Ridge Vineyards - Monte Bello - Cabernet Sauvignon

At this early stage, the 2015 Monte Bello is all about potential. The wine unfurls in the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, ripe plums, espresso roast, black tea, and baking chocolate, lavishly framed by minty, spicy new oak, which is often at its most prominent at exactly this stage, when the wine is shutting down after bottling. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep, and concentrated, with rich, velvety tannins and beautifully succulent, even tangy acidity that lends amazing lift on the finish. The most obvious analogy is the 2005 vintage, though it also evokes a more elegant version of the 1995 Monte Bello. It's a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.5% natural alcohol. Since the wine appears to be shutting down, I'd recommend forgetting it until its tenth birthday. Given its structure and balance, it should enjoy remarkable longevity.