The 2009 Monte Bello ,72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot is simply magnificent. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers, spices and graphite are all woven together in this utterly impeccable wine. The 2009 is an especially huge, intense Monte Bello, yet a sexy, silky core of fruit lies within its imposing frame. Everything comes together in this glorious, radiant wine. Last year the 2009 had some pretty stiff competition from the 2010, but today it is simply firing on all cylinders. Eric Baugher describes 2009 as a year with cold weather early on, followed by heat in early June and July. The fruit was brought in on October 12, just before an intense downpour swept through the region. There is a purity and silkiness supported by structure in the 2009 that is impossible not to admire. Simply put, this is another utterly magnificent, towering masterpiece from Ridge. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049.
Winespectator (96)
A rare fruit bomb Monte Bello, with the structure taking a back seat to waves of gorgeous red currant, blackberry and plum sauce flavors. Features flashes of spice, tea and cedar, showing a lightly mulled edge through the finish that opens nicely in the glass. Very seductive.
BOW (8.75)
Jancis Robinson (18)
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. A long, cold winter and cool spring led to a late start, but warm summer weather brought the vines back on schedule. The last grapes were picked on October 12, one day before torrential rains. Harvest 23 September to 12 October. Grapes were destemmed, and left uncrushed as whole berries. Automated berry sorting followed by hand-sorting. Natural primary and secondary fermentations. Pressed at six days. 19 months in barrel (97% new air-dried American oak, 2% new French oak, 1% one-year-old air-dried American oak).
Very deep crimson. This smells like bordeaux! But less ripe and blowsy than many red bordeaux 2009s. Medium body again with a rich panoply of flavours: balsam, dried leaves, well-mannered cassis, quite marked fine tannins in the background – for future use? Just the sort of restrained build that bordeaux used to be. Still quite dry on the end.
