1997 Ridge Monte Bello

Community Tasting Notes (273) Avg Score: 93.9 points

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  5/18/2024 - soyhead wrote:

  nose - black cherry, brick
  mouth - beautiful wine and still drinking young. fleshy and rich. Drink or hold.

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  5/17/2024 - dbg wrote:

  Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark ruby core, a little lightening at the rim, no bricking. Wonderful forward nose of dark cherries, cassis, mint/eucalyptus and leafy green notes, a bit of vanillin oak. Medium to medium-full body, excellent balancing acidity and tannins. Ripe fruit flavors follow the nose, nice bit of leafy green and well-integrated bacground oak adding some complexity. Medium to long finish. Plenty of fruit and balanced structure to continue drinking well for another 5-10 years. Glad I waited on this one, it’s drinking beautifully and showing a nice mix of classic old school California cab well-married to newer ripe fruit and oak barrel aging. Outstanding.

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  5/4/2024 - phandley66 wrote: 94 Points

  Much more approachable then last two bottles. Lots of cherry, cola. Not much tannin. Definitely at peak or slightly past. Would drink now!

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  3/4/2024 - DoubleD1969 wrote:

  Drank next to the 1997 Ornellaia. Both bottles were double decanted in the afternoon then brought to the Hawksmoor NYC.
  
  Ornellaia: 65% Cab, 30% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc.
  The nose was a bit more expressive while decanting. Notes of raspberries, dried herbs, and wet earth. At the restaurant, a bit of barnyard crept in. Color had a maroon core that gradually lightened towards the edges. Looking at it next to the Ridge, it was obviously lighter in color. Wine was silky with tannins fully resolved. Dried red fruit, pomegranate seeds, oregano, and mushroom/earthy kind of taste. Still excellent.
  
  Ridge MB: 85% Cab, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cab Franc.
  Like the Ornie when decanting, the nose was full of eucalyptus, black licorice, and graphite which receded somewhat (may have been the restaurant) and let the crushed black cherry fruit to emerge. Color was mostly opaque. Much fuller-bodied than the Ornellaia with the dark cherry, blackberry, forest floor combo. Fantastic as always. A better match for the charcoal-grilled steaks.

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  2/3/2024 - Ward Huang Likes this wine: 99 Points

  Slow-ox for 12 hrs at cellar temp. Much better than last bottle. Decanting in the bottle with long time and less oxygen really helps showcase its full potential.

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