TN: 2007 Ridge Monte Bello (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains)

[Wes_Barton]

@Ian Alper

I am pretty sure this is the vintage that Paul thought would rival the 91.

Or maybe the '05? This is the one Parker seriously underrated when he visited and tasted a vertical after not having rated any Ridge wines for a few years. It didn’t have the “flavor” (intensity) of the previous vintages, but was amazingly complex and complete, so he put it around 91, while I was maybe 97, and we were within a point on the others.

@dsimmons

I have been buying the futures since '07 but have not drank any yet. Sounds like i should put one of my 07’s in the queue?

This drank very well the year of release, then shut down hard. Last I tasted a couple years ago it was coming back around, but was very far from peak. No hurry, but if you have a bunch and want to check it sounds like it’s showing well enough.

[SeanHarding]

This is making me sad I have only one of these It’s the first vintage of Monte Bello I bought, and I only bought two. I should have held off longer on opening the first one…

[Mark_Golodetz]

@Dan Rosenheck

Everyone has their own scoring system. Mine is basically a 10-point scale as follows:

0-85: Would rather drink nothing
86: Useful to get drunk when required or accompany food
87: Fair
88: Solid, pleasant
89: Good
90: Successful, well-made, worthy of bringing to a dinner with fellow wine geeks
91: Excellent, distinctive, wine-of-the-month or better
92: Terrific/fantastic, WOTY candidate
93: Likely WOTY candidate: not just delicious but unique and an educational/frontier-opening experience
94+: ZOMFG.

I think I’ve scored 5 wines at 94 or higher. Hope that clarifies.

Dan, that is pretty idiosyncratic scale. Without it, I would never have understood what your 92 meant. I think most people here figure that a 92 point would be a very good wine, but not fantastic, and certainly never a WOTY candidate.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

Numbers never mean anything when describing the subjective, but Americans sure do like to think they do. Particularly prevalent in acute-care medicine in this lost era.

Sweet Jesus means something.

[Ed_Steinway]

Love this Monte Bello. We gave a bottle of the '07 to some good friends of ours who were married last summer, and they were very grateful as they had opened a bottle last year and loved the wine.

Thanks,
Ed

[terrance.c]

Appreciate all the notes and unbridled enthusiasm (c). Just saw it at a small shop for $120. This thread confirmed it was worth grabbing.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

Fookin’ aye that was a bright purchase.

[AAgrawal]

I didn’t join the Montebello list until well after this… more like 2013. Maybe they will break out a bottle or two at one of their spring tastings sometime…

[Mark_C_Johnson]

Come back to Oahu for another visit Ashish. I’ve been on the list since 2000. I also have some '96 which is drinking very well. [blinky emoticon]

Ralph is threatening the '73 Monte Bello for Mike G’s visit. I’ll have to see what I can add.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

That 96 is just as good as MB gets.

[Alan_Rath]

@Glenn L e v i n e

That 96 is just as good as MB gets.

Is 20 years too early to open one?

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

Wine is singing now, had one last year.

[T_Altmayer]

@Alan Rath

@Glenn L e v i n e

That 96 is just as good as MB gets.

Is 20 years too early to open one?

I don’t think you can go wrong with these wines beginning at about 10-12 years in terms of their drinkability. Beyond that, its just a question of what your sweet spot is for aged wine. Had the '01 last year and it was beautiful, but waiting til its 20th birthday to open my other one.

[lleichtman]

Popping our last bottle of 1980 Sunday night. I expect it to still be great.

[Rich_Brown]

@lleichtman

Popping our last bottle of 1980 Sunday night. I expect it to still be great.

Please post a note! Birth year and I would love to hear how that wine is doing!