MORE GREAT WINES FROM RIDGE INCLUDING THE MONUMENTAL 2017 MONTE BELLO

 

Great Wines Across The Board – Don’t Miss Them

 

 

2019 Grenache Blanc Adelaida Vineyard Paso Robles
In recent vintages Ridge has begun to produce Rhone White Varietals. They have been Outstanding combining purity, power, flavor and finesse. This Grenache Blanc the is latest and it follows the trend. Blended with 18% Picpoul Blanc and 5% Rousanne the wine has a pale yellow color and a lovely floral perfume with a faint exotic tinge. On the palate it is elegant and beautifully balanced with floral citrus tinged fruit and a faint exotic nuance. Delicious to drink now this is a very versatile and appealing white wine that will complement a wide variety of  lighter summer foods  – Outstanding.       $30       880 cases produced.

 

 2018 Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County
This is a beautifully crafted wine that can be enjoyed now or aged for many years into the future. Made with 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, and 2% Mataro it has a dark ruby color and a deep perfume showing a myriad of dark fruits including cassis, plum, and blackberry. On the palate there is once again a great intensity of fruit with great flavor, intensity, and balance. It is full and rich yet also maintains an impeccable sense of elegance and finesse. With balance, flavor, fruit, and elegance intertwined in a seamless fashion this is stunning wine by any standard. Don’t miss it – Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary.      $45      11,900 cases produced

 

 

2018 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County
Dark in color with a purple hue this wine has a stunning perfume with hints of cassis and plum with an exotic tinge. With loads of fruit and complex exotic tinged nuances this is a classic Zinfandel that is blended with 9% Alicante Bouchet and 7% Petite Sirah. It is a magical combination that is delicious now and will age gracefully for years to come – Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary.       $40       4,600 cases produced

 

 

2018 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County
For me Petite Sirah is California’s most under rated varietal. Often planted in older vineyards as part of a field blend that would also include Zinfandel and Alicante Bouchet as well as perhaps a few other grape varieties it was not always bottled as a varietal. And, when it was, there were often examples that were rather hard and tannic. But properly farmed and made California Petite Sirah can be a very great wine. This is a prime example. It is blended with 3% Zinfandel and is very dark in color with purple black hues. The first impression is a great perfume that shows cassis and plum fruit intermingled with faint spice and mint nuances. On the palate the wine is packed with fruit showing cassis, plum, blackberry with a faint underlying cedar spice tinge. Already harmonious and delicious to drink this Petite Sirah also has the structure and definition to age beautifully for decades – Outstanding Plus/ Extraordinary.     $40        3,500 cases produced

 

 

 

2017 Monte Bello
Monte Bello has an unrivaled history of great wines going back into the 1960s. Monte Bello is amazingly consistent and the wines have aged beautifully. I have been buying, drinking, and cellaring these wines from the very beginning and have a large quantity in my cellar. I also have had the opportunity to drink hundreds of bottles over the years and never once have I been disappointed. In vertical tastings it is also amazing how well the wines from vintages that were not highly promoted have aged and evolved into marvelous wines. In short there is no other California Cabernet that can rival Monte Bello over all these years. Now having said all that, here we have the latest vintage, the 2017. All I can say about this wine is WOW! Never have I had a young Monte Bello with the sensuous quality that this wine exhibits. The yields were very low at just over one ton per acre and the wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Very dark in color this 2017 Monte Bello has a stunning perfume with exotic spice and cedar nuances overlaying cassis and blackberry fruit. Very rich and full with layers of fruit and complexity the wine is very rich and concentrated but also supple and sensuous. Faint cedar undertones are accented by tinges of exotic spice and the wine has structure and depth with impeccable balance and very long finish. Bravo! This 2017 is a Monte Bello is a wine for the ages and is a legend in the making – Extraordinary/Extraordinary Plus.           $230     3,750 cases produced 

 

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