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: 2002 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (stained labels)

2002 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (stained labels)

SKU #1040218 98 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2002 Monte Bello is stunning, bursting from the glass with an expressive nose of ripe blackcurrants, crème de cassis, dried cherries, burning embers, pencil lead, loamy soil and a perfumed top note of lavender. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, lavish and expansive, cutting a broad swathe across the palate, with a deep, concentrated core of succulent fruit that's framed by ripe, plush tannins, concluding with a lingering finish. At age 16, the 2002 is truly singing, so anyone with bottles in their cellar is due for a treat. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.3% alcohol. Unusually, fully 13% was matured in new French oak—with the balance, as usual, in new American oak. (WK) Inner quote mark (5/2018)

97 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2002 Monte Bello is just starting to enter the early plateau of its maturity. Bright red cherry, raspberry, wild flowers, mint and crushed flowers all lift from the glass. Sweet, perfumed and totally gracious, the 2002 has it all going on today. The 2002 is an especially nuanced and feminine Monte Bello, particularly in its aromatics, although it turns sweeter and more unctuous on the mid-palate. There is plenty of depth and intensity, but it is all about understatement when it comes to the 2002, a compelling, racy Monte Bello that is in a great place today. Eric Baugher describes 2002 as a vintage with the lowest yields seen in the last 20 years because of bad weather during bloom. Macerations were shorter than normal because of the inherent richness of the fruit. (AG) Inner quote mark (2/2016)

94 points Int'l Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark (74% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot and 8% petit verdot) Deep, full ruby. Explosively perfumed nose combines black raspberry, violet and dark chocolate. Wonderfully layered and penetrating, with expressive flavors of raspberry, currant, bitter chocolate, spices and tobacco. Still an infant, but already offers a rare combination of sweetness and inner-mouth energy. Finishes very fresh and very long, with big, dusty tannins and great lift. This is high in alcohol for Ridge at 13.3%, but a full degree or more lower than virtually any other collectible California cabernet from this vintage. (ST) Inner quote mark (8/2004)

K&L Notes

95 points Robert Parker in his most recent review: "The 2002 Monte Bello Proprietary Red is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. It tastes as if it hasn’t changed since I first sampled it in late 2003 and then again in bottle two years later. The color is healthy ruby/purple, and the wine displays some dusty, oaky, vanillin notes that jump out of the glass along with a touch of white chocolate as well as red and black currants and hints of cedar and forest floor. Extremely young and full-bodied, with some wood char still present, it is unevolved and tastes like it could be a barrel sample, except that it has been in bottle for nearly ten years! This is a blockbuster Ridge Monte Bello that still needs a minimum of another 10 years of bottle-age and should keep for 50+ years." 93 points Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "The nose is primal but very well defined, a tangible sense of minerality and notes of bilberry, boysenberry and a touch of blueberry. You would swear it Bordeaux. The palate is full-bodied, very good weight, leaning more towards Bordeaux than Santa Cruz. Very focused, very strict, the Cabernet forming a solid backbone to this wine, a linearity that I think will see it last longer than other vintages." (06/2009)

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2002 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (stained labels)

Price: $349.99

Quantity:

RP: 98

VN: 97

ST: 94

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Santa Cruz Mountains

- Vineyards dot the valleys and ridges of this coastal AVA just south of San Francisco. Microclimates make it difficult to generalize, and vineyards are frequently separated by acres of forests and meadowlands (not to mention entire towns!), but this is nonetheless known as a cooler-climate zone ideal for pinot noir. Ridge is doubtless the most famous local producer, with its cabernet blend, Monte Bello, named after a Santa Cruz mountain peak. High-quality, low-production chardonnay and some Rhône varietals prosper as well.