Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Just got a (generous) side sample of this as I was entrenched with the weekly wine rep tastings. Tasted after 30 mins and one hour after opening. Definitely bretty (as expected) for the first tastes but that mostly dissipated by the end of the glass. Light-medium body with mostly bowed tannins initially. Longer it remained in the glass, the more the tannins came out to frolic. Still plenty of structure, fruit and front-palate intrigue (usually hidden/buried by tannins). Not improving at this point but-depending on storage and/or bottle size-still more than viable and deserving of massive respect. 01.29.25. — 6 days ago

Peter Krug

9.5

Thanks Mark and Ben for sharing. Totally amazing. Rich and smooth and dreamy. — 3 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Blend 95% Cabernet Sauv, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, splash of Malbec, more cab heavy than prior vintages, deep Ruby, aromas of ripe black and red fruits with floral and earthy notes. On the palate flavors of cherry, blackberry, currants and licorice with vanilla, cacao, cedar and savory herbs. Long finish, well balanced, full tight rich tannins ending with fruit, cedar and earthy character. Nice! — 2 days ago

Mark Farrell

9.5

Deep ruby in color with slight brick color on the rim. Nose is quite pleasing with berry compote, lavender, and dark chocolate. Also a bit of earthiness. Wow. A great mouthfeel on this wine. Well balanced with tannins still a bit heavy. That said, I like my wines with a bit more tannic backbone. These notes are from pop and pour taste. Will let it open up a bit and will update if it changes significantly. — 5 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Blend 95% Cabernet Sauv, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, splash Malbec and Petit Verdot, blended before being aged 24 months in American Oak, 50/50 new and second used. Deep Ruby color with aromas of black fruits, spice and hints of cedar. On the palate flavors of blackberry, raspberry and currants with licorice, cacao, vanilla and savory herbs. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and savory mineral character. Nice!
— 2 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Jesus o y andre rdz y lalo o — 16 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

No detailed notes. Just a good drink now budget Cabernet from California which drinks to its price point. Blackberry and dark chocolate. A Coppola movie has more complexity 😎 — 5 days ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — 17 days ago

Scott E. Becker

9.3

[Tasted on January 25, 2025 at Home with Tom, Kathy, Mark and Lucille]

84% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5.5% Merlot; 5.5% Cabernet Franc; 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Blackberry and black currant fruit, with chocolate, espresso, earth and a mineral note. Nicely balanced. — 10 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2018 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 15 mins and one hour. Beautifully feminine and expressive nose leapt out of the decanter. Medium body. Nice balance of dark fruits and tannins but slightly disjointed. A bigg Napa vintage so either another decade or a three hour tour...er...decant would seem to be the ticket here. 01.31.25. — 4 days ago