critic reviews
Captures the stunning ability of Ridge to deliver concentration and richly textured but focused blackberry, cassis and bilberry fruits. As it opens, layers of cocoa bean, slate, cigar and liqourice appear, all delivered in a savoury, restrained package laced with sage, bay leaf and white pepper. This was a structured vintage, and the tannins are very much making their presence felt, meaning the wine is just beginning to reveal its depths, but you can feel total confidence that it is going to slowly but surely join the great vintages of Ridge. Paul Draper winemaker, harvest September 21 to October 16. 98.5% American oak, 1.5% French oak barrels for ageing, all new oak. Natural yeasts, only lightly filtered at moment of bottling.
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.