2006 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet

[MaxH]

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, posted here and there. 2006 berries were small despite yields highest in a decade at 1.75 ton /acre. 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!)

Cheers -- Max