| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | U.S.A. > California |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Stunning depth, power, purity and elegance. The blackcurrants and plums are fresh and intense on the nose with blueberries and gently herbal notes, too. The palate has a keenly articulated array of vibrant tannins that hold long, fresh and pure. It invokes a sense of wonderment at the finish. So long and so pure. This blend of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot, seven per cent petit verdot and five percent cabernet franc, is just at the start of a wonderful journey. Try from 2021.
A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is unquestionably going to be one of monumental vintages of this wine. Deep, incredibly concentrated, and powerful, yet also textured and perfectly balanced, this beauty gives up a huge nose of cassis, plums, spice box, graphite, and vanilla bean. With full-bodied richness on the palate, it starts out tight and firm yet blossoms with time in the glass (I followed this bottle for multiple days) and has an awesome mid-palate, building yet perfectly ripe tannins, and a rock star finish. It's about as classic a Monte Bello as they come and will require 4-6 years of bottle age (or more) and shine for three decades or more.
One sip of the 2015 Ridge Monte Bello and you are immediately transported to California. A very elegant version of California red wine, that is, so unmistakably Ridge from start to finish. The product of an excellent growing season and a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Ridge Monte Bello has it all.
Deep vibrant ruby colour. Perfumed, penetrating aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, coffee, and graphite are complemented by a luscious note of cassis and of eucalyptus. Refreshing, well-integrated acidity carries the flavours of dark berries, ripe plum, Christmas spices, minerals, tobacco and candied violet on the long lifted and nobly tannic back end. This is a fantastic Monte Bello, one of California’s best-known and most famous wines (it was first produced in 1962, and some of its original blocks planted already back in1886; the 1971 vintage placed fifth in the legendary 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting organized by Steven Spurrier) that stands out in a very long lineup of magical wines, so that in itself tells you how great the 2015 is. Drinking window: 2024- 2035.
At this early stage, the 2015 Monte Bello is all about potential. I followed a bottle over several days and only witnessed improvement. 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.
