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1996 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains
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Expert Ratings
ST 93-96
WS 87
RP 95

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About Ridge Vineyards

One of the premier producers of Cabernet and Zinfandel blends in California, Ridge Vineyards thrives on the hands-off approach of longtime winemaker Paul Draper. These wines are generally single-site bottlings that express the unique characteristics of vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley, among others.

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1996 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains

Producer: Ridge Vineyards
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: California
Region: Central Coast
Appellation: Santa Cruz Mountains

Expert Reviews

93-96 Points | International Wine Cellar , May/June 1998

Saturated black-ruby. Perfumed, enticing aromas of cassis, black raspberry, violet, melted toffee and lead pencil. Big, lush and sweet, with nicely integrated acidity and firm underlying structure. Plummy and very deep. Finishes with strong but round tannins that are currently buried in fruit. A wonderfully ripe, fully expressive vintage for this wine.

87 Points | Wine Spectator
95 Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

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Member Notes

Very Good
04/22/2006
by rkwiner
Nice touch of sweetness in the tannins. I would rate this one about 93 points.

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About California

It is remarkable that an industry essentially less than a half-century old could capture the attention of the American wine-buying public to the degree that California has. Powerful consumer interest in California wine is driven by two major factors. The more obvious reason is that California's best wines, which come from grapes grown in...

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Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon built its reputation on Bordeaux's Left Bank. Here, in the district of Medoc, the varietal is the key component of blended wines that also may include some Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and even Malbec and Petit Verdot. Moving slightly south, Cabernet Sauvignon meets Merlot in roughly equal proportions in the red wines of Graves. In both of these Bordeaux regions, the top bottles...
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