1980 Monte Bello

Following the severe drought of ’76-’77 the stressed vines at our Monte Bello vineyards seemed to enter a period of adjustment, of which the elegant and spicy character of this wine is typical. To avoid overripeness, the individual sections of the vineyard were closely checked as harvest approached, and each was picked as it reached maturity This excellent vintage produced a complex, claret-style wine that needs six to eight years to approach full development.

Begun in 1959, Ridge was one of the first of today’s chateau-size California wineries, that is, those that limit production in order to attempt the highest quality. All our wines are aged in small oak cooperage with the majority receiving no cellar treatment other than racking. Located above 2300 feet on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains, we overlook San Francisco Bay.

Average Rating: 91.2

No. of Tasting Notes: 19

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