2006 Ridge Monte Bello- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (12/2/2020)
Random selection, as I asked my wife to blind me on something, and she picked this from half bottle. The aromatics said Ridge from the first moment, and because I know that I only had Geyserville and Monte Bello from half it was an easy trip to the Cabernet. What a nose - all deep red fruit and complex spice and herb. Gorgeous! Certainly still young, but the texture drew me in each and every sip. Silky on entry, and vibrant on the finish, the contrast was enthralling. Perhaps too soon from 750, but from half this was a treat!
Great notes David. Ridge Monte Bello is my favorite domestic (for me) Red wine. I have had the 2001 and 2002 on the tops of my list. I haven’t had the opportunity to taste some of the big boys (Screaming Eagle, Macdonald, etc), but so far Monte Bello takes my #1 spot.
I didn’t intend to compare the two wines in terms of structure, flavor profile, etc. I was just saying Monte Bello is my favorite US red wine. Sorry for the confusion. I should have been more specific.
Great wine and even better idea to periodically open half bottles to check in on their progress. On the collector’s list for a while now and get them every year. Because I store them offsite, I’ve yet to open one. Going to bring the halves home for the holidays and introduce them to the family
Cheers!
Thanks Jason. I’m glad I didn’t derail the topic to badly.
David - I agree we were talking past each other. I see that You were simply adding to my comment by stating they were different wines. I just didn’t want to start any confusion by appearing to compare the wines in a fashion other than enjoyment. No love lost. .
Matt and David- buying half bottles and checking in is a great idea that I never really thought of implementing. I’m definitely using that in the future.