1975 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello

Community Tasting Notes (13) Avg Score: 94.1 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View kkazaks's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/26/2022 - kkazaks Likes this wine: 96 Points

  HTMS fill.
  
  Opened at home to ensure not corked. Quite fragrant, aromas of red fruits and wood and earth. Flavors of fruits, black olive, orange tea.
  
  An hour later at the restaurant (not decanted) the olive quaility faded away and became more of a distinct savory tapestry.
  
  Most of impressive of all was how with time the wine showcased a direct sense of sweet ripe fruit, while remaining dry.
  
  11.9% alcohol. 96% CS, 4% Merlot.
  
  If you have a bottle, enjoy - in a wonderful spot.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View MC2 Wines's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/2/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote: flawed

  Ridge Monte Bello Retrospective (Porter House): Corked as well. Pity, but if you're going to do a tasting with the number of old wines we were tasting it was likely you'd get at least one.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View DaleW's profile
  • Report Issue

  10/25/2021 - DaleW wrote:

  Corked. Damn, I opened because Craig said he’s like to try since his last one was corked.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View asteff's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/2/2021 - asteff wrote: 98 Points

  Was in amazing shape. Just fantastic in every way- such a wonderful nose and long mesmerizing finish.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Purple Grillz's profile
  • Report Issue

  8/17/2017 - Purple Grillz Likes this wine: 91 Points

  I have had Monte Bello before I understood what Paul Draper does with this wine. I was a fan of Lytton Springs, and Zins so I foolishly cracked a young Monte Bello. These wines are unrelenting beasts of acidity, tannins, and mouth puckering astringency. I finally gave this wine the respect it deserves. I bought a bottle old as me and drank some on my birthday.
  
  I don't think I will ever think a Monte Bello is delicious, it just seems that from the young ones I tried and the this one, they are just too subtle for my palate. Their acidity is so front and center without any black fruit, animal, cocoa, herbs, backbone that it's hard for me to love them. It's just an absolute party of sumac, rose petals, pomegranate, incense, and cured lemons that it begs to be drank with food. And we had it with freshly made stuffed grape leaves and summer tomatoes and Labna, it was a beautiful meal! I just can't wrap my head around paying the kind of money this juice costs when it's only enjoyable with food.
  
  I do see the quality of the wine making, 42 years old and it's still doing what it's much younger versions are doing but in a more harmonious way. The tannins have melted, the acidity has mellowed and whole has become greater than the sum of the parts.
  
  I also learned that he studied with Chateau Latour in some capacity before starting Ridge so I picked up a bottle of 1970 Latour and 1975 Les Forts and not surprisingly they both absolutely took Monte Bello apart. As they should but I did see the DNA of longevity. All 3 wines were so fresh, not a hint of tiring any time soon, all 3 were lively after 2 days of oxygen. If you can find a 75 Monte Bello in good condition, try one. They should all be drank soon.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 13 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.