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Ridge Monte Bello 2007

Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, United States

Ridge Vineyards
Santa Cruz United States
  • 94
    Points
  • The 1 360 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 5 Pros of
    5 recommend
    this wine
82 94
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    371

  • Producer ranking ?

    17

  • Decanting time

    3h

  • When to drink

    2025-2040

  • Food Pairing

    Roasted venison & Grilled Entrecôte

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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 (...

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Wine Information

BLEND: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

ALC: 13.1%

 

WINEMAKING:

Harvest Dates: 8 October - 8 November
Grapes: Average Brix 24.1˚
Fermentation: Gentle destemming, and full crush in the sixty-three separately-fermented lots. Natural-yeast primary and secondary fermentations. Pressed at seven to ten days.
Barrels: 96% new, air-dried american oak, 4% new french oak (for comparison)
Time in Ba...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

The 2007 shows noticeable mature notes of alder and tobacco wafting up from the core of mulled berry fruit, while sage and sassafras notes lend a perfume to the finish. It’s here at age 12 that the wine really seems to start unwinding into its secondary phase. – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 94p (June 2019)

 

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  • 94p
It is important to mention, that the wine was tasted after four hours of decanting, and then tasted in a big Riedel Bordeaux glass. This is the proper way to enjoy a young Montebello. It’s still very young, dense and dark and almost opaque. The nose is loaded with dark and ripe black currant and cherry fruit, still youthful and far from being developed or even open. It’s only with experience of wines such as this one can predict or at least imagine what will come out of it when the wines reach its first stage of maturity. I mentioned that the oak always is extremely well integrated, and it is. However, you’ll find some sweet vanilla notes as well a just a spicy touch of the oak, and I guess these notes will be absorbed by the fruit in some years as the wine opens up. On the palate, its intense and youthfully sweet but marked with a huge structure of (ripe) tannins and mineral. This vintage is a blend of 79 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, ten percent Merlot, nine percent Petit Verdot and just two percent of Cabernet Franc. Grapes are harvested at approximately 24 Brix, which explains the moderate alcohol lever, only 13.1 percent by volume. “Any alcohol lever higher than that is by intention”, says winemaker Paul Draper and adds that hign alcohol has nothing to do with global warming, or the California sunshine and warm climate. Vinification I simple, fully destemmed grapes, about ten days of natural yeast fermentation and maceration, followed by 18 months in completely new American oak barrels. The wines is then clarified with egg whites, then bottled. Even though it tastes pretty good already today, wines like this always gains finesse and complexity with age, and it would be a kind of waist to pop the cork now. Be patient and you’ll be rewarded big time.
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  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Cupertino, Santa Cruz

Grapes

10% Merlot
79% Cabernet Sauvignon
9% Petit Verdot
2% Cabernet Franc

Drinking temperature

17-18C

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