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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: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
ALC: 13.2%
VINTAGE 2011 REPORT: A long winter gave way to a cool growing season. The vines bloomed a month late, but caught up by September, and all twenty-four parcels were harvested in October. Fruit was destemmed, but not crushed, the whole berries sorted to remove stem fragments. Natural fermentations were vigorous; we pressed at day seven, on average. Unin...