2008 Ridge, California Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains 1×1.5L

Vinous 95

The 2008 Monte Bello is in a gorgeous spot right now, as the aromatics are just starting to show the complex nuances that only develop in bottle. Worn-in leather, licorice, scorched earth, savory herbs and chocolate meld into a core of intense dark fruit. Slightly angular contours hint at a bit of rusticity. My impression is that the 2008 won t be especially long-lived by Ridge standards, but it is a fine bottle to drink now, especially with a bit of time in the decanter. [Antonio Galloni, 09/09/2020]

Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030

Robert Parker 95+

"The 2008 Monte Bello is marked by the drought vintage, which not only made a more concentrated crop but also deprived the blend of all supporting varieties, as only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot handled the dry conditions sufficiently gracefully to make the final cut. At age ten, this muscular Monte Bello is finally beginning to unwind, offering up rich aromas of black cherry, cassis, dried mountain laurel, loamy soil and burning embers. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, expansive and powerful, its generous, sweetly fruited attack giving way to a taut, firm mid-palate that doesn’t show as much finesse as the 2010 or 2012, concluding with a long, stony finish. Baugher observes that in its youth, the 2008 was ""monolithic and more angular-a mouthful of tannin."" A decade later, it’s beginning to soften, but it still requires another 5 or 6 years of bottle age." [William Kelley, 31/05/2018]

Anticipated maturity: 2023-2043