| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | U.S.A. > California |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Ridge Vineyards
The 2002 Monte Bello is stunning, bursting from the glass with an expressive nose of ripe blackcurrants, crème de cassis, dried cherries, burning embers, pencil lead, loamy soil and a perfumed top note of lavender. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, lavish and expansive, cutting a broad swathe across the palate, with a deep, concentrated core of succulent fruit that's framed by ripe, plush tannins, concluding with a lingering finish. At age 16, the 2002 is truly singing, so anyone with bottles in their cellar is due for a treat. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.3% alcohol. Unusually, fully 13% was matured in new French oak—with the balance, as usual, in new American oak.
The 2002 Monte Bello Proprietary Red is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. It tastes as if it hasn't changed since I first sampled it in late 2003 and then again in bottle two years later. The color is healthy ruby/purple, and the wine displays some dusty, oaky, vanillin notes that jump out of the glass along with a touch of white chocolate as well as red and black currants and hints of cedar and forest floor. Extremely young and full-bodied, with some wood char still present, it is unevolved and tastes like it could be a barrel sample, except that it has been in bottle for nearly ten years! This is a blockbuster Ridge Monte Bello that still needs a minimum of another 10 years of bottle-age and should keep for 50+ years. Only for the young and patient!
Half bottle. 74% Cabernet, 18% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. Very small production. Pretty, not that intense but great balance. Great sweetness and classic build. Real edge and beauty. Very long. Bone dry. Such class. 13.3%
