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Wine Description
The Story
In 1886, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first Monte Bello vineyards were planted, and winery construction begun. A first vintage from the young vines followed in 1892. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the vineyard was not fully maintained; some vines survived into the late 30s, but by the 1940s they were effectively abandoned. Eight acres of cabernet sauvignon were replanted in 1949. These were the source of the first Ridge Monte Bello (1962) and subsequent vintages until 1974 when younger blocks replanted in the 1960s were considered for inclusion. Since then, the historic vineyards on the ridge have gradually been replanted.
The Monte Bello (originally Monte Bello Cabernet; until 1975, 100% cabernet) is the wine that introduced Ridge to the world, and the world to Ridge. Today it is a blend of bordeaux varietals in which cabernet sauvignon still predominates. Exhaustive tasting of test blends during assemblage determines how much — if any — merlot, petit verdot, or cabernet franc will be included in the finished wine. Almost every vintage (an unbroken chain from '62 on) has something substantive to recommend it. Each decade has its high points, but year after year Monte Bello proves to be a consistently outstanding wine. There's structure, there's complexity, there's balance. And it develops for a long, long time.
The vineyards are grown organically.
Ridge wine is made with an emphasis on quality and naturalness that is rarely attempted. Our grapes are grown in select vineyards (usually identified on the label), where they are left to ripen to peak maturity, often at some loss of quantity. We let the wine settle and age in small barrels, with only rare cellar treatment other than racking. Varieties are not blended unless so indicated on the label. Near Black Mountain on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto, 15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation.
Wine Information
BLEND: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
ALC: 13.1%
VINTAGE 1985 REPORT: The ten distinct blocks of the Monte Bello Vineyard are made separately. After secondary fermentation, we begin a series of blind tastings to determine which are of the quality and character we require for our estate wine. In 1985, 45% of the production was not included in the Monte Bello. (These softer wines will be released as Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet.) In this rich, complex Monte Bello the tannins are firm but round. By achieving balance without affecting the underlying structure, we have made a twenty-five-year wine of superb quality.
PRESS:
Wine Spectator (June 2019): 95 Points. “The 1985 Monte Bello shows an old-school edge, leading off with dark olive and bay notes. It’s a smoky-eyed beauty as it moves through, showing dried flower, mulled red currant and black cherry fruit and a long, suave finish carried by mouthwatering sanguine and chalk notes. It’s at its peak for me.” – James Molesworth
The Wine Advocate (May 2018): 93 Points. “As it approaches age 33, the 1985 Monte Bello is also at its peak—and at its best, this is capable of challenging the 1984 for the title of vintage of the decade. The wine wafts from the glass with aromas of minty cassis, raspberries, wild plums, loamy soil and sweet cigar box. On the palate, it’s fully mature, with melted tannins and a nice girdle of acidity that carries through the long finish. The 1984 is more concentrated and powerful, but the 1985 is an elegant middle-weight with beautifully melting tannins that should hold for a decade in a cold cellar. It’s a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot that attained 13.1% natural alcohol.” – William Kelley
The Wine Advocate (October 2016) 92 Points: – “Made from 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the 1985 Mont Bello hit 13.1% natural alcohol, which is a ripe vintage for this estate. Today, it is fully mature and drinking at point, with complex, nuanced notes of tobacco leaf, spice box, underbrush and mature dark fruits. Classy, balanced and with no hard edges, drink this beauty over the coming 4-5 years.” -Jeb Dunnuck
