Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

9.7

Yes—exactly that kind of wine: timeless, composed, and quietly authoritative.

It smells so good on first pour. Damp pine forest floor and clean mountain air register immediately. Everything else unravels from there; but that initial pop-and-pour sniff is pure magic.

On the palate, blackcurrant, cedar, graphite, and dried herbs unfold with control, carried by freshness and finely etched tannins in a medium body.

So classic, so intellectual, and deeply mesmerizing. Drink now or age. — 5 days ago

Ted, Sagee and 9 others liked this

Krug

Grande Cuveé 166ÈME Édition Brut Champagne Blend

Joe DAscoli

9.5

The 166th edition. This was nice and bright. Light on its feet and very expressive. Very enjoyable — 8 days ago

Vino, Andrew and 3 others liked this

Vino Joe

Can never go wrong with Krug

Krug

Grande Cuvee 169ÈME Édition Brut Champagne Blend

John Malcolm

9.8

Delicious! Apricots, straw, brioche, and lemon zest. Still partial to Kristal, but this is way up there. On a par with Pol Roger Winston Churchill (although a different flavor profile). — 8 days ago

Romano Dal Forno

Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore Corvina Blend 2013

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe and some dried fruits: bramble berries, slightly stewed black cherry, dried herbs, stony earth, baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The alcohol is high.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Grenache-based blend, Corvina-based blend or Sangiovese-based blend from France or Italy. I felt the combination of slightly stewed cherry and spices ruled out what I would want from a Sangiovese blend. Which, left me to decide between Southern Rhône or Valpolicella. I liked this wine…the oak treatment was interesting. I was getting a French barrique. Hmmm…

So, for my final conclusion: I’m calling this a Grenache-based blend, from France, from Southern Rhône, from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2017, from a more modern leaning producer using a good portion of barrique. I’ll be damned! I don’t hate my call but I gotta get better at distinguishing these wines from Southern Rhône. I probably just need to drink more of both, lol. Tasty stuff! Drink now through 2039. — 20 days ago

Mark, Douglas and 6 others liked this

Zach D

That’s a super tough blind tasting. Good deductive reasoning. Cheers

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

joy horn

9.9

Bought at Pine Orchard 11/25 $70 after tasting at Ridge in 10/25. Less expensive here. The 2023 is rated at 100 pts. Absolutely delicious. Floral aromas, lightly crisp, subtle oak, smooth finish. — 17 days ago