2001 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

“Expansive black-fruit aromas, plus some mulberry and bitter chocolate, make this mature Californian red hard to resist. The balance of mouth-filling richness with fine tannins gives this a sensual, velvety mouth-feel, followed by chalky minerality and bright acidity that create fantastic tension at the finish. A cuvee of 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot and 8% petit verdot.” (12/2022)

“The 2001 Monte Bello is a very atypical vintage for Ridge, attaining a record high alcohol of 14.1% and containing an unprecedented 36% Merlot. Baugher remembers that the grapes retained green, unripe flavors while sugars soared, so he was forced to wait to pick. It's hard not to be seduced by the resulting wine, which wafts from the glass with lavish aromas of ripe plums, black truffles, dark chocolate, cigar ash and loamy soil. It's full-bodied, ample and dramatic, with a broad, expansive attack and a voluptuously layered mid-palate, its sweet fruit complemented by plenty of savory nuance. At this stage, I prefer the 2002, which is almost as generous but better balanced and more Cabernet Sauvignon-driven in personality, but I suspect many tasters will favor the more opulent, sun-kissed 2001. (WK)” (05/2018)

“The 2001 Monte Bello is a total turn-on. Racy and hedonistic, especially by Ridge standards, the 2001 makes a strong opening statement with its super-ripe fruit and explosive aromatics. Beams of supporting tannin lie in the background and serve to give the wine its overall shape. Hints of leather, mint and sweet tobacco add perfume throughout. Over the last few years, the 2001 has begun to develop quite a bit of more tertiary notes. It remains one of the most flamboyant (and ripest) Monte Bello ever made. (AG)” (06/2017)

“Without doubt this is a wine to cellar. It’s massive in flavor, with the purist blackcurrant and cassis fruit you can imagine, and the huge plaster of sweet oak is perfectly balanced. Then there are the tannins. They’re fine and complex, but gritty. *Cellar Selection*” (04/2005)

“Gorgeous. Dense, rich and concentrated, with a tight core of blackberry and wild berry with floral and berry jam touches. Tight yet expressive, softening ever so slightly and ending with a persistent push of mineral and berry. (JL)” (10/2011)

“After two decades the deep colour is just starting to evolve, as is the nose, which now shows leafy and tobacco aromas while retaining the firm black fruits so evident when the wine was young. The palate is now velvety and supple, with integrated tannins that are not too grippy. The assertive acidity threads through the wine but it's not aggressive and the finish is sweet and long. Incidentally, one of the very few Monte Bellos to surpass 14% alcohol, though it doesn't show. (SB)” (10/2022)

“56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc. 40th anniversary vintage. More Merlot in the assemblage than ever before. Cold and wet winter was followed by early, very dry spring and moderate summer temperatures with brief periods of intense heat. Harvest 10 September to 9 October. 134 tons from 108 acres. But easily extractable tannins. The only vintage that was over 14% (which was seen by Paul Draper as a mistake). 18 months in barrel (90% new air-dried American oak, 10% new French oak).Dark crimson. Intense and well-melded nose. Sweet and really quite luscious with a tannic structure still in evidence. Really very gorgeous now with beautiful balance. This balsam note again – so refreshing and the acidity keeps this wine from heft. Great for drinking now. 18.5/20 points (JR)” (10/2022)