Ridge - Monte Bello - Cabernet Sauvignon
97 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
96 points - The Wine Advocate
96 points - The Wine Advocate
Ridge - Monte Bello - Cabernet Sauvignon
97 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
96 points - The Wine Advocate
96 points - The Wine Advocate
Regular price€456.00
€456.00
/
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
I tasted the 2018 Monte Bello as a finished barrel sample during the annual Ridge Monte Bello Tasting Final Assemblage event; the blend was 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 11% Petite Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
It has a medium to deep ruby-purple colour and youthfully primary nose with boysenberry, blueberry jam, blackcurrant, dark chocolate-covered cherries, cigar box, graphite, loamy earth and oodles of floral character.
The palate is medium to full-bodied and packed full of flavour layers, knit by very fine, ripe, pixelated tannins and great freshness and finishing very long.
The 2017 Monte Bello is ultra powerful and concentrated, unfurling over the several days it was open to reveal rich cassis, roast plums, tar, aniseed and exotic spices.
What sets the palate apart is its purity: though incredibly layered, it offers a kaleidoscopic journey from blackcurrant to tobacco and dried flowers, offering continual sparks of flavour long after the wine has been swallowed.
Structurally, it has firm but ripe tannins and seamless freshness to dictate a very long life in the cellar.
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.
The 2012 Monte Bello is a beauty, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of plums, blackberries, bitter chocolate, black truffles, cigar tobacco and hints of crème de cassis. Its new oak is already well integrated.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, richly tannic, and very deep, with a layered, concentrated core of fruit framed by chalky, fine-grained tannins. The 2012 is still quite youthfully chewy at this early stage, but there's a certain lavishness to its ripe blackberry fruit that suggests this will be a dramatic, even decadent Monte Bello in the style of the 2002 when it reaches maturity.
Late September heat made for a record-setting harvest in only 16 days. The 2012 is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
Type: |
Red |
Country: |
USA |
Region: |
California |
Appellation: |
Santa Cruz Mountains |
Producer: |
Ridge Vineyards |
Grapes/Blend: |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot |
ABV: |
13.5% |
Pairing Sugesstions: |
Beef, Lamb, Game Birds, Grilled Meats, Duck, Mushroom, Fresh Herbs and Aromatic Dishes, Pasta Dishes, Salads, Blue Cheese, Manchego |
Local Delivery
We have a fleet of vans that deliver throughout the French and Italian Riviera, rates calculated based on distance at cart stage. Option to book time and date.
For deliveries further afield, please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
France / Monaco
1 - 2 working days delivery in France, for orders placed before 2pm.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
EU - Mainland
1 - 3 day delivery throughout mainland EU, for orders placed before 2pm. Allow an extra day for islands.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
Rest of the World
Please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
