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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 (...
Wine Information
BLEND: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot
ALC: 13.2%
VINTAGE 1996 REPORT: The harvest of 1996 supports the idea that low yields result in high-quality wines. The year began with two huge storms, one in mid-January and the other in March, each unleashing over ten inches of rain in a few short days. Rainfall for the year exceeded sixty-four inches, and storm-driven winds in excess of ninety-five miles per hour gusted acros...
