Ridge Vineyards have made a stunning 2019 Monte Bello. It comes from a warm, but not hot, year in Northern California, where the long growing season created exceptional complexity in the grapes. “Insanely beautiful” is how Antonio Galloni described the Monte Bello from barrel. He rates the finished wine 98 points.
Monte Bello is one of the few wines that can justifiably be called a classic. Widely regarded as one of the world’s best Cabernet blends, the wine is made today in same way as the first vintage in 1962.
The fruit comes from a single vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains, where high altitude and proximity to the ocean help create the characteristic elegance of Monte Bello. In the winery, each vineyard parcel is vinified and matured separately. Winemaker Paul Draper and his team with carefully taste each lot many times before the final wine is assembled.
The result is a wine of extraordinary complexity and finesse. Jancis Robinson calls Ridge Monte Bello “the finest Californian Cabernet” – and many would agree. It has always been very reasonably priced, particularly when you consider the sky high prices in parts of Napa, and indeed Bordeaux.
Ridge Monte Bello deserves a place in any cellar, and the 2019 vintage is superb.
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