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Tasting notes
The 2022 Monte Bello feels like a cooler-vintage wine, defying all expectations of the torrid growing season. Juicy, fresh and very old school, the 2022 sashays with true elegance as it unfurls into classic layers of cedar box, tobacco, grilled herbs, tart cherry and crushed rocks. A return to a more typical percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage can be felt in the wine's upright build and darker aromatic shadings. Winemaker John Olney chose to keep the 2022 in barrel for 21 months, a little longer than usual, in an effort to tame its fierce young tannins. That prescription worked out swimmingly. The 2022 is a very serious, structured wine, but its textural polish is beyond reproach. It's a Monte Bello that whispers rather than shouts. Time is very much on your side.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Monte Bello is a rich and distinctly firm iteration of this classic cuvée, evoking a hypothetical blend between the textural power of the 2017 and the bracing structure of the 2015. The nose displays a classically deep and resonant bouquet of red and black fruits, vanilla pod, dark chocolate, cigar wrapper and dried herbs, with balsamic overtones and admirable oak integration. The palate combines lush generosity with an eminently sturdy core, concluding with a stern, bracing finish of firm tannins, pleasantly complemented by gentle succulence. It will take time to view the full potential here, but it certainly delivers the tried-and-true profile long-time fans will expect. This vintage is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Full bottle 1,223 g. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Grapes destemmed and sorted; 100% whole berries. Both primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentations are completed by ambient yeasts and bacteria. Aged 21 months in 100% new oak (95% American oak, 5% French oak). pH 3.36, TA 9.13 g/l. Minimum effective SO 2 (35 ppm at crush, 114 ppm during ageing). Certified organic. Deep purple with a fuchsia rim. Absolutely stunning. Rich black fruit, a beautiful vein of green, cassis and cedar and spice from oak. Tannins are smooth but building and the acidity is mouth-watering and fresh. Going back to the Estate Cab from this you're able to see the purer fruit character and that the wine is more complex and feels cooler even at higher alcohol. The finish goes on forever. I feel confident in saying that given a decade or two this will be a perfect wine. (SCJ)
Contains 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 100% destemmed but not crushed. Fermented with ambient yeasts. Spends 19 months in 92% American oak, 8% French oak, all of it 100% new. Filtered before bottling. Very dark garnet with purple highlights. Aromas of black cherry, plum, dried minty herbs and a touch of whisky barrel. Gorgeously supple, fine-grained tannins coat the mouth and drape a core of black cherry, plum, plum skin, blueberries and liquorice root. Fantastic acidity keeps the wine bright and lithe across the palate, with no heaviness to accompany its intense fruit. Lovely and poised, with the oak very well integrated even at this young stage. This wine will get better and better for the next 15 to 20 years. Outstanding. (AY)
About the producer
Best known for its iconic Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards makes some of California’s finest wines – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Long a pioneer of sustainable farming and minimal-intervention winemaking, Ridge makes an extensive range from Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Product details
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
Red
Dry