Ridge Monte Bello 2019
Ridge Vineyards (Otsuka Holdings) · Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California
Ridge Monte Bello 2019 is resilience distilled into wine. For over fifty years, Paul Draper and his successors have proven that California can produce wines of profound elegance.
Nose
Dark cassis and blackberry bramble intermingle with dried sage, crushed rock minerality, and a haunting note of pressed violets.
Palate
Structured and commanding yet never heavy. The tannins are fine-grained and persistent, framing black cherry, wild blackberry, and plum with precision.
Finish
Extraordinarily long. Layers of cassis, iron minerality, cedar, and dried lavender unfold over minutes.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon (82%)
- Blend
- 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
- Vineyards
- Monte Bello Estate Vineyard, 1,300-2,600ft elevation on limestone and Franciscan greenstone soils
Cocktail Suggestion
Monte Bello is best enjoyed on its own. Ridge Wine Sangria: 1 bottle younger Ridge Cabernet, 2 oz brandy, 1 oz Cointreau, fresh dark fruits, 2 oz simple syrup.
Food Pairing
Grilled rack of lamb with a black olive tapenade and rosemary jus.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Ron Zacapa Edición Negra
Ron Zacapa
Edición Negra takes Zacapa's high-altitude solera system and pushes it toward heavier charred casks, producing a darker, more brooding rum than its siblings. The result is a spirit that trades some of the Centenario 23's honeyed charm for genuine complexity and a savory edge. Whether you sip it neat or pair it with a robust dessert, this is rum built for contemplation.
Michter's 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Michter's
Michter's 10 Year exemplifies the discipline of selecting barrels that can handle a full decade without tipping into over-oaked bitterness. This is bourbon that rewards slow sipping — each minute in the glass unlocks new layers. A benchmark for what extended aging should accomplish in Kentucky whiskey.
Don Pilar Añejo Tequila
Don Pilar
Don Pilar's Añejo delivers genuine agave character that has been shaped, not masked, by eighteen months in oak. This is añejo the way it should be done — the wood serves the spirit, not the other way around. At its price point, it competes well above its weight class, offering depth and balance that many pricier añejos struggle to achieve.
Jensen's Old Tom London Gin
Jensen's
Christian Jensen spent years researching nineteenth-century recipes to reconstruct an authentic Old Tom profile. The result is not a novelty — it is a genuine revival, offering a window into what gin tasted like before London Dry became the dominant style. Essential for anyone building a historically informed Martinez or Tom Collins.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.
Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sola Tierra 2021
Domaine de la Côte
Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's Sola Tierra block sits on diatomaceous earth soils that produce some of the most transparent Pinot Noir in California. This is a wine of direction rather than power — it knows exactly where it's going and arrives with grace. If you're still looking for California Pinot that can stand alongside Burgundy Premier Cru, start here.
Château Pibran Pauillac 2019
Château Pibran
Château Pibran punches well above its price in the 2019 vintage. Owned by AXA Millésimes (who also own Pichon Baron), it benefits from the same meticulous attention and top-tier terroir. The tension between ripe fruit generosity and classic Pauillac austerity makes it both immediately enjoyable and cellaring-worthy.
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2021
Luciano Sandrone
Sandrone's Barbera is always a masterclass in restraint and fruit purity. The 2021 vintage delivered ideal conditions in Piedmont, and this wine captures the variety's defining bright acidity alongside ripe, generous fruit. It over-performs for Barbera d'Alba — the kind of bottle that reminds you why this grape deserves a permanent place at the table, not just as Barolo's understudy.