Decanter magazine (UK) reviews a “California wine legend” (w/tasting notes)

On Decanter magazine’s website (October 22, 2016), Stephen Brook writes an article entitled Wine Legend: Ridge California Cabernet Sauvignon 1970

Ridge California Cabernet Sauvignon 1970 is a legend because…

By coincidence, I opened my last bottle of this wine six weeks ago (Sept. 10, 2016):

1970 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Monte Bello Estate (California¹): This would, today, be simply labeled as “Ridge Monte Bello,” but back in 1970, the wine wasn’t anywhere near as famous as it is today. Label states 13½% abv, but possibly higher.¹ The label also states that the wine would age for a couple of decades. However, at 46 years of age, this wine is remarkable – with all the classic hallmarks that has made Ridge Monte Bello one of the “grand crus” of California Cabernet Sauvignon – with loads of cassis, currants and red fruits combined with a light herbaceous tone and that classic earthiness and an underlayer of oak, with generous flavors and complexity on the palate; surprisingly vigorous and even somewhat youthful (the impression is of a wine 5-10 years of age, not 45-50!); a slight acid sharpness in the finish is the wine’s only fault, but clearly not so much so that it makes this wine anything less than a classic!


¹ The “official” appellation of this wine is “California,” but it originates from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.

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