Monte Pietroso

Suavia

Monte Carbonare Garganega 2023

Peach citrus upfront with a nice mineral finish — 12 days ago

Monte Xanic

Gran Ricardo Valle de Guadalupe Red Blend 2022

Hugo’s menu, GM recommended. Soft, delicate. Light on the tongue, hints of tart fruit. — 2 months ago

Monte Degli Angeli

Collezione del Barone Piemonte Pinot Noir

I remembering enjoying it a lot! — 3 months ago

Louis M. Martini

Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Oak, chocolate, and leather. Big, rich, and full. — 4 months ago

Romano Dal Forno

Monte Lodoletta Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2017

Despite a 17 pct alcohol level this wine is perfectly in balance. Blood sausage, long afterburn rather sweet. — 6 months ago

Andrew, Brecht and 1 other liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Blend 2018

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 6 months ago

Monte Bernardi

Sa'etta Chianti Classico Riserva Sangiovese Blend 2016

Beautifully made, fresh and highly drinkable but plenty of complexity — 8 months ago

Pooneet, Tom and 5 others liked this

Herdade do Esporão

Monte Velho Alentejano Antão Vaz Blend 2021

McCarthy & Schiering, $11

Bursting with tropical flavors, lots of pineapple and guava, almost reminds me of POG juice. Balanced with a crisp acidity and very easy to drink. Amazing for the price, I immediately went back and grabbed 2 more bottles
— 3 years ago

Monte Antico

Supremus Toscana SuperTuscan Blend 2016

Great Super Tuscan, full bodied with a lot of complex flavor — 19 days ago

Mike Tomasello
with Mike

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

1000th wine by delectable 🥳. Controlled power...deep flavours that are starting to integrate nicely. Have wanted to try this for a long time and wasnt let down. Heres to the next 1000 🥂 — 3 months ago

Somm, Austin and 16 others liked this
Anthony De Blasi

Anthony De Blasi

Congratulations! I just bought the Petit Sirah and Pagani Ranch 🤩

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 4 months ago

Paul, Tom and 6 others liked this

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2016

Buen rioja, aunque no creo que esta cosecha nos de esta textura y bouquet. — 5 months ago

Romano Dal Forno

Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore Corvina Blend 2013

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.
— 6 months ago

Mark, Douglas and 6 others liked this
Zach D

Zach D

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

Monte Bernardi

Retromarcia Chianti Classico Sangiovese 2022

Nice. Old school not very funky but nice — 8 months ago

Monte del Frá

Cá del Magro Custoza Superiore Garganega Blend 2022

Costco. Very bright and sharp, but potentially ok on it’s own, shines with richer dishes — a month ago

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Second & last of my bottles. Wonderful, while ready to drink still has plenty of years ahead of it. — 2 months ago

Speri

Monte Sant'Urbano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2020

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb.
— 3 months ago

Tom, Bob and 3 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

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. — 6 months ago

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Gran Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2005

Cedar, fruit in the background, coconut?. Mature and delicious — 7 months ago

Lorenzo Begali

Monte Ca' Bianca Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2019

Vanilla scent after. Light and soft fruits. Drinkable and delicious. — 8 months ago

Paul liked this