Monte Bello 2023

Ridge Vineyards (hentet 17. okt. 2026): 2023 Monte Bello – 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot; mark: Monte Bello; AVA: Santa Cruz Mountains; alkohol 13.2%. Smagsnote (producentens tekst, engelsk): Dark, opaque purple color, sweet oak and coffee bean. On the palate, full-bodied with a strong grip of tannins, blackberry fruit, lively acid and notes of chaparral. JO (1/26) Årgangen (producentens tekst, engelsk): After the condensed growing season of 2022 with above-average temperatures, 2023 was a stark contrast. A long, cool spring followed by mild summer weather pushed veraison into mid-August. Harvest began in October and lasted well into November, making 2023 one of the latest Monte Bello harvests ever. The long maturation period resulted in a wine with supple tannins, ample acidity, and well-defined fruit. This exemplary vintage will develop over the next twenty-five years. JO (4/25) Vækstsæsonen (producentens tekst, engelsk): Rainfall: 84 inches (above average) Bloom: Late June Weather: A late and prolonged harvest due to consistently cool weather throughout the growing season. Vinifikation (producentens tekst, engelsk): Harvest Dates: 2 October – 10 November Grapes: Average Brix 23.6˚ pH: 3.36 Fermentation: Grapes destemmed, 100% whole berry fermentation. Fermented on the native yeasts. Natural malolactic. Selection: Eighteen Monte Bello parcels Barrels: 100% new oak barrels (95% American, 5% French) Aging: Twenty-one months in barrel Hand-harvested; estate grown Monte Bello Vineyard grapes, destemmed and sorted; fermented on the native yeasts; full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur (35 ppm at crush, 65 ppm during aging); depth filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions. Historie (producentens tekst, engelsk): In 1886, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first Monte Bello vineyards were planted, and winery construction begun. A first vintage from the young vines followed in 1892. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the vineyard was not fully maintained; some vines survived into the late 30s, but by the 1940s they were effectively abandoned. Eight acres of cabernet sauvignon were replanted in 1949. These were the source of the first Ridge Monte Bello (1962) and subsequent vintages until 1974 when younger blocks replanted in the 1960s were considered for inclusion. Since then, the historic vineyards on the ridge have gradually been replanted.