OVER THE LAST FORTY-FOUR YEARS, a succession of distinguished wines has come from Monte Bello, each memorable in its way. With the decade of the 1990s, our accumulated knowledge and experience seemed to reach equilibrium. In both winery and vineyard, the successful results of our innovations and experiments were consistently evident. In a sense, Ridge winemaking and vineyard practice had come of age. Compelling evidence is to be found in the three vintages presented here. The 1992 Monte Bello has been big, fullbodied, and rich from the outset; its forward spice and red-current fruit show beautifully against a firm acid/tannin backbone. One of the most complex, structured wines of the decade, it will continue to evolve for ten years or more. The 1994, a highly-regarded vintage just now coming into its own, is at this point the most complete and satisfying of the three. Deep, dark, round, and fully integrated. 1996, as the youngest, requires decanting to integrate its elements. It has the intense black fruit of a classic, cool-climate Monte Bello. A great vintage of the '90s, with many years still ahead. The pleasure of tasting these wines is hard to overestimate. Here is an opportunity to sample, evaluate, enjoy them at a particularly telling point in their development. No longer youthful, but with years of aging potential remaining, they have entered their enticing second stage. There are elements in common, but each is true to its vintage year. See for yourself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1992 Monte Bello, bottled April 1994 80% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot Vineyard Production: 100 tons from 50 acres Selection: 40% 1994 Monte Bello, bottled May 1996 73% Cabernet, 15% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc Vineyard Production: 95 tons from 54 acres Selection: 30% 1996 Monte Bello, bottled May 1998 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot Vineyard Production: 89 tons from 92 acres Selection: 40% |