Monte Bello 2018

Monte Bello 2018

Zum Winzer

99–100
100
2
Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Petit Verdot 15%, Merlot 5%
5
rot, trocken
13,5% Vol.
Trinkreife: 2025–2060
Verpackt in: 12er
9
voluminös & kräftig
seidig & aromatisch
tanninreich
3
Lobenberg: 99–100/100
Suckling: 98/100
Wine Spectator: 97/100
Falstaff: 97/100
Galloni: 96+/100
Jancis Robinson: 19/20
Parker: 94–97+/100
6
USA, Californien
7
Allergene: Sulfite, Abfüllerinformation
lobenberg

Heiner Lobenberg über:
Monte Bello 2018

99–100
/100

Lobenberg: Der 2018er Jahrgang war bei Ridge ein Bilderbuch Jahr. Das perfekte Wetter während der Blüte, führte durch die vorangegangene Trockenheit dennoch zu geringeren Erträgen. Im Sommer waren die Temperaturen ausgeglichen und nicht zu warm, ganz ohne Hitze-Spitzen. Nebel verhalf im Spätsommer zu behutsamem Ausreifen der gesunden Trauben. Der 2018er Monte Bello ist konzentriert aber zugleich auch voller Finesse. Unendlich fein und balanciert, keine fette Blaubeere der zu heißen Jahre sondern konzentrierte rote Frucht mit Tiefgang, auch Cassis und Brombeere, reife rote Johannisbeere, Sauerkirsche und rote Kirsche als Superkonzentrat ohne Süße, 90%ige Schokolade, die Dichte der konzentrierten roten Frucht dominiert jedoch. Auch Schwarzkirsche und Herzkirsche zeigt sich verstohlen mit dezenten blauen Blümchen, das ist mit ultrafeinem, seidigen Tannin und perfekter harmonischer Säure. Groß und langlebig und ein König in Feinheit und Finesse. 99-100/100

98
/100

Suckling über: Monte Bello

-- Suckling: A bright and beautiful Monte Bello with dark and black fruit, such as blackcurrants, as well as walnuts and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied with creamy tannins that are there from start to finish. Turns lightly dusty. Beautiful length. Really pure and focused. Needs time to come together completely, but already a beauty. Drink after 2025. 98/100

97
/100

Wine Spectator über: Monte Bello

-- Wine Spectator: Very expressive, with warmed blueberry compote, menthol, sweet bay, steeped açaí and zesty sassafras notes all in the mix, carried by brambly grip and a cold cast iron spine. Late echo of mesquite completes this remarkably complex and vivid offering. Should be fun to watch this develop in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2042. From California. 97/100

97
/100

Falstaff über: Monte Bello

-- Falstaff: Die üppigen Vanilletöne amerikanischer Eiche umrahmen die herben Brombeernoten der Nase wunderbar. Der Gaumen zeigt sich mit exquisiter Frische und noch mehr verführerischer, reifer, aber herber Brombeerfrucht und Backgewürz. Der Wein ist lebendig und glänzend und hat schöne Geschmeidigkeit, die die eleganten, festen Tannine und die aromatischen Nuancen der Frucht zur Geltung bringt. Ein echter Klassiker. 97/100

96+
/100

Galloni über: Monte Bello

-- Galloni: The 2018 Monte Bello is a wine of extraordinary finesse. Although it doesn’t have the body or overt richness of some recent vintages, it more than makes up for that with its total sense of harmony. Lavender, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers all develop in a sublime, refined Monte Bello that will thrill Ridge lovers. This is an especially elegant, lithe vintage for Monte Bello that is marked by a dry year with no heat spikes and a very long harvest that wrapped up in late October. 96+/100

19
/20

Jancis Robinson über: Monte Bello

-- Jancis Robinson: Very dark crimson. The ripeness level is quite a shock immediately after the 1977! Floral cassis in abundance but nothing heavy. It’s supported on an air mattress of acidity and gives huge pleasure. I wouldn’t choose to drink the 2019 now but I could drink this! Great lift and freshness as well as all that ripe fruit. SO neat! 19/20

94–97+
/100

Parker über: Monte Bello

-- Parker: I tasted the 2018 Monte Bello as a finished barrel sample during the annual Ridge Monte Bello Tasting Final Assemblage event; the blend was 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 11% Petite Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. It has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and youthfully primary nose with boysenberry, blueberry jam, blackcurrant, dark chocolate-covered cherries, cigar box, graphite, loamy earth and oodles of floral character. The palate is medium to full-bodied and packed full of flavor layers, knit by very fine, ripe, pixelated tannins and great freshness and finishing very long. 94-97+/100

Weingut über: Monte Bello

-- Weingut: Weingut: Mild winter resulted in below-average rainfall. Most of the winter rain came in March. That was late enough to keep the vines going through summer and into harvest without too much water stress. Weather during bloom was perfect and allowed all varietals to set a full crop. Yields from our zinfandel vineyards were above average. Chardonnay and bordeaux varietals at Monte Bello were just below-average, down about 10%. Summer weather was warm, but not hot like 2017. Fog in August allowed the vines to slowly ripen and do so uniformly. It’s rare to have zinfandel do that, but when it does, the resulting wines are superb. 2018 zinfandels are excellent, possessing deep color, rich tannins, and amazing depth of flavors. They will age beautifully. The Monte Bello bordeaux lots are also of superb quality. Natural yeasts took much longer to ferment. To avoid pressing off sweet, we kept the fermenting juice on the skins longer-than-normal. To avoid over-extracting tannins, pump-over time and frequency was reduced. Once pressed, and fractionated, most of the press wine was held out from being added back to free runs. Now that natural malolactics are underway, the lots are all being sent to new barrels to finish. There are a number of lots that show amazing Monte Bello character. The assemblage tasting will be held in late January when we taste through everything to put together our first blend of 2018 Monte Bello. Petit verdot ripened nicely this year. Our two lots are phenomenal and likely to be selected into Monte Bello. Many of the classic cabernet and merlot lots are also excellent and will be chosen, too. With yields being lower at Monte Bello, the production size is most likely going to be on the smaller size. Nevertheless, it will be a powerful vintage.

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Gut eineinhalb Stunden südlich von San Francisco liegt das legendäre Weingut Ridge in den Santa Cruz Mountains, auf dem Gipfel des Monte Bello. Die letzten 15 Kilometer führen über verschlungene Serpentinen durch Redwoods und Eichenwälder bis hinauf zum Weingut, das auf 700 Metern liegt und...

Monte Bello 2018