In long tradition the Ridge winery (Santa Cruz Mountains, California) shows
the new wine publicly yesterday and today. This is the usual first-blend
March tasting, "about three-quarters final" this time. Second showing (May
19-20) will sample final assemblage. The winery also poured two separate
2006 components from barrel (Cabernet, Merlot), 2004 Monte Bello (releasing
September at $135), 1994 Monte Bello for comparison after age, and the very
concentrated Monte Bello Chardonnay.

In this 2006 snapshot I smelled a strong Port-de-Salut note in the nose as
sometimes in this wine (97 notably) and tasted a riot of concentrated raw
flavors. Compare 1990-2002 magnum notes:

>
Archived: http://tinyurl.com/2ebn4z

2006 berries were small despite yields 1.75 ton /acre, highest in a decade.
Ridge projects finished wine quality comparable to 2005's with its
contrasting lowest yields in a decade (1 ton/acre).

The earliest of this wine I've had was the 1964 (not yet labeled Monte Bello
then), brought to a dinner by another winemaker and tasting friend (Ed
Kurtzman), doing well at 40. (Both.) For decades, you could taste the
final Monte Bello assemblage in May before deciding to order futures (the
first time I did so, 1980 vintage at $15, futures remained on sale through
summer). Last year (2005 vintage) saw anomalous early demand, selling out
futures late March, surprising their 80 or so regular customers. I asked
the winemakers yesterday why, but they didn't know -- it preceded the
"30th-anniversary Paris tasting" publicity. Spillover from 2005 Bordeaux
interest?

More information at www.ridgewine.com . As usual, tasting indoors at US
wineries -- which haven't yet cultivated public spitting -- it's handy to
bring your own spit cups unless you are a sharpshooter with a spittoon.
(Ding!)

-- Max

The Ridge, and about 50 similar others will be available for barrel
tasting on march 10 in DC.

http://www.bassins.com/californiabarrel/index.html

On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 09:42:29 -0800, "Max Hauser"
> wrote:

>In long tradition the Ridge winery (Santa Cruz Mountains, California) shows
>the new wine publicly yesterday and today. This is the usual first-blend
>March tasting, "about three-quarters final" this time. Second showing (May
>19-20) will sample final assemblage. The winery also poured two separate
>2006 components from barrel (Cabernet, Merlot), 2004 Monte Bello (releasing
>September at $135), 1994 Monte Bello for comparison after age, and the very
>concentrated Monte Bello Chardonnay.
>
>In this 2006 snapshot I smelled a strong Port-de-Salut note in the nose as
>sometimes in this wine (97 notably) and tasted a riot of concentrated raw
>flavors. Compare 1990-2002 magnum notes:
>
>
>Archived: http://tinyurl.com/2ebn4z
>
>2006 berries were small despite yields 1.75 ton /acre, highest in a decade.
>Ridge projects finished wine quality comparable to 2005's with its
>contrasting lowest yields in a decade (1 ton/acre).
>
>The earliest of this wine I've had was the 1964 (not yet labeled Monte Bello
>then), brought to a dinner by another winemaker and tasting friend (Ed
>Kurtzman), doing well at 40. (Both.) For decades, you could taste the
>final Monte Bello assemblage in May before deciding to order futures (the
>first time I did so, 1980 vintage at $15, futures remained on sale through
>summer). Last year (2005 vintage) saw anomalous early demand, selling out
>futures late March, surprising their 80 or so regular customers. I asked
>the winemakers yesterday why, but they didn't know -- it preceded the
>"30th-anniversary Paris tasting" publicity. Spillover from 2005 Bordeaux
>interest?
>
>More information at www.ridgewine.com . As usual, tasting indoors at US
>wineries -- which haven't yet cultivated public spitting -- it's handy to
>bring your own spit cups unless you are a sharpshooter with a spittoon.
>(Ding!)
>
>-- Max
>
>