Ridge Monte Bello (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2007
-
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
The nose just bursts with blueberries, currants, and flowers. Full bodied, with a round and velvety tannin structure. The palate explodes with currants, ripe strawberries, and black pepper on the finish. This is muscular and toned, structured and balanced. This is still young and needs a minimum of five years of bottle age. Winemaker Paul Draper says that perhaps this is as great as the legendary 1991.
-
Wine & Spirits
Relatively fat for a Monte Bello, this wine shows its richness in fruit rather than playing on weight gained from oak. The freshness of the fruit keeps it firm, finely balanced and clean, a more accessible young wine than this vineyard tends to give. There's a pure cassis flavor running through it, emphasizing the clarity of lovely, ripe cabernet. As approachable as it may be now, it's substantial enough to age for a decade or more.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A retaste of the flagship wine, the 2007 Monte Bello (a blend from this famous estate of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense ruby/purple wine with a floral, blueberry, and earthy cassis nose and elegant mid-weight flavors with impressive purity and classicism. There is good acidity, firm tannin, and modest alcohol (13.1%). This is not the most concentrated or powerful Monte Bello, but one built on finesse and elegance. According to the back label, only 41% of the production made it into this wine from the 103-acre estate vineyard. Give this wine another good 5-7 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Spectator
Shows more oak than this wine typically does at this stage. Aromas of fresh-cut flowers, white peach, vanilla, butterscotch and honey lead to pure, complex flavors of honeysuckle, ending on a delicate note. Drink now through 2017.
Other Vintages
2020-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Vinous
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Journal
The Somm -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Spirits
Wine & - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
Ridge's history begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building now serves as the Ridge production facility.
Though Ridge began as a Cabernet winery, by the mid-60s, it had produced several Zinfandels including the Geyserville. In 1972, Lytton Springs joined the line-up and the two came to represent an important part of Ridge production. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of Chardonnay since 1962.
The Ridge approach is straightforward: find the most intense and flavorful grapes, guide the natural process, draw all the fruit's richness into the wine. Decisions on when to pick, when to press, when to rack, what varietals and what parcels to include and when to bottle, are based on taste. To retain the nuances that increase complexity, Ridge winemakers handle the grapes and wine as gently as possible. There are no recipes, only attention and sensitivity.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.