason to wait.
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Tasted with Ridge Monte Bello '80, '90, '91, '92, '94, '96 (corked), '99, '00, '01 (in magnum). Quite a lovely night one might say.
My favorites of the night were the '90 and '99. But just barely. Meaning that every vintage seem to show the magnificence of this site, all were worthy of appreciation. All the wines showed dark black fruits, a certain tobacco anise-ness and precise purity of acids and tannins. The younger the wines were the more black fruit, the less tobbacco. All bottles were still viable and drinkable.
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Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (The Wine Summit, Lake Louise, Alberta): 80% CS, 11% M, 9% PV – 13.4% ALC. From 22 separate small tanks – 40% held back– isolating the less intense wines from the final blend. Very dark ruby in colour; cleaner nose than the ’88 – more expression of pure currant fruit – sweet smoke; round and full on the palate; excellent acidity; supple and balanced on a firm structure; sweet black currant berry fruit, slightly tart in a pleasing way; very long finish with the fruit dominating – still a few soft tannins to resolve. At 15 years of age this wine still has some excellent potential for longevity and evolving bouquet and flavour nuances
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The Wine Summit at The Post Hotel in Lake Louise Alberta Canada was fortunate to have Mr. Paul Draper as one of the presenters. After taking us all down a brief but interesting trip down memory lane, Mr Draper lead us trough a technical tasting of 8 Monte Bellos covering a range or 23 years. Draper explained 75% cab, 11% merlot, 10 % petit verdot, and 4 % cab franc. Dark inky purple in the glass and very viscous on the glass. I got the licorice before Paul mentioned it and it had an earthy smell that was plaeasant like right after a rain. In the mouth, I was still trying to get the fruit others had mentioned but got pepper, mineral, and maybe a mild pomegranate taste. This was a really nice unique wine. No I did not spit this one and it was only about 11:20 am.
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IWFSC 734th Dinner (Spiaggia): Wow, I thought the barolo would be the easy WOTN and I did not expect this to show nearly so well. Full deep black purple color. Spactacular nose of cassis and spicy candied red fruit. Nice rich sweet black fruit on the palate with pencil lead and good acidity. Drinking at its peak, I would guess. Delicious.
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Drunk at the Hawksmoor at lunch with lots of clarets and steaks.Decanted for 2 hours.Big dark wine, nose of black fruits and some sweet spice, drank well with the clarets as it doesnt have the same kind of dry tanins, finer and sweeter, very lush and full.lacks some of the finish length of some of the other wines we had that lunch but very good
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Candied nose. Bright, fruity, decent acidity. Very big, huge. Light smokiness. Still juicy. Red berries. Tastes young - still not ready?? Good food wine. Chocolate. Plum.
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Garnet with a hint of orange at the rim. Nose initially was shy, but over the course of the evening it slowly opened up, like a rose bud. Black fruits, spices, tobacco. Taste was simial, black fruits, spices, a hint of licorice. It gave a 95 Angelus a run for its money. Wonderful.
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Drunk at Hawksmooe decanted for an hour and eaten with areally goood rib eye. dark purple wine with a huge nose of dark purple fruits, licorce and minty eucalyptus. in the mouth big thick viscous wine, really wakes you up, blackberries and currants and really fills mouth up from front to back..very long finish..this wine got better and better over lunchand i cant wait to see what it is like in 10yrs
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Shamefully drank this during a nice dinner, pop and poured in the decanter. Like taking a baby from the womb at 6 months. Still tight, and wow the tannins are a strong pucker up finish after a explosion of fruit and flavors in the palate. Yummy. This is a great wine, still in it's youth. Hands off for 5 years plus.
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Incredibly youthful and still rather tight. Chocolate, licorice, slightly musty cedar and dark fruits. Full bodied with just the enough tannin to give texture and grip. Needs another 5-7 years to show its best. My rating reflects my waning interest in Cab based wines and the quality of the Littorai One Acre Pinot tasted at the same time.
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This was by far the wine of the trip. We opened the 2002 Insignia at the same time and I had a strong preference for the Monte Bello. It's why we age good Cab. Perfect balance, good use of the cab franc, etc... i think it's a "bargain" at $125 per bottle.
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Atlanta Off-line with Ron Kramer (Bones Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Not decanted? Rich dark cassis and dark chocolate nose that I couldn’t get enough of. Youthfull, dark cassis flavors with vanilla and deep mocha layered nicely with substantial depth. Supple, full, and round body with slightly chalky and still prominent tannins that expanded nicely on the mid-palate with a vigorous finish. This continued to open up the longer it was in the glass and still has plenty of life ahead. This very rich, fruit forward and oak infused California Cab stands in amazing contrast to the more earthy, dense, mineral driven 1990 Monte Bello.
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Ridge's Montebello is a delicious wonderfully balanced wine. Even for its age, it's nose had a freshness rather than musty and damp. It was a well rounded wine with very tame tannins and good concentration of fruit. This vintage was more expressive and expansive than the 94 mag. This wine still lacks what most of the big Harlans, Bryants and Colgin have... a big long lasting finish.
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Dark ruby red. Almost Chateauneuf-like on the nose with hints of dark berries and cassis, but more so Cardamom and Cinnamon. Tight core, yet with excellently defined fruit with delicious sweetness of flavour and rich intensity. A superb wine that would have merited a score in the upper ninetees had it it not been for a somewhat lean and tart finish. In all other respects a great wine.
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80% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot Mature colour. Very good nose - lots of interest, with some farmyard and lots of brambly fruit. Superb mouthfeel. Excellent fruit on the palate. Very good structure and quite multi-dimensional. Excellent.
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Historic note (recorded Aug 06). Purple/black on pouring with a dense, opaque core of red. Massive extraction. Rather closed nose despite a triple decant but hints of mulberries, wood smoke (hickory?) and a bit of tobacco. Ripe cassis flavours but very tight; Bordeaux restraint rather than Californian openness. Eucalyptus on the nose after an hour or so and flavour is a bit more forthcoming but still very closed. Great potential - possibly a 96 score - but I wouldn't touch this again until after 2010.
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12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
A wine of real character, the 1992 Ridge shows redcurrant, blueberry, green peppercorn, and coffee, growing in time as the American oak grows less conspicuous with air. This is drinking well though protein is an obligatory accompaniment given the amount of tannin still felt on the palate. This kept on improving - did we even see it at its best?
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10/6/2023 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
A Medlar lunch (Medlar, London): Oh gosh, if ai thought the Mouton was good… Gorgeously cool blackcurrant fruit. So poised and elegant. Focus, precision, depth. Opens to show some riper cassis, but tempered with some blackcurrant leaf. Gorgeous and unsurprisingly a clear step up from a previous bottle eight years ago.
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10/4/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 94 Points
Took a long time to open - about 3hrs in a decanter. Tightly coiled pure ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, all blackcurrant and plum. Slightly rustic tannins and lower acidity made it tiring and we only got through half a bottle. Lacked the complexity I expected - no tobacco or cedar notes. Hold off opening until at least 2030. 94++pts
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1/28/2023 - ppandian Likes this wine: 96 Points
Powerful! Could handle another 10 years in the bottle.
Notes of chocolate, leather and licorice. Great depth and balance. Complex and long finish. Drank at the Bruno’s with Bobby and families. Paired beautifully with grilled steak tips.
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12/31/2022 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 96 Points
This looked viscous, but it turns out, it’s just dark and opaque while still having a medium plus weight and a racy, silky, swift mouthfeel. This fills the palate with fresh mint and sage, cassis, beef blood, and milk chocolate. Excellent. Moutonesque.
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11/6/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Now all tight and structured. Sox hours in.
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11/6/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Black currant fruit and concentrated. Amazing depth, even a little more structured too. More fruit. Still going strong no reason to rush.
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9/13/2022 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was pure silk. Velvet, red fruits and great harmony of oak and fruit. My guess the bottle was not stored the best before, so I can only imgaine this bottle, if stored properly, would have a ton of life left and be even higher score. Aas it was it was all togetehr and had room for growth. Only thing that I dont like, is all the bottles I have 2005-2021 will take another 20-30 years before they are in a good place. These wines at 30 years are so damn good!
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9/2/2022 - maranoli Likes this wine: 99 Points
2 bottles, same notes
Deep Garnet with a hint of purple
Intense nose
Black fruits, gentle sweetness of drying fruit, not honeyed, verbena, floral herb (lavender?)
Acidity M, tannins fully resolved, alcohol M, glorious balance
Taste lasted way beyond any count.
Probably the best, most balanced CabernetI have tasted in the past 10 years. If there is perfection in wine, this vintage of Ridge comes very close. An extraordinary wine, will easily go another decade if well stored.
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6/3/2022 - hadukla Likes this wine: 100 Points
Perfect. Balance, taste, finish. All of it is a beautiful dance. I bet this could last another decade or two.
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4/29/2022 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 97 Points
Aromatics were extraordinary, simply jumping out of the glass, dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, cedar, lush, integrated tannins, long, long finish, just spectacular
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3/27/2022 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour and drank over 2. Fantastic. Dead ringer for left bank BDX. Pencil, leather, saddle, dark berries, good tannins well integrated. Good complexity and density. Long finish. This is a masterpiece of a wine and easily has years left. 94+
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10/31/2021 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Final Wine Tasting Dinner of 2021: Superb nose of great depth, richness and darkness. The American oak handling is very apparent on this wine, but for me, is part of the style of this great wine. Whilst a wine of (by California standards) modest alcohol, the proportions of the wine are immense, with a thick structure, opulence, and creamy coconut aspects that do not become overbearing. It is an old-school style that has little to do with Bordeaux, but it manages to convince in its own terms - it is a great expression of place. Drinking really well, but based on this bottle (stored in a cool cellar) will go for another two decades. It will be fascinating to see what happens to the obvious US Oak with time, although at the age of 29, one would have thought this overt character would have somewhat moderated!
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5/23/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bright acidity, ripe fruit, still very fresh, vibrant and youthful. Delicious wine, this is great stuff.
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5/22/2021 - BBencz Likes this wine:
Stunning performance. Perfect balance, medium weight. Still giving lots of fruit and a fully perfumed nose. Amazing stuff.
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5/15/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Funky nose to begin with. Btl storage? Decanted and opened up. Good nose and flavor. Light on the palate feel, good finish. Probably better 10 years ago. DRINK
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3/6/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 98 Points
WOW!!! Utterly magnificent. Perfectly balanced. Elegant to the extreme. Decanted at 5pm and tasted over 4 hours or so. Tasted along side 1986 Ch. Pichon Lalande. It would be impossible to tell which of these two wines was the Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Youthful beyond description with not a trace of brick. Slightly translucent dark garnet. 13.4% ABV. The nose is floral and woodsy, earthy and highlighted by tobacco and cedar and a hint of graphite. The fruit comes out on the palate...cassis, blackberry, black plum, then the layers of licorice, pipe tobacco, menthol, chocolate and crushed pine needles. Finish is outrageously long and deep. Superb! One of the very best Cabernet based wines I have had...right up there with 1990 Ch. Margaux, 1974 Ch. Montelena, 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, 1982&1986 Ch. Mouton, et al. Superb with grilled strip steak and sautéed mushrooms. The mouthfeel and length are just thrilling...velvet on your tongue with a richness and depth that is what makes great aged wine great! Of note... I paid ~$67 for this on release.
p.s. More than 24 hours later this wine is still going strong. The fruit is a little less rich, the finish is a little more tart but there is a whole new layer of flavor that really lingers of chocolate covered cranberry. Very interesting and impressive and another sign of the potential longevity of this wine! I think it should easily last for another decade or two in a good cellar.
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6/17/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 97 Points
Drinking magnificently now. Peals of dark fruits submerged in still spicy, but smooth tannins. Saturated flavors, sublime in complexity and length. Cherries and smoke. Still fresh! Balanced and ready to age for another decade. Decant for an hour before enjoying.
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4/30/2020 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
One off 375 purchased for me by my sis when we toured the winery a bit less than 5 years ago. Cork crumbled on initial corkscrew contact, and when I couldn't save it with a two pronged opener, I pushed the cork in and used my fine strainer pouring it into a decanter. 1 oz pour was all about secondary notes, tannins and acidity, with earth, smoke, dried spice, a bit of barnyard and leather and muted, semi-sweet cran-cherry. After 90+ minutes of air, the cherry notes thickened and sweetened up a bit, but the fruit was still pretty receded (CT joke from a modern Napa cab drinker: how do you know when the fruit has receded in a Montebello?); I've had enough MBs to know that even when I won't confuse them with Outpost Trues, I won't confuse them with Stony Hills, either. Beautiful, deep, dark purple with a slight brownish hue, light to medium bodied, medium legs. Very present but silky tannins and acidity, no heat, but you knew that already. Good complexity, very light persistence and intensity, nice mouthfeel. Amazing complement to mixed grill. Maybe it's because the fruit wasn't as vibrant as it might have been, but this had a wonderful saline and saline quality which, as another writer mentioned, gave it an almost syrah-like quality.
If I were rating this, I'd be about a 92-93, but I don't think that's fair both because I think that something happened to dilute the fruit, other than just age (look at the recent TNs and Parker's fairly recent score) and also that while my strainer did a great job, there was likely still some effect from the disintegrated cork. From the reviews, if you have an unaffected bottle, this may go on for some time, although it seems unlikely to improve, so I'd say bottom's up. This was more interesting than great, although there were enough glimmers of what a great MB can be that I'm glad I had it (especially since my sister bought it). Note to self: drink that '96 Ducru sooner than later . . .
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2/4/2020 - chatters wrote:
From magnum. Double decanted about 2 hours before consumption. Leather, muted blackcurrant, cream, earthy, cedar, muted sweet spice, little plum and black cherry on the nose. in the mouth it's juicy, rich, emery paper rasp to the tannins on the palate, leather, earth, a little gamey, blackcurrant, plums and cherries, sweet spice on the palate. Nice.
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1/15/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range; 1/15/2020-1/17/2020 (My place, Kent Street): Magnum. From Coravin. Generous blackcurrant and plums, leather, polished oak, cigar box, slight vanilla and sweet spice., smells serious and almost a little austere despite the fruit generosity, a little biscuit and pepper as well. With time in the glass it gets more leathery but also denser. On the palate it's got juicy acidity, pure Cabernet blackcurrant with Cassis balanced with silky tannins. Preposterously long. Finish just doesn't quit. In a great spot now. Really lovely. Impossible to spit. I got this for a milestone birthday a couple of years ago but it wasn't showing so well...and now it's my birthday in about 2 1/2 weeks...Soooooooo
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12/26/2019 - mark2eye Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really enjoyable, and got better with more air time. Tasted this along the 96 and we all found this to be darker and more broody. Wet forest, graphite, truffle, tobacco, and funk was our initial impression, but with about two hours of air time the fruit really began to shine through. This easily has another ten years ahead of it , but I think it's in a perfect drinking window now
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11/17/2019 - pabernatchez Likes this wine: 98 Points
An absolutely gorgeous wine. Tasted blind with a group of savvy wine industry people, people were guessing Cheval Blanc 1989 here, or Margaux 1990 there! Definitely of first growth level, racy and refined like no other American Cab I have ever had. Fabulously complex nose of blackcurrant, with a minty component, scorched earth and mind-blowing black truffle, esthery aromas, it stole the show. Tannin are silky and fully resolved. Drinking great now, would drink in the next 5 to 10 years.
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11/10/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #5 in our blind. I didn't get this one at all. To me it was more savory and almost meaty. Dark fruits. Very young. Hint of the animal notes. I don't normally associate that with Ridge but perhaps there is some in the Monte Bello? I was expecting a Syrah but was surprised to find the cab. Also a favorite of mine though in the group.
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11/10/2019 - S1 Likes this wine:
Charleston Offlineorama V; 11/7/2019-11/10/2019 (The Holy City): (blind) Still tasted young and I didn’t get that Ridge distinctive oak. I expected more complexity but it was still delicious.
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10/10/2019 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Acker Merrall & Condit Bordeaux vs. California Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel): Tasted blind next to the '90 Leoville Las Cases. While I called it immediately as the California wine between the two, I actually think I enjoyed it more than the '90 LLC (blasphemy coming from a Francophile, I know). However, this was one of the most balanced and complete wines of the night. The finish also went on for what seemed like a minute or more. Wow!
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9/15/2019 - overkloud wrote: 95 Points
It took half an hour to open up in the glass. We didn't decent it. Ripe Raspberry, cherry, plum mixed with leather, Chinese tea on the nose, on the palate it is very much consistent with nose. Bright acidity balances the fruit suggests it's a wine from cooler climate. Tannin is smooth, polished. Medium-long finish, minerality kicks in the late palate. It's a very elegant Bordeaux blend.
In 3-4 hours the aroma fades away. It's more tea and leather dominating. After 4 hours the wine starts to lose its structure.
Nevertheless I think it's still at it's peak or just past it. It's a beautiful wine. Certainly the best ridge I have had.
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5/24/2019 - bubnos Likes this wine: 99 Points
PnP, bottle sourced directly from producer. Cork stained slightly and some minor ullage below the capsule, but no problems with the wine.
Rich nose, complex and smoky with almost quince and plum notes like from a sweeter wine. Flawless attack with everything present: soft, muted red fruit, a spine of acidity, fully integrated tannins, and spicy tertiary flavors of leather and cigar tailing off into a butter-smooth lingering finish. Indistinguishable from a perfectly aged First Growth Bordeaux and clearly the doyen of American wines. Bravo Ridge!
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3/12/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite mature now with a beautiful Claret-like texture and delicious ripe but faded and earthy black cherry fruit. Good acidity underneath keeps it lifted and fresh and the finish is full of finesse with notes of dark spices and minerals. 12.7% alcohol. The good old days in Napa.
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3/11/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 96 Points
Somm3 Tasting (Tribeca Grill): Gorgeous smokey nose. Vibrant fruit that's very alive with great tertiary development. Very nice underlying acidity. Light body but great depth of flavor. Delicious!
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3/9/2019 - MAOC wrote:
Drunk alongside the 1990. Very similar profiles - hard to pick a favourite. The 1992 had slightly more exotic elements to the plum and dark cherry fruit and showed attractive cedar, leather and tobacco elements. Drinking brilliantly now and not sure will get better but felt at the earlier end of its maturity plateau. Clear *****
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1/6/2019 - shaif Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth and tasty. Earthy and woodsy. Drank it alongside a 98 argiano with porcini pasta. Much more delicate than the old Tuscan
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12/28/2018 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
Consistent with my bottle ~6 months ago. A towering Monte Bello that's in a prime window.
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12/20/2018 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just a stunner of a wine. Old, must/dust, violets and pencil shavings on the nose and lots of graphite and light velvet on the nose. Very Bordeaux driven styling with a long, long finish. I was sad to finish this wine.
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11/29/2018 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Garnet to the edge. Finally approaching maturity, but can age another 10 years. Still some ripe tannins front and center, leather and subtle tobacco notes along with dark plums, cherries, mocha, and great length. A terrific wine. Needs 90 minutes in a decanter.
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5/20/2018 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 96 Points
As usual, Monte Bello proves itself one of the great wines of the world. This bottle was in a great place but by no means is this wine finished maturing. It is quite tertiary, with cedar/leather/cigar box but it has a lovely bouquet of red fruit and a touch of something floral. Power, but not too powerful. This is more like a claret than a cali cab. I hope to have plenty more!
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5/19/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A night of awesome wine (67 Pall Mall): One of the stars in a very tough line-up (Margaux, Grange, La Mouline). This wine continues to be just beautiful every time we have it. Spicy red fruits and a certain level of 'prettiness' and perhaps a touch of floral. More time and there's herbal notes as well. It's complex and interesting and while drinking very well now still has much life left. Really a treat.
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4/28/2018 - canan wrote: 92 Points
BYO - US wines (M&H): Great and fully mature. Very fresh and light black currant fruit but also has some leather and cigar box.
Very nice aged wine!
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4/8/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge range (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Magnum. Aromas of, if you can imagine, cool air on an Autumn night in the English countryside; fungus, brambles, leather, earth…smell like old Bordeaux…perhaps a little forward for a magnum. It's a little warm initially on the palate which belies it's origins though this is superb.
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3/23/2018 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Casual Friday Dinner with Friends (Booth One - Chicago, IL): Caught this one in a perfect place to my palate. Epic, concentrated and nuanced nose of fresh plum and currants, with cigar and bell pepper beneath. A kiss of American Oak herbs and vanilla. The palate is super concentrated and powerful with precision and elegance. Tannins are suave but provide a sturdy counterpoint to the fruit.
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3/15/2018 - markjanes wrote: 94 Points
deep color, bricking rim. aromatically sings with all sorts of earthy, spiced dark > red fruits... on the palate has good acidity, a stunning amount of flesh on the mid palate, lots of very rounded smooth tannins, very low alcohol. this is a gem of a wine... amazing depth with such a low alcohol... brilliant.
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2/5/2018 - Bklyndude Likes this wine: 92 Points
Uncorked on the spur of the moment (cork splintered into 2 pieces) on a cold early February evening. Had high hopes based on a first taste out of the bottle, though even a 2 hour decant did not bring out the magic. Deep and brooding, with an appealing silkiness, but lacked a degree of acidity or liveliness that would have allowed the fruit to sing. Have one more in the cellar so will revisit in a few years.
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2/1/2018 - tinybubbles wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly young, with a nose still largely defined by wood. Stylistically it is what it is, but given that, this is well crafted and should age well. 92+
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2/1/2018 - asteff wrote: 97 Points
Really a magical compilation of flavors and texture. The balance on it may be the best part. This was fantastic.
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12/3/2017 - waywardsailor wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfully balanced. Tried to Coravin it but leaked around the cork. Had to drink the whole bottle. thankfully, have 3 more bottles left
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12/2/2017 - tomoem Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow. A stunner. Thought it would be more melancholy but this was simply Ready now. An aged crescendo of layered flavors. Starts with blueberry and leads to tobacco leaf with dried cranberry fruit. Quite enjoyable and rich.
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11/23/2017 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely terrific. Blackberry, black cherry cedar, dark pressed flowers, and a bit of leather on the nose. The palate shows similar black fruit, cedar, some eucalyptus, vanilla, and herbs. Perhaps a bit of chocolate comes out, and some earthy character. Dusty tannin and great acidity, medium body. Long gritty, earthy finish. Gorgeous, and amazingly a crowd pleaser across a group with differing palates. Not at all at risk of immediate decline. Yum!!!
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11/4/2017 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
Whoopie! The balance on this baby was spot on, the fruit fresh (currants, blackberries...), and spicy cedar and menthol notes all contributed to a wonderfully integrated and delicious wine. It went down with ease.
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11/3/2017 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Absolutely in its prime - perfectly integrated wood and fruit, impeccable balance, silky mouthfeel. Favorite among group of 20-30 year old flagship california cabs from the likes of phelps, dominus, montelena, stags leap, BV, etc.
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10/27/2017 - ashikoh wrote: 85 Points
St. John's Meeting Place Dinner & Bottle Share: dark ruby/fruit has faded, some tertiary aromas, Brett predominates/definitely over the hill
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10/7/2017 - AMNG Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing at 25 years. Far outshines the 1992 Caymus Special
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7/28/2017 - mflesh wrote:
This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink.
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3/24/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really good. Opened and decanted about 30 minutes and consumed over 2-3 hours. Tobacco, cigar leaf, a little eucalyptus ad very left bank in nature. Another at the table was tasting blind and guessed left bank Bordeaux. Rich and integrated. Still dark and somewhat brooding but balanced and nuanced. Doesnt feel like this near decline and its showing really well at age 25. Lots of life left here and some upside.
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3/8/2017 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purple center fading to a brick red rim. Nose begins with significant leather, sweet smoke, and some minerality. Followed by cedar, black cherry, slightly baked blue and dark fruit, slight moss, and dried thyme. Eventually, somewhat mushroomy, with a salty note of pyrezines. A bit of a decaying note. On the palate, body is medium-minus, alcohol is medium, and acidity is medium-plus. Blackberry and plum are followed by minerality, herbs, and tobacco. A fair amount of sweetness. Some notes of smoke and pepper on the long finish. Slight chalky tannins remain, which, along with the acidity, indicate much life left for this wine.
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3/4/2017 - pitcrewstrategist Likes this wine: 95 Points
this was one of the most amazing wines, having aged it for 20+ years- I will not do it justice, but overall, had to decant for over an hour- then it was opening up, hit it's ideal around 1.25 hours into meal, but started with champagne. Restaurant we went to for annivesary - by far one of the best kobe steak places-511 in akasaka tokyo japan, all about steaks. The scent was incredible- like a well aged bordeux from france- earthy, mossy, wow! initial taste was tight, which shocked me after being well aged in bottle in my cellar (and brought back from america to tokyo). Full of soft berry, plum- cedar-moss- again, like others, not doing it justice. Long finish lingered for almost a minute or more. Just simply amazing. Smell turned into the carmely/butterscotch i know some of my finer cabs from napa do- but the taste and essence, still strong earth. With steak it was simply sagoi/subarashii- amazing! This was a wine i will remember a long time. i have many of these bottles aging in my basement and i am looking forward to enjoying them once it is time. Ridge is one of the finest wow- and i guess a true value (though once aged, price would skyrocket).
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3/3/2017 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Ridge Monte Bello & others (Kennards, Waterloo): From Coravin & from Magnum. Leather but predominantly black cherry over black currant. The fruit is quite sweet with sweet spice, earthy elements, touches of plum. But I am not doing this justice with my clumsy phraseology. This has a faultless, harmonious nose. Almost savoury Ribena, juicy, fleshy, fruit persist with touches of cherry, berry, plum and woody notes. Tannins are fine but present the whole is harmonious and quite exceptional and ridiculously long. Crikey.
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2/5/2017 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted for a good 2 hours. Needed we would say.
Such a beautiful wine. Starts of withe quite a bit of oak but then that relaxes and shows its more evolved, leathery side. The fruit is very much there, good rich core still very much vibrant and dare we say this is still a young wine and easily has another decade of legs. Once that oaky side relaxed in the glass the wine was just ever so beautiful. Very classy. 94
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1/23/2017 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
From a half bottle, purchased from the winery's cellar stock a few years ago. Starts with an ebullient nose of earth, mushrooms, bit of dill oak but not obtrusive or overwhelming. Beautiful medium depth of dark red fruit, red cassis, fine tannic structure, showing nice evolution and well into its drinking window, but still youthful with plenty of years to go. At this point, though the 91 Monte Bello was the stronger wine early on, I think the 92 is the better distance runner.
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9/10/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Q3 Tasting - Aged Cali (The Apt): Wine #7: We'd had this wine a few months ago at a dinner and I was very impressed with it then and continued to be here. The fruit was a lot more striking than one would have expected although I think it was more muted and balanced a bit more with cigar and leather than some of the other wines. I do wonder what some more time would do. We opened and decanted and it prob had over an hour before the first pour and yet it was youngish. I have a feeling another 10 years would add quite well to the wine. (4 pennies)
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9/10/2016 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q3 - 2016 Tasting - Aged California Wines - Pre 2006 (New York, NY): #7 of 20 wines tasted double blind. The color is ruby red with no bricking. On the palate this tastes older than the color would denote - the fruit is more subdued and it has an earthiness. Very soft and subtle, so perhaps suffers in such a big line up of bolder flavors. I like this but does not really stand out for me - Middle of the pack. The group had this tied for 11th place with six others at 2 pennies.
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8/7/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
Drank from half bottle that was decanted 2 hours. Cork came out but crumbled into bits with some stuck on the sides. Still a tons of acid and tannin. The rich dark fruit found in the 91 is not present in the 92 which is dominated by smokey leather, eucalyptus, damp wood, and mossy earth. Nicely made with time left but just not my style.
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8/5/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Shockingly young upon opening, with significant wood on the nose. After 30 minutes air time, the nose and palate took on appealing depth with dark fruit leading to soil tones leading to dark savory spices. This bottle needed at least 5 years, if not more. 93+
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6/11/2016 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 94 Points
Very dark, remarkably youthful garnet colour.
Very pure cabernet nose - it might be 20% merlot, but the merlot's hiding from me.
A sweet, pure cab palate with lots of tobacco flavours. Hefty tannins on the finish.
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6/3/2016 - cmmatthews Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely stunned at the youthfulness of this wine. Color gave no indication of age and it tasted fresh and bright. Lots of berries balanced with earthiness on the finish. High % of Cab definitely comes through in this one. Acidity and tannins are present. Could easily go 10+ years. Amazing.
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4/20/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Our first Ridge (courtesy of Grapes, White Plains) (Landmarc): Definitely definitely WOTN. My first experience with a Monte Bello and my first reaction is 'wow - this is really young' and then I realized it's a 24 year old wine. From a drought year and aging well. Pretty impressive. Could definitely go for another 10 and maybe even 20 years. Clean cherry flavor, some spice. More time and I'm also getting mint and eucalyptus. On the nose there's hints of alcohol, but it doesn't come out on the palette at all. Very nice wine.
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4/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Reads much younger and primary at first but opens into an aromatically complex and beautiful bouquet. Big with black cherry, loads of menthol, and big minerality. Sensational nose but massively tannic on palate, good acid and high minerality. Rich and dense.
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2/6/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp from a 375ml. Nose had tobacco, prunes, plums, and soil. Palate had good depth and intensity with black fruit, prunes, leather, tobacco and liquorice. The half bottle format is drinking very well now. I believe the 750ml will have at least 8-10 years to go.
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12/27/2015 - MicklethePickle wrote: 95 Points
Quite dark ruby, not opaque but solid, with lightening at the rim. No sign of browning. Classic nose of cedar and lead pencil, with red fruits. Haunting perfume. Lovely round red fruit in the mouth, very lively, all tannins resolved but still rich and flavory. This has time to go, but it is drinking beautifully right now. Lovely drink, plump, ripe and velvety. Bravo! 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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12/7/2015 - nzinkgraf wrote:
at pop and pour, the cork came out easy, hopefully not too easy. still shows a high level of primary fruit on the palate. definitely showing some maturity, but not the 23 years worth that this show proport. within just a couple minutes of air, this starts to take a dramatically complex turn. iron, violet and delicate on the palate. medium/+ acid and medium/- tannin.
Later that night, this really took on steam, still delicate, but damn fine. Water weight.
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10/24/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Half bottle purchased directly from the winery. Youthful deep ruby all the way to the rim. Marvelous nose that leaps out of the glass-mint, wintergreen, and olive. Medium to full bodied, densely packed but yielding with air. Ripe cassis and blackberry lifted by subtle herbaceousness, good acidity, and round tannins. Particularly in light of this being in small format, I'd imagine that this must be a 50 year wine. Its concentration without excessive extraction is just thrilling, and the balance is superb. The best Cabernet-based wine from anywhere that I've had in a long time (ok, I'll admit, there have not that many, but still...).
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10/14/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 91 Points
Pre-1997 Cabs from Santa Cruz Mtns - Berserkers Offline (The Palace Steakhouse, SF): Seems bustling with density of fruit on the nose. Slight dusty baked earth, laden with intense blackcurrant and blackberry,
A bit tannic and also maybe lean on the palate, but I like it.
Super sweet vanillin and toast, slight toasted coconut.
Score: Around 9
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10/14/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Wineberserkers cabernet offline (The Palace, Mission, SF): Aromatic nose with deep black fruits, blackberry, black currant, slight chocolate, has deep dark density on the nose, some minerals; palate is full bodied, excellent acid, deep black fruit, very dense; medium-long finish. This is superb but lacks some of the bordelaise complexity that monte bello can show, but it is a superb balanced california cabernet with decades ahead of it. Still young. 95-96++
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5/4/2015 - JohanEGS Likes this wine: 97 Points
One word: "Damn!".... accompanied with a piece of "hi-end meat" from the BBQ this wine is epic. I have a 2010 at home but that one need some time...
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2/14/2015 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely spectacular! Thank you Matt Kramer for recommending this wine for me to purchase for my son on his birth year. This was my last of 3 bottles. This wine aged beautifully! Enjoyed it with family and friends.
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2/1/2015 - gigmoney Likes this wine:
PnP.
Good but not great. Hollow in the midpalate, but the finish is outstading. These are beginning their decent, and if you don't enjoy tertiary flavors (which I do), drink them up.
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1/23/2015 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
A Ledbury lunch (The Ledbury): Dark, blackcurrant colour with little difference across the three Montebellos (92/96/99). The 92 is a little softer and relatively muted on the nose. Good core of reasonably sweet cassis fruit tempered by an elegance and line. Harmonious. Such a strong family line between three. ****
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12/26/2014 - bh4buffs Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful deep, dark color... very forward fruit on the nose. Rich Cabernet fruit on the palate including dark berries & plums with a slight hint of spice. Finish was smooth & elegant as the bottle had aged perfectly. Excellent accompaniment to Prime Rib, twice baked potatoes, and grilled asparagus for Christmas dinner - 2014.
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12/23/2014 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
There's a bit of roulette involved with 22 year old cali cabs but this one came out on top today - giving one of its very best showings. Complex and pleasing with fruit, a ton of secondary flavors with some orange peel, black and red fruits and a touch of graphite. The total package so much better than the sum of its parts. One of the very best bottles of cal cab that I've had the pleasure to drink.
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12/23/2014 - BaroloRob wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was fantastic. Complex interplay between the cabernet and petit verdot. Long finish.
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11/27/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine. Big, rich and ripe. Layered and complex. Plenty of cassis, damp earth. Long finish.
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11/10/2014 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby with a bricky rim. Nose is clean, floral and fresh bouquet. The palate has dark, black fruit, tannins still there. Complex and therefore difficult to describe.
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9/29/2014 - William Kelley Likes this wine:
Even from a half bottle, the 1992 Monte Bello remains vivid and youthful, bursting from the glass with a bouquet of briary blackberry and wild plum fruit, with nuances of cedar and leather. There seems to be a brett influence here, which adds complexity but also imparts a slightly rustic character to the wine compared to more polished and polite vintages like 1991 or 1996. On the palate this 1992 is still vibrant and firm at the core, with a long, persistent finish. There is absolutely no rush to drink it, but it's offering a lot of interest right now.
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8/30/2014 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Fruit is still great!
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7/25/2014 - alr6767 wrote: 93 Points
Dark color. Nose still has hints of dill, but mostly expressive dark red fruits, violets, and sandalwood. On the palate, there is still good dark fruit, but not ripe and starting to fade to secondary elements of herbs and spice. Round, supple mouth feel but not at all heavy, balanced though I wish there was perhaps a touch more acidity. Finishes long with mostly resolved sweet tannin.
From the list at Golden Sheaf in Harrisburg. The waiter had some problems with the cork, and this had thrown quite a bit of sediment, but otherwise a pristine bottle and a pleasure to drink. Really an individual expression of CA. 13.2%
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6/29/2014 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a half bottle bought at the winery recently. Popped and poured.
Dark red but no sign of bricking. Earth, black fruit, cassis, tobacco. Soft ripe tannins to balance the dark fruit and the acidity. Lots of cassis on the palate and a touch of mint. Still fruit driven but with an elegance to it . Great balance and complexity. If not a wow wine, just short of it. At peak, but could probably last for years considering this was from a half bottle. 92-93p
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5/8/2014 - petitblanc wrote:
No time for detailed notes. While this was a little tough to read and did not necessarily promise future greatness, it is certainly too young right now. This might give some pleasure now with a very long decant, but if I had more I would try holding 8-12 years to see where it goes. Not scored.
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1/5/2014 - BaroloRob wrote: 94 Points
At its peak. Good fruit and long finish. The 9% Petit Verdot is evident in the palate. Would compete with fine bordeaux.
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12/29/2013 - patespo1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I would drink this now, or soon, IMO at its peak
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12/24/2013 - ronte bello Likes this wine: 94 Points
Christmas Eve Dinner: Silky from the first sip, but really opened up after 30 minutes or so. Long peppery finish with rich black cherry fruit.
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12/20/2013 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Big, spicy, minty, rich bouquet, in a classic Californian mold, with some roast, some char. Sweet, lots of mint, juniper berries, and a cool streak of menthol, a big round slug of sweet Cali cab fruit on the attack, followed by brisk acids, good depth, and near perfect balance. Ready to go. Very classy but still a New World style in my book (not a criticism). There's a spicy, piney thing to the fruit that I get from lots of Priorats (must be the oak). My quibble is I'm not sure it's better than the lovely 1992 Ridge Santa Cruz Cab I had recently. 92 or 93 pts.
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12/8/2013 - Ron Slye wrote: 93 Points
Very subdued at first. Nice aromatics of faint berries, saddle leather, hints of iron/blood. Palate quite complex. Soft berries followed by earthy leather, blueberries, Finish goes on and on. Very pleasant.
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11/8/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Deep crimson color. Aromas of black currants, black raspberry, sous bois and herbs- almost weedy. Medium-bodied, with dark fruit and a weedy, vegetal flavor on the palate. Improves quite a bit as it sits, becoming more perfumed and florally in the bouquet, along with a melange of red and black fruits and worn saddle leather. Red fruit- currants, violets, herbs and green tobacco flavors. Long finish; balanced. I guessed "old school" Napa Cab.
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10/30/2013 - robmatic wrote:
Unusual mixture of mature and immature; Still somewhat sturdy while at the same time showing rather lots of tertiary flavors as one would find in a very old wine. May not be a perfect bottle, as the cork was completely brittle and crumbled into a thousand pieces. Still a very nice drink, but we'll see how it holds up the next day.
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10/27/2013 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is my oldest sons birth year wine. Matt Kramer recommended we purchase this wine. A wonderful choice! It is drinking beautifully right now. Thank you Matt!
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9/19/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brought to Angelo's Prime 667 in Albany for dinner with Virgil & Monica. Decanted on the spot. A touch sour on the nose initial, but opens up after 15 minutes. Gorgeous and balanced. Mature but still with beautiful fruit and a long finish. This showed really well tonight. Need to find an occasion to pop that mag.
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7/25/2013 - Lipsman wrote: 93 Points
Still quite young upon opening with dominant flavors of tea, minerality, and tannins. Decant for at least an hour before serving. With decanting it becomes smoother, the tannins recede, and copious fruit emerges. Flavors include black cherries, licorice, tobacco, juicy black berries, tea, and the signature aromas of Monte Bello beets. Well made, completely balanced. This still needs 5 - 8 years of additional cellaring to reach its peak. It has a lot to offer. Try again in 2018.
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6/2/2013 - stiang Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vår tredje flaske, perfekt flaske på The Gilt for to år siden, og en litt sliten halvflaske på Clos Maggiore i februar. Denne var nær flasken på The Gilt. Paulliac med noko attåt. Parfymert, lett på foten og, hold deg fast Andreas Viestad, feminin. Utrolig elegant. Tertiær, men likevel med en klar underliggende frukt av solbær og noe bjørnebær(?). Pen syre og avslepne tanniner. Drikker perfekt nå.
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5/19/2013 - alanr wrote: 96 Points
From a half bottle, library release from the winery two years ago. Very dark color, opaque garnet with some brown tinges, nose is a wonderful melange of truffles, earth, mushrooms, old wood; beautifully developed rich, dark, plummy fruit, great acidity, fine tannins, hints of truffle, roasted mushroom, grilled meat, gorgeous wine. This is really at peak from half bottle, has plenty of life left. I would say that full bottles are still on the upswing, and should easily go another decade before hitting peak and starting down the other side.
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4/14/2013 - depdoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberry aroma, very smooth with little tannin, but still loaded with dark fruit. Full bodied with a long finish.
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4/5/2013 - Wine Trader Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle was in excellent condition. Purchased for $175. Complex flavor profile, kept me interested and searching for nuances. Mature tannins. Memorable experience.
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1/5/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Clumsy handling may have impacted the performance of this bottle. Staff ran through Vinturi despite being told to decant only. Cork came out in many pieces. Decanted through Vinturi and consumed over two hour meal. Medium-dark red color. Beguiling aromatics with cherry, plum, currant, anise, and the beginnings of some cedar and pencil notes. Palate has fully integrated tannins that frame a lush red-fruited wine with cedar and vanilla accents and a licorice note that comes through on a long finish. Satisfying, and to expectations, but not at the level of a bottle a few years ago and I suspect service was involved in the perceived partial miss on this bottle. My favorite of the '90-'92 Monte Bellos, still. Drink or hold.
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12/29/2012 - kiichli wrote:
Cork came out perfectly, and the wonderful aromas charging out of the bottle put a great smile on our faces. Decanted for a little more than an hour. Very youthful. No bricking. Fabulous nose of blackberry, with a bit of leather, tobacco and spice, but mostly dark fruit. Full and velvety in the mouth. A bit of chocolate, but with refreshing acidity and good tannic back-bone.
Best wine I've had in a long time.
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11/11/2012 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ridge Vineyards Post Harvest Celebration Tasting: Medium garnet color with earthy, cassis, black cherry aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, fresh, complex, and balanced with well integrated sweet tannins, and cassis, black cherry, and mineral flavors. Long finish. From 375 ml
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10/22/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Tobacco, cassis, earth and spicy dark berry scents led to a medium/full bodied, tannic wine. It was surprising to find this much tannin in a 20 year old Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine felt dry in the mouth and could be seen as an austere style of Ridge. It shows like it needs more time. but at 20 years of age, it is what it is. Some tasters are clearly going to enjoy this wine more than I did. I sensed the quality, but this blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc did not offer nearly as much pleasure as the 1991.
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10/18/2012 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Served double blind. Very ripe, lush and black fruited. Unlike some of the other cali cabs this evening, not OTT for me but still not really my thing.
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10/12/2012 - tombiro wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic nose out of the bottle, pretty velvety and mid- to full-bodied. Ordered upon recommendation vs. the '86 and happy we did.
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9/29/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical Tasting 1974 - 2008 (Switzerland): Intensive red, a bit more mature than the 1991. Taste of leather and coffee (reminds me of a Pauillac). Sweetness and ripe berry notes, well integrated tannins, balanced and long finish. Drink now - 2025
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9/29/2012 - Billigan wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed this wine over two nights. Gorgeous nose right out of the gate, with a big blend of tobacco, cassis, and floral aromatics and a slight whiff of mint. Even with a long decant, it was still a bit grippy on the palate, with the tobacco of the nose mingling with iron and oak spice flavors. The secondary aromas and tastes truly dominated, even to the point of making me wish there was a little more fruit to balance things out. Everything smoothed out the second night as the wine gave more of a finessed, silky mouthfeel. Clearly, twenty years of age was not enough, and it would be fun to try this beauty in another 5, 10, or 15 years to see what else it might reveal.
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9/17/2012 - aajder wrote: 94 Points
A beautiful classy bouquet of redcurrant, leather, cedar, and graphite introduce this fine wine. On the palate, she is medium full in body with great concentration to the flavors of redcurrants, berries, and cedar. In addition, there is great structure here, with excellent sophisticated tannins and medium high acidity. A graceful beauty of elegance, class and sophistication. Drinking beautifully!
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8/12/2012 - Michael Moore wrote: 95 Points
WOTN against Rudd, B&H Heavyweight and Ramey Jericho..all 2001's
Holding out great!
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4/18/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux like nose and complexity with Calif fruit. This bottle aged beautifully - Ridge ages as well as any Calif wine.
Classic Ridge flavors, black fruit, cedar, tobacco, floral nose. Big mouthfeel but very elegant.This bottle opened up pretty quickly, was showing well after 15 minutes hitting stride in about an hour. Would decant for an hour with next bottle.
Would have been WOTN but drank this next to a 1990 Lynch Bages which was unbeatable. This wine still has years ahead of it, drinking beautifully right now
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3/31/2012 - Kitsap Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and drank over the next 3 hours. It was WOTN against several '89 and '90 Bordeaux. Beautiful nose followed by a rich, complex, balanced taste. I would say that the wine is at its prime and could be drunk over the next 5 to 10 years.
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3/18/2012 - Lordswood wrote: 94 Points
Double-decanted 4 hours in advance and still took its time to open up. Initially very Cabernet Sauvignon character, but all came into beautiful balance when drunk with pork cooked with oranges and jerusalem artichokes (!). Then it was powerful but subtle, exciting and lively, long and gorgeous.
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3/17/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 94 Points
Need about one hour to open up, not decanted, 2nd time tasting this vintage in the last 2 months, both good. i was struck both times by how elegant yet powerful this wine was. The nose is classic Bordeaux with lots of complexity, tannins are quite well integrated but there is still a lot of life left in this wine, probably many years. becoming a big fan of Ridge now.
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12/26/2011 - zimmy07 wrote:
upon opening smelled a bit dead and upon first taste was shut down and borderline over the hill. With about an hour of air this thing was humming. Massive floral nose with ripe berries, tobacco, and some cedar. really impressed with the structure and the sweet fruits. Holding amazing well for 19years
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12/3/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 94 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): ’92 MB– Sensational wine to start the evening. Slow o’d and only half the bottle remaining on arrival. Fantastic flamboyant inviting nose with tell-tale Montebello character—green pepper, tobacco leaf, mint/eucalyptus. Fleshy, lively mouthfeel, with great depth and complexity adding a long mocha finish. This is really just starting to come into it’s own. On par with the ’90 and still a step behind the ’94 though the oak was more tactful this year.
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11/19/2011 - Vintomas wrote: 94 Points
Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Masterclass at the Decanter Fine Experience (Landmark Hotel, London): Deep red colour, slightly faded at the edge.
Nose with noticeable barnyard notes, ripe fruit with blackcurrants, plum compote, dried spices, sweetish and nuanced. Very similar to the nose of a developed Bordeaux, possibly with some right bank character. Slightly more sweetish nose than the 1995.
Full bodied -, palate with ripe dark berries, quite noticeable tannins but of a softened character, spicy, quite concentrated aromas.
Accessible, nuanced, but still rather young! 94-95 p
From half bottle! And it is so great that I awarded my highest score of the tasting here! Wow!
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11/19/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 94 Points
Decanter Ridge Vineyards Masterclass (Landmark Hotel London): Deep garnet colour. Mature nose with inky black fruit and minerals. Beautiful palate with damson, nutty and spicy flavors, and toast from oak. Velvety texture and mellowed structure.
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11/12/2011 - vcerf wrote: 93 Points
Discovered 3 bottles of 1992 Ridge Montebello in the cellar. Opened and ran thru Vinturi - less fruit than in previous tastings but still remarkably robust. Pronounced tannins but softened with even 15 minutes delay after decanting. Black fruits, leather, mineral/flint edge. nose is parsimonious but palate very pleasing.
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10/10/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
80% Cab Sauv, 11% Merlot, 9% Cab Franc.
Cork is in good condition. Color shows slight signs of age but still a deep rich purple black hue as a whole.
Nose shows a promising aroma of anise driven blackberries, plums, figs and dates as well as some strong iron and volcanic soil.
The weight on the tongue is excellent. Masculine but royal and elegant. Some serious finesse and supple action on the back end.
The finish has some heat still showing though the label only says 13.4% alcohol.
An excellent vintage of Monte Bello still showing fairly well. Though the heat may die down over the next few years, a lot of the fruit has been replaced by mineral and rock driven aromatics and flavors.
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9/5/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wow. Last time I had this wine four years ago I thought it was slightly going over the hill. If that was the case I was wrong. Tonight -- a depth of color, luminescence with only slight bricking at the rim. On the nose: leather, animal, cedar but with a core of red and black fruit. On the palate: the definition of umami. Rich, succlent, graceful, full of verve. It drank like water. In a word, wonderful and a treat. I would guess that it is at its absolute peak. Had side by side with a 2000 Gruard Larose (another wonderful wine), which was clearly outclassed by the Monte Bello. But somehow I managed to love them both. Cheers!
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9/3/2011 - danstrings wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Fall Release Party (Monte Bello Vineyard): 80% cab, 11% merlot, 9% PV. Effusive nose of crushed stone/charcoal, tar and mushroomy loamy earth. Some of that dried berry, dusty cavey goodness. Tannic and still youthful. Nice.
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9/3/2011 - kosinski wrote:
Ridge Fall Release Celebration (Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard): Poured from magnum. I hate to be the odd man out here, but I found little to rave about. The nose was very mushroomy and fungal, with some leather as well. On the palate the wine was thin and acidic with red currant fruit in the background. Nice soft tannins consistent with a wine of this age. I never would have guessed this was an aged Monte Bello. Very disappointing.
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8/28/2011 - dontime wrote: 94 Points
Consumed at The Vineyards Wine Company with family in celebration of Tyler's baptism.
Decanted 30 minutes prior to drinking. Beautiful wine expressing all of the nuances of a well made, aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderful nose of cherry and mushrooms. Very smooth on the palate with more red cherries, cassis, mushrooms, licorice and chocolate. Just a touch of tannins.
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8/21/2011 - essconsults wrote: 94 Points
A very good to excellent bottle, which blossomed over a three hour period, and therefore was probably consumed several years too early, especially given it's exceptional bouquet. In marked contrast to my previous two bottles, this was dark, still showing slightly unresolved tannins, albeit silky ones, and was just a bit monolithic on the mid-palate and finish which was a bit shorter than ideal. Still elegant, with cassis, tobacco, currants, and a whiff of volatile acidity. A classic "old-fashioned" California cab. Must buy more.
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8/6/2011 - Michael Davidson Likes this wine:
Very nice wine. Evolved over the course of a few hours. Started off leather on the nose, red fruit on the palate. Ended eucalyptus on the nose and muted black fruit on the palate. Lots of earth throughout, fine tanins on the finish. Not a long finish, but very enjoyable cab. In a nice spot.
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7/23/2011 - Sijan wrote: 93 Points
Delicious and amazing. Very expressive nose. We popped & poured, and it was great straight out of the bottle. Nicely balanced layers of red & dark fruit and earth/tobacco/cedar.
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7/12/2011 - Rupert wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello 1981-1999 (Gauthier Soho): Smooth, a lactic tone, more volatile than the preceding bottles, and hotter too, with the berries more prominent
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7/12/2011 - rayq wrote:
Monte Bello Cabernet Offline (Gauthier London): This is the most 'classic' of the flight. Most like the 98 from the first flight.
Seems more Bordeaux than California. Again really lovely wine.
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6/14/2011 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Dark red-violet, very young looking. Aromas are slow to open, but in two hours giving cassis, licorice, cedar chest and a dusting of a complex spice cabinet. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. Fairly stout wild red currants on the palate (quite intense) with some bell pepper and olive. Finishes with very long, fruit and herb and tannin balance. Old fashioned cabernet, low alcohol. Quite young at 19 years old but drinking well. Bottle #5 of six.
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3/31/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
At sabrinas
Currant paste, pebble, sage, tobacco and pencil lead. Silky tannins, lovely finish and nice body. Youthful and truly lively, with the secondary nuances in full-swing at the same time. Not Bordeaux, not Napa; pure Santa Cruz. Drink now - 2018.
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3/12/2011 - lowereastscott wrote: 93 Points
Spontaneous Mini Ridge Monte Bello Vertical (Home): 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)
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1/18/2011 - don_quichotte wrote: 92 Points
Still incredibly fresh and primary. Black fruits, some understated cabernet "earth". Needs at least 5 more years to go from dapper youngster to sophisiticated statesman.
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1/7/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 95 Points
Friday Dinner at Crown Wine Cellars (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Purple-tinged and completely opaque black/red colour. Nose is charcoal-ish, still fresh-sawn box wood, everything is still very young, briarberries fruit. Palate is WOW! wonderful matured blackberry with great pureness and cassis intensity....almost like Ribena concentrate in a bottle from my childhood. Gorgeous fresh, vibrant acidity. Perfectly balanced and resolved but still with a stout spine of tannin to keep everything in place. Like a lean but elegant Lafite. Very complete. Understated length and resonance that just goes on and on and on. Just has that extra sophistication over the Dominus 1992 and Pahlmeyer 1996 we drank alonside it. Continued to improve even 5 hours after opening. Gosh.......95+.
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12/21/2010 - yofog wrote: 94 Points
Young and intense, cassis and tobacco. Lively and fresh.
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11/2/2010 - jmguidi wrote: 96 Points
near perfect wine
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10/30/2010 - CWilliam wrote:
I have not had enough experience with wines over 15+ years of age to rate. Given CT comments, decanted for 2+ hours - wine looked young (clear around the edges with a touch of brown and mostly dark red) - On nose, cassis, cedar and faint touch of red licorice. On palate, medium body, surprisingly vibrant acidity and consistent with the nose - very long finish and tannins were well integrated. 92-94 if rating the wine today. Very enjoyable.
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9/26/2010 - yhn wrote: 92 Points
Nose - deep cedary black currant with a higher toned funky tobacco.
Classic cedary black currant, touch of iodine and green chile, dark gritty/dusty tannin.
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9/15/2010 - gregwood wrote: 88 Points
B+, tasted in vertical with 92/94/96. Amazing that it held up as well as it did.
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6/20/2010 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
Nose - warm oak spiced plum, deep, soy.
Deep dusty black plum, soy, firm and heavy, touches of black currant and cedar, hints of tobacco and funk.
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6/20/2010 - P W BLACK wrote: 95 Points
A truly wonderful wine. Not nearly as much fruit as most CA cabs I've had, but very well balanced. Soft & velvety with a nice pleasing long finish.
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5/29/2010 - brl75 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fabulous. Fruit, tannin and acidity are all perfectly balanced, drinking well now. Wonderful notes of chocolate and dark fruits. Remarkably similar to a great vintage of Lynch-Bages. Had it with steak au poivre and it was a perfect combination.
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5/25/2010 - reichken wrote: 91 Points
drunk next to a great bottle of palmer from the 80's which was a mistake as this bottle of ridge still very young full of fresh california fruit , mint and euculyptus. full lush and long. very good bottle but would have shown even more not next to a fantastic maturing claret
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5/10/2010 - veniceslug1 wrote: 95 Points
Young. Long and complex. Started off showing high acid behind a little fruit and finished with oak notes. As it opened up showed greater length and complexity.
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5/6/2010 - yhn wrote: 95 Points
Nose - nice mature cedary plum and black currant. Dark and deep.
Smoky, carmelized plum, good minerality, black currant, dusty sweet oak. Drink now-'30.
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5/1/2010 - JoeDwine wrote: 94 Points
very alive...Olive, Graphite, wet earth/rocks, cigar box...slight pickle, touch of sweetness.
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4/24/2010 - spineguy wrote: 87 Points
Dark nose almost old world. Tannins nicely integrated now and still has lots of life. Some pepper on palate. Docked it a few points considering its price point. Maybe I did not give the wine a fair chance as only decanted for one hour prior to dinner and beginning consumption.
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10/6/2009 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 1972-2003 (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Tasted single blind in 1972-1992 flight. Black cherry and blackberry on nose. Same fruit on palate, very big, ripe, and primary, well situated in front of powerful and bold tannins. overall well structured for a long-term cellar hold.
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10/6/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Monte Bello Vertical 72-03 (Ken's house, northbrook IL): nose: lovely restrained and classy nose with pretty tones of black currants, cedar, bits of tobacco, black cherries, and some tones of perfumes. This was coming off rather tight for me and just didn't seem to want to give it a full go
taste: classy medium/full feel with good tannins. Lovely tones of cedar, menthol, tobacco, black cherries and bits of dark berries blend well together. Comes off as understated on the palate with really good depth and medium+ acidity
overall: my no6, group's no2. To me this just didn't seem fully ready for primetime, or at least it wasn't giving me its all in the glass. Following up the 91 was a hard act to follow and this was rather taught for me in both the glass and on the palate. It needs a real good decant or more time sideways as the color on it wasn't really showing much age to it, and there was certainly no way to guess that this was about to turn 17 years old if the vintage wasn't known
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6/30/2009 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Ridge Monte Bello vertical 1964 - 2002 (Institute of Directors, London): Minty nose, chocolate on the palate, plush, but dull
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5/30/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Harmonious, integrated, and throughly fun to drink. And throughly great wine as well -- we drank it with a Latour '93 and a Mouton '96 and I felt this was the most exciting of the set.
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5/29/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Waterford slides to Hinterland. (Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub, Milwaukee): Decanted 4.5 hours. the center is barely opaque and the edge just a hint of browning. really doesn't look 17 years old. very present blackberry expression on the nose and that elegant anise acting as the choir director to make everything else sing. iron and definitely a hint of potpourri. soon iron and granite dominate the nose and surely whafts of cinnamon just before my first taste. delicate touch in the mouth. what tender tannin and delicate fruit on the palate. the violet is so present on the finish. what a beauty.
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4/29/2009 - nerraw7591 wrote: 95 Points
i concur.......... this is a fantastic example of a great California cab.
i've had it from a 750 ml and from a magnum & it does not disappoint.
OH CONTRAIRE ! Dark color, cassis & spices, and ripe tannins make for an ethereal glass of vino .............. a heavenly wine !!!
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4/11/2009 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Damned good bottle of Calif cab. Pretty much everything you want, but not either too heavy or too ripe - over the top. All the standard flavors / descriptors for these kinds of wines, went great with the ribeye...
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2/19/2009 - JJL wrote: 93 Points
The older Ridge's are always a pleasure to drink. While I feel the '91 is the best of the bunch, the '92 is similar in style, but with a little less fruit (relatively speaking as these are not fruit bombs). As usual, takes about 90 minutes for the wine to really open up and then drinks well for the next few hours. Leather, earth and graphite on the nose, sour cherry and plums on the palate with a long dry finish. A great american version of a Bordeaux blend.
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1/1/2009 - raydawgone wrote: 90 Points
Black currant, worn leather & cherry tobacco. Hint of dark chocolate on long finish. Refined & old-world.
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10/5/2008 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
Oak with pizza-decanted 5 hours, great balance, very youthful, wine of night
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8/27/2008 - FieldingYost wrote: 93 Points
Dominated by sweet cassis from the opening bell. On the nose, the palate; you could smell it from accross the table on the first pour. Amazing purity and persistance here, and also very generous and plush for a Monte Bello. Still enough tannin to support a long, caressing finish. This wine is peaking (if it hasn't, in fact, already peaked), and will hold out for perhaps some time yet, but I see no reason to wait.
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7/16/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Tasted with Ridge Monte Bello '80, '90, '91, '92, '94, '96 (corked), '99, '00, '01 (in magnum). Quite a lovely night one might say.
My favorites of the night were the '90 and '99. But just barely. Meaning that every vintage seem to show the magnificence of this site, all were worthy of appreciation. All the wines showed dark black fruits, a certain tobacco anise-ness and precise purity of acids and tannins. The younger the wines were the more black fruit, the less tobbacco. All bottles were still viable and drinkable.
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5/30/2008 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Ridge Monte Bello Tasting (The Wine Summit, Lake Louise, Alberta): 80% CS, 11% M, 9% PV – 13.4% ALC.
From 22 separate small tanks – 40% held back– isolating the less intense wines from the final blend.
Very dark ruby in colour; cleaner nose than the ’88 – more expression of pure currant fruit – sweet smoke; round and full on the palate; excellent acidity; supple and balanced on a firm structure; sweet black currant berry fruit, slightly tart in a pleasing way; very long finish with the fruit dominating – still a few soft tannins to resolve. At 15 years of age this wine still has some excellent potential for longevity and evolving bouquet and flavour nuances
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5/30/2008 - ewineguy wrote: 94 Points
The Wine Summit at The Post Hotel in Lake Louise Alberta Canada was fortunate to have Mr. Paul Draper as one of the presenters. After taking us all down a brief but interesting trip down memory lane, Mr Draper lead us trough a technical tasting of 8 Monte Bellos covering a range or 23 years. Draper explained 75% cab, 11% merlot, 10 % petit verdot, and 4 % cab franc. Dark inky purple in the glass and very viscous on the glass. I got the licorice before Paul mentioned it and it had an earthy smell that was plaeasant like right after a rain. In the mouth, I was still trying to get the fruit others had mentioned but got pepper, mineral, and maybe a mild pomegranate taste. This was a really nice unique wine. No I did not spit this one and it was only about 11:20 am.
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4/8/2008 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
IWFSC 734th Dinner (Spiaggia): Wow, I thought the barolo would be the easy WOTN and I did not expect this to show nearly so well. Full deep black purple color. Spactacular nose of cassis and spicy candied red fruit. Nice rich sweet black fruit on the palate with pencil lead and good acidity. Drinking at its peak, I would guess. Delicious.
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3/14/2008 - reichken wrote: 95 Points
Drunk at the Hawksmoor at lunch with lots of clarets and steaks.Decanted for 2 hours.Big dark wine, nose of black fruits and some sweet spice, drank well with the clarets as it doesnt have the same kind of dry tanins, finer and sweeter, very lush and full.lacks some of the finish length of some of the other wines we had that lunch but very good
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2/28/2008 - joshwoodward wrote: 95 Points
Candied nose. Bright, fruity, decent acidity. Very big, huge. Light smokiness. Still juicy. Red berries. Tastes young - still not ready?? Good food wine. Chocolate. Plum.
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1/26/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 94 Points
Garnet with a hint of orange at the rim. Nose initially was shy, but over the course of the evening it slowly opened up, like a rose bud. Black fruits, spices, tobacco. Taste was simial, black fruits, spices, a hint of licorice. It gave a 95 Angelus a run for its money. Wonderful.
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10/25/2007 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
Drunk at Hawksmooe
decanted for an hour and eaten with areally goood rib eye. dark purple wine with a huge nose of dark purple fruits, licorce and minty eucalyptus. in the mouth big thick viscous wine, really wakes you up, blackberries and currants and really fills mouth up from front to back..very long finish..this wine got better and better over lunchand i cant wait to see what it is like in 10yrs
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4/17/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 92 Points
Shamefully drank this during a nice dinner, pop and poured in the decanter. Like taking a baby from the womb at 6 months. Still tight, and wow the tannins are a strong pucker up finish after a explosion of fruit and flavors in the palate. Yummy. This is a great wine, still in it's youth. Hands off for 5 years plus.
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3/5/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly youthful and still rather tight. Chocolate, licorice, slightly musty cedar and dark fruits. Full bodied with just the enough tannin to give texture and grip. Needs another 5-7 years to show its best. My rating reflects my waning interest in Cab based wines and the quality of the Littorai One Acre Pinot tasted at the same time.
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2/15/2007 - CMCLR wrote: 97 Points
This was by far the wine of the trip. We opened the 2002 Insignia at the same time and I had a strong preference for the Monte Bello. It's why we age good Cab. Perfect balance, good use of the cab franc, etc... i think it's a "bargain" at $125 per bottle.
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4/22/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 92 Points
Atlanta Off-line with Ron Kramer (Bones Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Not decanted? Rich dark cassis and dark chocolate nose that I couldn’t get enough of. Youthfull, dark cassis flavors with vanilla and deep mocha layered nicely with substantial depth. Supple, full, and round body with slightly chalky and still prominent tannins that expanded nicely on the mid-palate with a vigorous finish. This continued to open up the longer it was in the glass and still has plenty of life ahead. This very rich, fruit forward and oak infused California Cab stands in amazing contrast to the more earthy, dense, mineral driven 1990 Monte Bello.
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1/23/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 88 Points
The Full Monte - 35 Year Monte Bello Vertical (Alba Restaurant, London): 80% CS, 11% M, 9% PV, 13.4% Alcohol
Slightly unclean nose, almost as if the brett is masking the fruit too, a bit thin, competent but uninspiring
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11/2/2005 - jhngo wrote: 96 Points
Ridge's Montebello is a delicious wonderfully balanced wine. Even for its age, it's nose had a freshness rather than musty and damp. It was a well rounded wine with very tame tannins and good concentration of fruit. This vintage was more expressive and expansive than the 94 mag. This wine still lacks what most of the big Harlans, Bryants and Colgin have... a big long lasting finish.
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3/26/2005 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
Classic Ridge flavor, fine tannins, very good depth and acidity. Very nice
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5/19/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby red. Almost Chateauneuf-like on the nose with hints of dark berries and cassis, but more so Cardamom and Cinnamon. Tight core, yet with excellently defined fruit with delicious sweetness of flavour and rich intensity. A superb wine that would have merited a score in the upper ninetees had it it not been for a somewhat lean and tart finish. In all other respects a great wine.
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10/10/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 95 Points
80% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot
Mature colour. Very good nose - lots of interest, with some farmyard and lots of brambly fruit. Superb mouthfeel. Excellent fruit on the palate. Very good structure and quite multi-dimensional. Excellent.
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1/23/2002 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Historic note (recorded Aug 06). Purple/black on pouring with a dense, opaque core of red. Massive extraction. Rather closed nose despite a triple decant but hints of mulberries, wood smoke (hickory?) and a bit of tobacco. Ripe cassis flavours but very tight; Bordeaux restraint rather than Californian openness. Eucalyptus on the nose after an hour or so and flavour is a bit more forthcoming but still very closed. Great potential - possibly a 96 score - but I wouldn't touch this again until after 2010.
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