2021 | Ridge Vineyards | Monte Bello

Deep ruby color. Ripe mountain blackberry and cassis, anise, lavender, violets, sweet toasted oak and earthy, mineral components. Bold fruit at entry coupled with fine-grained tannins and firm acidity. Layered and complex mid-palate with a long, intense finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: 2021 marks the start of a new era at Ridge, now under the stewardship of Trester Goetting and longtime Ridge veteran John Olney following the departure of veteran winemaker Eric Baugher. The 2021 Monte Bello is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot due to drought-induced low yields, particularly in Cabernet Sauvignon. It is already assertive and polished on the nose, with aromas of cassis, dried tobacco, green peppercorn, mint and figs springing from the glass. The palate is suave and refined with electrifying energy and persistence, leading to a sophisticated finish of ripe black fruits and drying, layered stately tannins. Even in this embryonic stage, the perpetual pedigree of Monte Bello is here in spades; cellar for a decade and enjoy over the following two and beyond.

• James Suckling: Tightly wound at this stage, the wine is massively concentrated, taut, yet trim and medium-bodied. Aged in 100% new oak, predominantly American, it offers espresso, blackberry, black cherry and vanilla bean flavors with a linear intensity and drive. Known to age and improve for several decades, this is one of California’s most collectible cabs and from a classic, age-worthy vintage. Best from 2031.

Producer Information

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. In 1962, Ridge Vineyards made its first Monte Bello, and two years later its first zinfandel. 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. In August 2021, Ridge Vineyards joined International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a group of like-minded wineries that are dedicated to decarbonizing the global wine industry. RIDGE is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and completes a biannual greenhouse gas audit utilizing the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol methodology and be verified by an internationally accredited, third-party auditor.

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