Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards started in 1962 on the Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Winemaker Paul Draper was appointed in 1969, he now draws on over 40 vintages of experience. They shot to fame in 1976 by coming first at the famous Judgement of Paris Tasting. Using traditional methods and minimal intervention they make great Bordeaux blends and Chardonnay from excellent terroir in Monte Bello and Zinfandel in their Sonoma County vineyards.
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Prices:
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California | 1 | 88 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£464.47 |
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Vinous (88)The 2020 Zinfandel East Bench emerges from Funsten Ranch in Dry Creek Valley. It offers good energy in a taut, nervy style. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, rose and orange peel lend nuance. I would prefer to drink this light-bodied Zinfandel over the next few years, before the fruit fades. |
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California | 1 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£794.47 |
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Vinous (92)The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers a hugely appealing mix of fruit richness married to the savory, structured style that is the Ridge signature. The 2019 is beautifully exotic, but natural without the volume of the Monte Bello. I imagine it will drink splendidly with minimal cellaring. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and pomegranate. |
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California | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£324.04 |
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Vinous (94)The 2019 Geyserville marks a pretty huge step up in this range. What a wine! Black cherry, plum, chocolate, cloves, menthol and licorice blast across the palate. Deep and saturated, with tremendous concentration, the 2019 Geyserville is a wine to cellar for at least a few years. Today, it is positively stunning. |
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California | 8 | 91 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£526.87 |
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Vinous (91)The 2020 Geyserville is quite soft in this vintage. Bright red-fleshed fruit, crushed flowers, cedar, spice and sweet pipe tobacco all grace this mid-weight edition of Geyserville. All things considered, the 2020 is nicely done. |
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California | 10 | - |
Inc. VAT
£661.27 |
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California | 7 | - |
Inc. VAT
£594.58 |
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California | 2 | - |
Inc. VAT
£623.38 |
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California | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£748.87 |
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Vinous (95)The 2007 Lytton Springs is just as impressive as the 2007 Geyserville in this tasting. Ample and creamy, with tremendous resonance, the Lytton Springs screams with Zinfandel character. Sweet floral notes and pulsating acids perk up the flavors beautifully. This is such a delicious and joyous wine. Readers lucky enough to own it are in for a real treat. |
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California | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,087.27 |
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Vinous (94)The 2008 Lytton Springs is a powerhouse. Today, the 2008 is in the zone. The aromatics have begun to open up, the mid-palate retains gorgeous depth and all the elements are in sync. Sweet herbs, tobacco, menthol and licorice wrap around the imposing finish. This is a decidedly virile vintage of the Lytton Springs. Well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade or more, as the 2008 still has a lot to say. |
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California | 1 | 93+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,142.47 |
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Vinous (93+)The 2012 Lytton Springs is quite reserved, compact and inward at this stage. There is good density and depth in the glass, but the elements aren't fully formed just yet. While most of Ridge's 2012s are quite open today, that is not at all the case with the Lytton Springs. The 2012 is going to need time. In 2012, Lytton Springs is 70% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane and 4% Mataro (Mourvèdre). |
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California | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,416.07 |
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Vinous (94+)The 2015 Lytton Springs is very, very closed. Readers should not think about opening a bottle anytime soon. Intensely aromatic, but also tightly wound, the 2015 only hints at its true potential. Deceptively medium in body, the 2015 packs a real punch. |
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California | 2 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£571.74 |
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Vinous (95)The 2019 Lytton Springs is another embryonic wine in this range. Readers will have to be patient. Time in the glass brings out an exotic mélange of rose petal, blood orange, pomegranate and star anise, all wrapped together by plush, silky tannins. There is a lot of wine here. Healthy dollops of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro round out the blend, but the Zinfandel is pretty expressive in the leading role. |
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California | 2 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£565.27 |
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Vinous (93)The 2020 Lytton Springs is a very pretty wine. Bright floral and spice accents open first. Silky and medium in body, with plenty of persistence and fine balance, the 2020 is pretty impressive, especially for the year. Zinfandel character really drives the feel in 2020. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, cinnamon and dried herbs lingers on the open-knit, intensely perfumed finish. |
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California | 3 | - |
Inc. VAT
£706.87 |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,797.60 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2010 Monte Bello is just as stunning as it has always been. Today, the 2010 appears to be entering a closed phase, so it is best left alone for at least another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. The signatures are super-ripe, exotic fruit, sweet aromatics and firm tannins, all of which ensure the 2010 will be utterly magnificent in a few decades. The growing season was characterized by mostly cold weather, with an unexpectedly intense heat spike in mid-October that gave the fruit a final push. One of the things that makes this vintage so compelling is the interplay of firm structural elements from the cold year and a high level of ripeness that was achieved late. In my view, the 2010 is one of the most thrilling recent Monte Bellos, however it won't be ready to drink for a number of years and it won't peak for quite some time beyond that. |
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California | 2 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£1,200.04 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar. |
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California | 4 | 93 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£388.80 |
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Wine Spectator (93)Young and tight, a touch earthy with tart currant and wild berry flavors. Takes time to unfold, but the depth and concentration become evident on the finish, where the flavors linger. Give this time; best after 2001. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. 4,000 cases made. |
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California | 1 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,676.04 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The product of a generous crop and a balmy vintage, the 1997 Monte Bello continues to show beautifully, wafting from the glass with an expressive bouquet of cassis, dried cherries, menthol and loamy soil, lavishly framed by new American oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and open-knit, with largely melted tannins and a generous personality, which is all tied together by the bright thread of acidity that's such a signature of this site. Despite being seemingly fully mature, an open bottle held up beautifully over three days. Even after extensive crop thinning, yields in 1997 were around two tons per acre—high by this bottling's modest standards—and the blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, attaining 12.9% natural alcohol. |
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California | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,090.44 |
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Wine Advocate (98)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. |
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California | 4 | 89 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£354.80 |
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Wine Advocate (89)I've had better bottles, but as it approaches its 15th birthday, the 2003 Monte Bello is beginning to look like one of the weaker vintages of the new millennium—and certainly of this tasting—exhibiting rich and already evolved aromas of roasted dark fruit that include hints of fig and prune, as well as classic nuances of cigar wrapper and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and still structured around rich tannins, balanced by bright acids, but it's showing more evolution than the 2002 or the 2004 vintages that bookend it. Baugher believes that he may have picked prematurely in this vintage, suggesting that phenolics were out of sync with sugars. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol. |
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California | 2 | 89 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,145.64 |
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Wine Advocate (89)I've had better bottles, but as it approaches its 15th birthday, the 2003 Monte Bello is beginning to look like one of the weaker vintages of the new millennium—and certainly of this tasting—exhibiting rich and already evolved aromas of roasted dark fruit that include hints of fig and prune, as well as classic nuances of cigar wrapper and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and still structured around rich tannins, balanced by bright acids, but it's showing more evolution than the 2002 or the 2004 vintages that bookend it. Baugher believes that he may have picked prematurely in this vintage, suggesting that phenolics were out of sync with sugars. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol. |
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California | 7 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£378.80 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 2005 Monte Bello is beginning to drink very well indeed, revealing complex aromas of sweet currant fruit, rich soil, cedar cigar box and sweet spices. With time in the glass, nuances of dark chocolate and loamy soil emerge too. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with fine-grained structuring tannins, the first signs of emerging savory nuance and a bright, beautifully focused finish. As it approaches age 13, the 2005 is still very youthful—indeed, this particular bottle was more reserved and taut than the last four or five that I've encountered—so there's certainly no rush to drink it. Cropped at just under one ton per acre, the 2005 is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.4% natural alcohol. |
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California | 1 | 95+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£383.60 |
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Vinous (95+)A dark, brooding beauty, the 2006 Monte Bello is still very, very young. The aromatics alone are enticing, but the tannins still need time to soften. The 2006 is a masculine, vertical Monte Bello that demands cellaring. Even so, it is pretty impressive today. Scents of lavender, sage, mint and savory herbs add closing flourishes. The perfumed sweetness of the fruit - one of the hallmarks of the very late harvest - remains one of the signatures of the 2006. The 2006 can be enjoyed today or cellared for another 25+ years. |
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California | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,815.64 |
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Wine Advocate (95)Reflecting on the 2007 Monte Bello, Eric Baugher describes the year as a vintage that almost didn't happen. Until the eve of harvest, everything was going well, with a large crop ripening in balmy conditions. In late September, however, cold weather retarded ripening, with wet and wintry October weather only relenting on the 23rd, when temperatures returned to the high 80s. Due to such extended hang time, seeds were hard and woody, so it was difficult to extract much tannin, but that tannin was of very high quality. Today, the wine is beginning to show superbly, wafting from the glass with a lavish, creamy bouquet of crème de cassis, ripe plums, blackberries, black truffle and loamy soil. On the palate, it's full-bodied, fleshy and expansive, its generous core of fruit framed by rich, melting tannins and underpinned by the freshness and energy that this site always seems to capture. As it approaches age 11, the 2007 is an elegantly voluptuous vintage of Monte Bello that bears analogies with the lovely 1991. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.1% natural alcohol and was cropped at around two tons per acre. |
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California | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,065.24 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2009 Monte Bello ,72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot is simply magnificent. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers, spices and graphite are all woven together in this utterly impeccable wine. The 2009 is an especially huge, intense Monte Bello, yet a sexy, silky core of fruit lies within its imposing frame. Everything comes together in this glorious, radiant wine. Last year the 2009 had some pretty stiff competition from the 2010, but today it is simply firing on all cylinders. Eric Baugher describes 2009 as a year with cold weather early on, followed by heat in early June and July. The fruit was brought in on October 12, just before an intense downpour swept through the region. There is a purity and silkiness supported by structure in the 2009 that is impossible not to admire. Simply put, this is another utterly magnificent, towering masterpiece from Ridge. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,104.84 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2010 Monte Bello is just as stunning as it has always been. Today, the 2010 appears to be entering a closed phase, so it is best left alone for at least another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. The signatures are super-ripe, exotic fruit, sweet aromatics and firm tannins, all of which ensure the 2010 will be utterly magnificent in a few decades. The growing season was characterized by mostly cold weather, with an unexpectedly intense heat spike in mid-October that gave the fruit a final push. One of the things that makes this vintage so compelling is the interplay of firm structural elements from the cold year and a high level of ripeness that was achieved late. In my view, the 2010 is one of the most thrilling recent Monte Bellos, however it won't be ready to drink for a number of years and it won't peak for quite some time beyond that. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,449.66 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2012 is a racy, voluptuous Monte Bello built on a core of sweet red fruit, with striking perfume, silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. The 2012 is of course an infant, and the new oak is still evident. As Vinous readers know, Monte Bello is a wine that really should not be touched until its tenth birthday, and even that requires an optimistic view. The 2012 has been a consistently brilliant wine. Today, it is once again stellar. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,274.44 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2012 is a racy, voluptuous Monte Bello built on a core of sweet red fruit, with striking perfume, silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. The 2012 is of course an infant, and the new oak is still evident. As Vinous readers know, Monte Bello is a wine that really should not be touched until its tenth birthday, and even that requires an optimistic view. The 2012 has been a consistently brilliant wine. Today, it is once again stellar. |
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California | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,879.24 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2013 Monte Bello is a very special vintage for this great wine. Amazingly, it has yet to shut down, unfurling in the glass to reveal a bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, rich espresso roast, cigar wrapper, subtle black truffle and burning embers that has already integrated its 100% new oak remarkably completely. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful and multidimensional, with a lavishly textural attack that segues into a stunningly layered, richly structured mid-palate endowed with incredible depth and concentration underpinned by succulent acids. The finish is long, vibrant and beautifully delineated. The 2013 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, and it attained 13.6% natural alcohol. Analytically, this ranks as one of the most tannic vintages of Monte Bello ever produced, but the tannins are of such high quality and cloaked in such a wealth of fruit that Ridge forwent their habitual egg white fining this year—beginning a trend that has continued since. This profound Monte Bello will begin to blossom as it reaches age ten and should prove practically immortal. |
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California | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,138.80 |
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James Suckling (98)Unique aromas of blackberry, black currant, dark chocolate and walnut. Full body, very powerful and tannic. Incredible depth and power. Precise and so focused. Muscular. Great structure. This needs at least six to eight years to come together. |
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California | 1 | 88 (VN) |
In Bond
£355.00 |
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Vinous (88)The 2020 Zinfandel East Bench emerges from Funsten Ranch in Dry Creek Valley. It offers good energy in a taut, nervy style. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, rose and orange peel lend nuance. I would prefer to drink this light-bodied Zinfandel over the next few years, before the fruit fades. |
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California | 1 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£630.00 |
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Vinous (92)The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers a hugely appealing mix of fruit richness married to the savory, structured style that is the Ridge signature. The 2019 is beautifully exotic, but natural without the volume of the Monte Bello. I imagine it will drink splendidly with minimal cellaring. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and pomegranate. |
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California | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£254.00 |
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Vinous (94)The 2019 Geyserville marks a pretty huge step up in this range. What a wine! Black cherry, plum, chocolate, cloves, menthol and licorice blast across the palate. Deep and saturated, with tremendous concentration, the 2019 Geyserville is a wine to cellar for at least a few years. Today, it is positively stunning. |
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California | 8 | 91 (VN) |
In Bond
£407.00 |
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Vinous (91)The 2020 Geyserville is quite soft in this vintage. Bright red-fleshed fruit, crushed flowers, cedar, spice and sweet pipe tobacco all grace this mid-weight edition of Geyserville. All things considered, the 2020 is nicely done. |
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California | 10 | - |
In Bond
£519.00 |
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California | 7 | - |
In Bond
£457.00 |
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California | 2 | - |
In Bond
£481.00 |
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California | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£592.00 |
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Vinous (95)The 2007 Lytton Springs is just as impressive as the 2007 Geyserville in this tasting. Ample and creamy, with tremendous resonance, the Lytton Springs screams with Zinfandel character. Sweet floral notes and pulsating acids perk up the flavors beautifully. This is such a delicious and joyous wine. Readers lucky enough to own it are in for a real treat. |
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California | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£874.00 |
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Vinous (94)The 2008 Lytton Springs is a powerhouse. Today, the 2008 is in the zone. The aromatics have begun to open up, the mid-palate retains gorgeous depth and all the elements are in sync. Sweet herbs, tobacco, menthol and licorice wrap around the imposing finish. This is a decidedly virile vintage of the Lytton Springs. Well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade or more, as the 2008 still has a lot to say. |
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California | 1 | 93+ (VN) |
In Bond
£920.00 |
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Vinous (93+)The 2012 Lytton Springs is quite reserved, compact and inward at this stage. There is good density and depth in the glass, but the elements aren't fully formed just yet. While most of Ridge's 2012s are quite open today, that is not at all the case with the Lytton Springs. The 2012 is going to need time. In 2012, Lytton Springs is 70% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane and 4% Mataro (Mourvèdre). |
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California | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
In Bond
£1,148.00 |
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Vinous (94+)The 2015 Lytton Springs is very, very closed. Readers should not think about opening a bottle anytime soon. Intensely aromatic, but also tightly wound, the 2015 only hints at its true potential. Deceptively medium in body, the 2015 packs a real punch. |
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California | 2 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£439.00 |
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Vinous (95)The 2019 Lytton Springs is another embryonic wine in this range. Readers will have to be patient. Time in the glass brings out an exotic mélange of rose petal, blood orange, pomegranate and star anise, all wrapped together by plush, silky tannins. There is a lot of wine here. Healthy dollops of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro round out the blend, but the Zinfandel is pretty expressive in the leading role. |
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California | 2 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
£439.00 |
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Vinous (93)The 2020 Lytton Springs is a very pretty wine. Bright floral and spice accents open first. Silky and medium in body, with plenty of persistence and fine balance, the 2020 is pretty impressive, especially for the year. Zinfandel character really drives the feel in 2020. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, cinnamon and dried herbs lingers on the open-knit, intensely perfumed finish. |
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California | 3 | - |
In Bond
£557.00 |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,797.60 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2010 Monte Bello is just as stunning as it has always been. Today, the 2010 appears to be entering a closed phase, so it is best left alone for at least another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. The signatures are super-ripe, exotic fruit, sweet aromatics and firm tannins, all of which ensure the 2010 will be utterly magnificent in a few decades. The growing season was characterized by mostly cold weather, with an unexpectedly intense heat spike in mid-October that gave the fruit a final push. One of the things that makes this vintage so compelling is the interplay of firm structural elements from the cold year and a high level of ripeness that was achieved late. In my view, the 2010 is one of the most thrilling recent Monte Bellos, however it won't be ready to drink for a number of years and it won't peak for quite some time beyond that. |
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California | 2 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
£984.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar. |
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California | 4 | 93 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£388.80 |
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Wine Spectator (93)Young and tight, a touch earthy with tart currant and wild berry flavors. Takes time to unfold, but the depth and concentration become evident on the finish, where the flavors linger. Give this time; best after 2001. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. 4,000 cases made. |
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California | 1 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,214.00 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The product of a generous crop and a balmy vintage, the 1997 Monte Bello continues to show beautifully, wafting from the glass with an expressive bouquet of cassis, dried cherries, menthol and loamy soil, lavishly framed by new American oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and open-knit, with largely melted tannins and a generous personality, which is all tied together by the bright thread of acidity that's such a signature of this site. Despite being seemingly fully mature, an open bottle held up beautifully over three days. Even after extensive crop thinning, yields in 1997 were around two tons per acre—high by this bottling's modest standards—and the blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, attaining 12.9% natural alcohol. |
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California | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,726.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)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. |
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California | 4 | 89 (WA) |
In Bond
£293.00 |
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Wine Advocate (89)I've had better bottles, but as it approaches its 15th birthday, the 2003 Monte Bello is beginning to look like one of the weaker vintages of the new millennium—and certainly of this tasting—exhibiting rich and already evolved aromas of roasted dark fruit that include hints of fig and prune, as well as classic nuances of cigar wrapper and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and still structured around rich tannins, balanced by bright acids, but it's showing more evolution than the 2002 or the 2004 vintages that bookend it. Baugher believes that he may have picked prematurely in this vintage, suggesting that phenolics were out of sync with sugars. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol. |
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California | 2 | 89 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,772.00 |
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Wine Advocate (89)I've had better bottles, but as it approaches its 15th birthday, the 2003 Monte Bello is beginning to look like one of the weaker vintages of the new millennium—and certainly of this tasting—exhibiting rich and already evolved aromas of roasted dark fruit that include hints of fig and prune, as well as classic nuances of cigar wrapper and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and still structured around rich tannins, balanced by bright acids, but it's showing more evolution than the 2002 or the 2004 vintages that bookend it. Baugher believes that he may have picked prematurely in this vintage, suggesting that phenolics were out of sync with sugars. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol. |
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California | 7 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£313.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The 2005 Monte Bello is beginning to drink very well indeed, revealing complex aromas of sweet currant fruit, rich soil, cedar cigar box and sweet spices. With time in the glass, nuances of dark chocolate and loamy soil emerge too. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with fine-grained structuring tannins, the first signs of emerging savory nuance and a bright, beautifully focused finish. As it approaches age 13, the 2005 is still very youthful—indeed, this particular bottle was more reserved and taut than the last four or five that I've encountered—so there's certainly no rush to drink it. Cropped at just under one ton per acre, the 2005 is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.4% natural alcohol. |
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California | 1 | 95+ (VN) |
In Bond
£317.00 |
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Vinous (95+)A dark, brooding beauty, the 2006 Monte Bello is still very, very young. The aromatics alone are enticing, but the tannins still need time to soften. The 2006 is a masculine, vertical Monte Bello that demands cellaring. Even so, it is pretty impressive today. Scents of lavender, sage, mint and savory herbs add closing flourishes. The perfumed sweetness of the fruit - one of the hallmarks of the very late harvest - remains one of the signatures of the 2006. The 2006 can be enjoyed today or cellared for another 25+ years. |
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California | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,497.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)Reflecting on the 2007 Monte Bello, Eric Baugher describes the year as a vintage that almost didn't happen. Until the eve of harvest, everything was going well, with a large crop ripening in balmy conditions. In late September, however, cold weather retarded ripening, with wet and wintry October weather only relenting on the 23rd, when temperatures returned to the high 80s. Due to such extended hang time, seeds were hard and woody, so it was difficult to extract much tannin, but that tannin was of very high quality. Today, the wine is beginning to show superbly, wafting from the glass with a lavish, creamy bouquet of crème de cassis, ripe plums, blackberries, black truffle and loamy soil. On the palate, it's full-bodied, fleshy and expansive, its generous core of fruit framed by rich, melting tannins and underpinned by the freshness and energy that this site always seems to capture. As it approaches age 11, the 2007 is an elegantly voluptuous vintage of Monte Bello that bears analogies with the lovely 1991. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.1% natural alcohol and was cropped at around two tons per acre. |
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California | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,705.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2009 Monte Bello ,72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot is simply magnificent. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers, spices and graphite are all woven together in this utterly impeccable wine. The 2009 is an especially huge, intense Monte Bello, yet a sexy, silky core of fruit lies within its imposing frame. Everything comes together in this glorious, radiant wine. Last year the 2009 had some pretty stiff competition from the 2010, but today it is simply firing on all cylinders. Eric Baugher describes 2009 as a year with cold weather early on, followed by heat in early June and July. The fruit was brought in on October 12, just before an intense downpour swept through the region. There is a purity and silkiness supported by structure in the 2009 that is impossible not to admire. Simply put, this is another utterly magnificent, towering masterpiece from Ridge. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
In Bond
£1,738.00 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2010 Monte Bello is just as stunning as it has always been. Today, the 2010 appears to be entering a closed phase, so it is best left alone for at least another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. The signatures are super-ripe, exotic fruit, sweet aromatics and firm tannins, all of which ensure the 2010 will be utterly magnificent in a few decades. The growing season was characterized by mostly cold weather, with an unexpectedly intense heat spike in mid-October that gave the fruit a final push. One of the things that makes this vintage so compelling is the interplay of firm structural elements from the cold year and a high level of ripeness that was achieved late. In my view, the 2010 is one of the most thrilling recent Monte Bellos, however it won't be ready to drink for a number of years and it won't peak for quite some time beyond that. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
In Bond
£2,020.00 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2012 is a racy, voluptuous Monte Bello built on a core of sweet red fruit, with striking perfume, silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. The 2012 is of course an infant, and the new oak is still evident. As Vinous readers know, Monte Bello is a wine that really should not be touched until its tenth birthday, and even that requires an optimistic view. The 2012 has been a consistently brilliant wine. Today, it is once again stellar. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (VN) |
In Bond
£1,046.00 |
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Vinous (97+)The 2012 is a racy, voluptuous Monte Bello built on a core of sweet red fruit, with striking perfume, silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. The 2012 is of course an infant, and the new oak is still evident. As Vinous readers know, Monte Bello is a wine that really should not be touched until its tenth birthday, and even that requires an optimistic view. The 2012 has been a consistently brilliant wine. Today, it is once again stellar. |
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California | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,550.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2013 Monte Bello is a very special vintage for this great wine. Amazingly, it has yet to shut down, unfurling in the glass to reveal a bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, rich espresso roast, cigar wrapper, subtle black truffle and burning embers that has already integrated its 100% new oak remarkably completely. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful and multidimensional, with a lavishly textural attack that segues into a stunningly layered, richly structured mid-palate endowed with incredible depth and concentration underpinned by succulent acids. The finish is long, vibrant and beautifully delineated. The 2013 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, and it attained 13.6% natural alcohol. Analytically, this ranks as one of the most tannic vintages of Monte Bello ever produced, but the tannins are of such high quality and cloaked in such a wealth of fruit that Ridge forwent their habitual egg white fining this year—beginning a trend that has continued since. This profound Monte Bello will begin to blossom as it reaches age ten and should prove practically immortal. |
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California | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,138.80 |
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James Suckling (98)Unique aromas of blackberry, black currant, dark chocolate and walnut. Full body, very powerful and tannic. Incredible depth and power. Precise and so focused. Muscular. Great structure. This needs at least six to eight years to come together. |
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