December, 2018
James Suckling names 2015 Monte Bello #1 in his Top 100 American Wines of 2018:
Our Best American Wine in 2018 is the Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 2015. It is an iconic wine with its history in fine wine making. It doesn’t cost a fortune like so many of the cult wines from Napa Valley, and it remains true to itself, maintaining its reserve yet opulent character despite many other wines that went to a full-throttle, fruit-forward style in the late 1990s. And, of course, the mountain vineyard of Monte Bello delivers a unique bottle of wine through the ever-thoughtful hands of the Ridge winemaking team.
Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 2015
Stunning depth, power, purity and elegance. The blackcurrants and plums are fresh and intense on the nose with blueberries and gently herbal notes, too. The palate has a keenly articulated array of vibrant tannins that hold long, fresh and pure. It invokes a sense of wonderment at the finish. So long and so pure. This blend of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot, seven per cent petit verdot and five percent cabernet franc, is just at the start of a wonderful journey. Try from 2021. – James Suckling
Score – 100 Points
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