Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 2012

Captures the stunning ability of Ridge to deliver concentration and richly textured but focused blackberry, cassis and bilberry fruits. As it opens, layers of cocoa bean, slate, cigar and liqourice appear, all delivered in a savoury, restrained package laced with sage, bay leaf and white pepper. This was a structured vintage, and the tannins are very much making their presence felt, meaning the wine is just beginning to reveal its depths, but you can feel total confidence that it is going to slowly but surely join the great vintages of Ridge. Paul Draper winemaker, harvest September 21 to October 16. 98.5% American oak, 1.5% French oak barrels for ageing, all new oak. Natural yeasts, only lightly filtered at moment of bottling.