Monte Bello | 4488: A Ridge Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Monte Bello’

#RidgeSomms: It Was The Best Of Times …

May 23, 2013

It was the best of times, it was the best of times.

Not unlike a broodingly alive, spiritually roller-coasted emo-drama teenager the morning after graduation ceremonies, I am currently a certifiable mash-up of emotions.

When the music’s over, how to turn off the lights?

And so the up-and down-loading begins; the sifting, the filtering, the processing …

But while the event itself may now be complete, I carry yet within me a true-gold cache of memories both intangible and collected, and as I sit now poring over the photos, videos, and notes I’ve accrued, I am conscious of my privilege as a repository of significance.

I find myself turning inwards, again and again, to these fields of remembrance; this landscape upon which walks a most marvelous and effulgent confederacy of personages whom I now call friends.

A toast to you all …

Vanessa

To Vanessa Bazzani, for telling the story of the restaurant that puts eggs on everything, for enacting a living proof that Portland truly is one of the living foodie heavens, for finding a quick few minutes on an otherwise laughably crowded itinerary to get a swim in, and for always taking notes …

Fred C. (with Heidi Nigen)

To Fred Cabrera, for sharing the “How many ounces in a port pour” story, for traveling all the way from Miami, for enlivening the dinner table with your passionately improvisational dissertation on the merits of good béarnaise sauce, and for giving one of the truly great “Let’s go around and introduce ourselves” morning speeches …

Fred D.

To Fred Dame, for giving the longest Julia Child impersonation I’ve ever witnessed, for mentoring so many generations of passionate gatekeepers of the true-wine flame, and for your rhapsodic words on behalf of the 1990 Geyserville …

Ryan (center), with Bruno (left) and Frank (right)

To Ryan Stotz, for knowing what Sam Bond’s Garage is, for knowing what “Hot Freaks” is, for opening 3 new restaurants and getting married all in the same quarter, for giving some of the best spontaneous over-dinner tasting notes I’ve ever heard, and for having a truly great alter-ego twitter handle …

Philip (right), with John Olney

To Philip Hirrel, for offering to make up a fictitious bio if the true one didn’t suffice, for maintaining quiet dignity at all times, for bringing a little California to New Mexico, and for so effortlessly embodying the “Never let someone talk you out of a wine you love and enjoy the moment, Amen” ethos so perfectly …

Bruno (far right)

To Bruno Marini, for every hysterical thing you said over the second night’s dinner table, for so devotedly contributing to the oeno-culinary culture of one of the great cities of the world for so long, for traveling so far to be with us, and for always using a turn signal when you drive …

Augustus (center)

To Augustus Miller, for being both young and wise, for contributing to the pre-event activity in such astonishingly excellent fashion (via your collaboration with RedWineLovers), for publicly acknowledging that you look like an 18-year old, for working into your departure plans a trip to Absinthe, and for providing such obvious hope for the oeno-cultural future …

Dave

To Dave Poore, for referring to your hair cut as being unruly, for being such a great first night dinner conversationalist, for so humbly overseeing one of the truly classic restaurants on the American food landscape, and for being probably the only guest in attendance who had to get right home, and right to work, because of the Indy 500 …

Charles

To Charles Puglia, for so obviously being a living symbol of the next generation of wise, passionate, savvy, devoted, serious, committed, and influential wine authorities, for tweeting so cleverly and consistently, for really and truly loving Essences, for always putting philosophy first, and for changing your flash card to Tribidrag …

Steve, with Paul Draper

To Steve Steese, for celebrating your birthday with us, and for being older than we thought you were, for asking so many great questions, for being the bravest of tasters, for so cleverly acknowledging the inheritance of your wine list, and for seeing the Old Patch Geyserville’s vines with a sculptor’s eyes …

Frank

To Frank Stitt, for being every bit the gentleman I’d hoped you’d be and then some, for being so incredibly kind to me, for being just as willing to talk Casablanca as to talk Social Media, for so graciously engaging Paul with such elegant consistency, for having a stunningly refined palate, and for embodying all that is beautiful about The South …

To you all, a toast! I have been blessed to know you, and I shan’t forget you. Safe travels, deep bows, respect.

(p.s. To June Rodil, we are so sorry you could not join us after all! You were missed, but there will be a next time, for sure!)

There is so much still to come in the way of post-event material, but for now, I wish to offer these brief, chronological slideshows of Days I & II of what has proven to be two very, very important and special days to me.

For those who’ve been following along and watching our event from afar, I thank you, and I hope these small movies will make for an enjoyable visual contribution to the virtual wine-stream, and to those who will see themselves in these images, I tell you this is a mirror that will reflect back to you a beatific assemblage of the best and the brightest …

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

To read additional #RidgeSomms posts,
please check out the selections below!

#RidgeSomms: Where The Ridge Meets The Hill (5.20.13)
#RidgeSomms: A Gentleman And An Expert (5.19.13)
#RidgeSomms: I Cover The Waterfront (5.18.13)
#RidgeSomms: To Dine In The Valleys (5.17.13)
#RidgeSomms: Jackets Are Preferred (5.17.13)
#RidgeSomms: One Mile High And Rising! (5.16.13)
#RidgeSomms: The Powers of Austin! (5.15.13)
#RidgeSomms: Christina Donley, Moth To St. Elmo’s Flame! (5.15.13)
#RidgeSomms: Michael Torino Sees “Red!” (5.14.13)
#RidgeSomms: Home Page (5.13.13)

Tags:#RidgeSomms, Augustus Miller, Bruno Marini, Charles Puglia, Dave Poore, Frank Stitt, Fred Cabrera, Fred Dame, June Rodil, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Philip Hirrel, Ridge Vineyards, Ryan Stotz, Steve Steese, Vanessa Bazzani
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Geyserville, History, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Press Reviews, Ridge Memorabilia, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Video, Vineyards and Oenology, Virtual Verticals, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: Where The Ridge meets The Hill

May 19, 2013

Within the borders of Wine’s Metaphysical Country is a complexity of filigree and trellis; a latticework of weft and skein and weave; a many-tendril’d meshwork made of crossroad laid on crossroad, linked to crossroad.

Art meets science here
as the past crosses the future over there.
Tradition and experiment
triangulate and complement.
Data mining spreadsheets,
fingers spread, dirty nails,
the work of fingers, work of hands;
a braid of histories.
Instinct greeting training; dessucating;
pre- and post-industrial entwined.

Here is Paul Draper, and here is Dan Barber.

Here is Pre-Industrial Winemaking, and here is Farm-to-Table.

Here is Ridge Vineyards, and here is Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

And here is Charles Puglia.

Charles Puglia, Wine Director, Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Facebook.com/CharlesPuglia
Twitter.com/CharlesPuglia

As when Paul Draper came to Monte Bello, as when Dan Barber came to Blue Hill, philosophy met land in the palm of a hand.

…an excitement that bespeaks

our shared lineage, the ancient

mammalian rite of recognition;

kindredity.

In Charles Puglia, we have an embodied ligature connecting The Ridge and The Hill.

Charles Puglia is the Wine Director at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and he is coming to Ridge Vineyards.

The Ridge and The Hill.

As Michael Torino said:

“With the concept of Blue Hill at Stone Barns being a true farm-to-table restaurant, focusing on growing and raising the best possible ingredients, and not so much cooking but handling the product properly, and not using t0o many ingredients in a dish, they may be one of the best fits for Ridge I can think of. Their viewpoint really mirrors our pre-industrial winemaking philosophy, and our decision to include ingredients on our labels.”

This line, I love: Not so much cooking, but handling …

About Charles Puglia

Charles Puglia has been a professional sommelier for the last 8 years. He currently works as the Wine Director at the highly acclaimed Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant in Pocantico Hills, New York. Charles manages all aspects of the beverage program for the restaurant.

Throughout his career, Charles has managed his own beverage programs as well as worked under the guidance of important professionals in the field, many of which have become mentors to him. Prior to working at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Charles held positions that include sommelier at Jean Georges Restaurant in New York City, assistant wine director at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York, wine director at Palomino restaurant in Greenwich, CT, and sommelier at Gaia restaurant, also located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Charles began his career as a sommelier with a simple interest in wine. He began learning through self-education. After spending some time in the field he decided to begin formal education. Charles received his advanced certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in 2009. He is currently a student of the Court of Master Sommeliers and recently earned his advanced sommelier certificate in August of 2011.

Charles is the real deal. Authentic, serious, and devotional. And he has a very kind face.

Charles is joining us for #RidgeSomms.

I find this to be so philosophically resonant, so metaphysically relevant, so metaphorically appropriate.

The Blue Hill at Stone Barns Wine List is 46 pages long. On page 26 there are 6 vintages of 90′s era Monte Bello.

In “Each Moment Is the Universe: Zen And The Way Of Being Time,” Dainin Katagiri says:

According to Dogen, everything that exists is time, so you are time. Dogen uses the phrase “the time has come” to say that time arises from conditions and appears as particular beings. Does that mean that everything appears by chance? No, in Buddhism “the time has come” is known as interdependent co-origination, or conditioned origination.

For Ridge Vineyards, for Blue Hill at Stone Barns, for Charles Puglia, the time has come.

The Time Has Come.

And with that, we invite you to join Charles Puglia, Michael Torino, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags:#RidgeSommsDainin Katagiri, Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Charles Puglia, Dan Barber, Dogen, Farm to Table, Ingredient Labeling, Interdependent Co-Origination, Kindredity, Michael Torino, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Pre-Industrial Winemaking, Ridge Vineyards, Sommelier, Wine Director
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Vineyards and Oenology, Virtual Verticals, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Art, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine & Literature, Wine & Philosophy, Wine & Poetry, Wine & Spirituality, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales, Winemaking | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: I Cover The Waterfront

May 18, 2013

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

Michael Torino said it, and I haven’t forgotten it.

We were discussing Strega Waterfront, in the Seaport District of Boston, and I asked him about the Ridge presence on the Strega winelist.

And Michael Torino said: How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

And I said, yes!

Bruno Marini, the very esteemed General Manager & Wine Director of Strega Waterfront, is coming to #RidgeSomms, and thus, I Cover The Waterfront.

If you know Boston’s food & wine scene, you know Bruno Marini. And if you love Boston’s food & wine scene, you love Bruno Marini. Because he’s been an integral part of a great many restaurants that you love. The Federalist, Ambrosia on Huntington, Biba, Pignoli, Davios, and more.

And then along came Nick Varano, and Strega Waterfront. An opportunity unlike any other. Cue Bruno Marini.

Bruno Marini, General Manager & Wine Director, Strega Waterfront

Cue a wine list 1200 selections strong, and a 10,000-bottle cellar.

Cue delicious.

Cue success.

Cue Bruno Marini.

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

In a previous post on another of our cherished #RidgeSomms guests (June Rodil, profiled here), I wrote in praise of homegrown talent, and of my appreciation for the extent to which local boys and girls are growing up to be local somms and chefs and retaurateurs.

Bruno Marini has been in Massachusetts restaurants for over 20 years.

Bruno Marini was born in Newton, Massachusetts.

Frank Sinatra sang:

I cover the waterfront
I’m watching the sea
Will the one I love be coming back to me?

Frank, when she comes, take her to Strega.

Ask for Bruno.

When I talk restaurants with Michael Torino, this is my favorite question: If you went to dinner there, what would you order?

Why do I like this question? Because I like the way Mr. Torino does his job. He’s no Ivory Tower RSM (click here for RSM definition!), nor are his passions disingenuous; if he’s building a relationship with a restaurant, he’s eating at the restaurant. He’s meeting, greeting, tasting, and talking; he’s glass in the left, and he’s fork in the right.

So I asked him, if you went to dinner at Strega Waterfront, what would you order?

PAPPARDELLE EMILIANA (Homemade pasta served with tenderloin meat sauce and porcini mushrooms)
&
COSTATA RIPIENA – 20 oz. veal chop stuffed with prosciutto Fontina cheese in white wine demi-glaze

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

How about something called a “Floating Wine Wall?”

I don’t even know what this is!

But when Michael described to me his first dinner at Strega Waterfront, he said:

“The private room we were in that afternoon is surrounded by a ‘floating’ wine wall; really incredible.”

I don’t know what that is, but I wish to be another brick in it.

If you too wish to Cover The Waterfront, go social, and dig Bruno & Co. on Facebook & Twitter. Here’s how:

https://www.facebook.com/StregaWaterfront

https://twitter.com/stregabos

And with that, we invite you to join Bruno Marini, Michael Torino, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags:#RidgeSomms, 1977 Monte Bello, Ambrosia on Huntington, Biba, Boston, Bruno Marini, Costata Ripiena, Davios, Floating Wine Wall, Frank Sinatra, I Cover The Waterfront, Massachusetts, Michael Torino, Monte Bello, Monte Bello vertical, Newtown, Nick Varano, Pappardelle Emiliana, Pignoli, Ridge Vineyards, Seaport District, Strega Waterfront, The Federalist, The Varano Group June Rodil, Wine Director
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, RIDGE Questionnaire, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Virtual Verticals, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: To Dine In The Valleys

May 17, 2013

When you are Ridge Vineyards, and you have invited 12 of the best and brightest food & wine luminaries in the country to your estates, you are faced with a daunting question: where do you take them for dinner?

Part I.

If you are Ridge Vineyards/Monte Bello , and you are 2300 feet above The Valley (Silicon Valley, that is!), you go DOWN.

You go DOWN to The Valley.

You go DOWN to Cupertino.

You go DOWN to Alexander’s.

And when you get to Alexander’s, you go find Maxwell Classen.

Maxwell Classen is the Wine Director at Alexander’s Steak House in Cupertino, and he is a very serious cat.

I spent an afternoon with him recently, tasting wine in advance of our #RidgeSomms event, and I was moved.

Max has mojo.

Max has gravitas.

Max is a very deep cat.

You can read a proper bio on Max here: Maxwell Klassen

But that won’t tell you the whole story. You gotta taste wine with the man. Then you’ll really know.

What did we taste? 2000 Monte Bello, and 1995 Monte Bello.

Pairings for the entrée.

The entrée?

Dry-Aged Strip Steak, smoked Maitake mushrooms, Kabayaki butter.

(You may know the Maitake mushroom as Hen-of-the-Woods. I know it as delicious.)

The Chef?

Gerardo Naranjo.

Chef Gerardo was part of the team that launched Alexander’s in Cupertino. He was Sous Chef then. He’s Executive Chef now.

And he did it the real deal way. He worked at a Farmer’s Market as a boy. He started in restaurants as a dishwasher. He earned a spot as a line cook. He climbed to Sous Chef status. Three times a Sous Chef. Then came Alexander’s.

Executive Chef Gerardo Naranjo has soul.

Wine Director Maxwell Classen has soul.

To find out Chef Gerardo’s full menu, and to get a feel for the Depths of Maxwell, please enjoy the following:

Needless to say, I am looking very forward to Monday evening.

I am looking very forward to the Tastes of Monte Bello, to the Flavors of Gerardo, to the Depths of Maxwell.

I am looking very forward to #RidgeSomms.

(Stay Tuned for Part II of this “Dine In The Valleys” series; next stop: Dry Creek Valley!)

And with that, we invite you to (virtually!) join us at Alexander’s Monday night, in The Valley, for an evening of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags:Monte Bello, 1995 Monte Bello, 2000 Monte Bello, Cupertino, Ridge Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Silicon Valley, #RidgeSomms, Alexander's Steak House, Maxwell Classen, Wine Director, Dry Aged Strip Steak, Maitake mushrooms, Kabayaki butter, Hen of the Woods, Gerardo Naranjo, Sous Chef
Posted in Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Monte Bello, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Video, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Tales | 2 Comments »

#VineWatch13: Week 18! Oh, What A Difference The Sun Makes!

May 14, 2013

Sun? Check.

Heat? Check.

Canopy? Check!!!

Man, what a week it’s been; it’s been all KIND of hot up in here …

And given the striking changes we’re seeing in our vines right now, I thought this might be a good time to indulge in a bit of temptation; the temptation to look back, as we look forward … so behold, a lil’ bit o’ the ol’ then-and now …

First, Lytton Springs. Then …

And now!

And how about Monte Bello? Then …

And now!

Ah, what a difference a canopy makes!

And speaking of canopies, please enjoy a lil’ ol’ canopy slideshow, if’n ya will do …

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Please stay tuned as we follow our lovely vines through the 2013 vintage!

We’re eighteen weeks in to-date, and for a quick look back, please enjoy the links below:

Week 15

Week 12

Week 9

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Week 2-Lytton Springs / Week 2-Monte Bello

Week 1

(if you’re following #RidgeVineyards on Twitter, you can also track VineWatch 2013 by specifically filtering for the following hashtag: #VineWatch13)

Tags:#VineWatch13, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, History, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Social Media, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards and Oenology, Winemaking, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

Sommelier Symposium: Paul Draper, Twelve Top Somms, and You!

May 13, 2013

The 2013 Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium:
It Was The Best Of Times

The 2013 Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium began on Monday, May 20th, just shy of 9am, on the Monte Bello Crush Pad, under a glowing Santa Cruz Mountains sun.

It concluded approximately thirty-six hours later in Healdsburg, as the last sated diner strolled contentedly into the night with a Dry Creek Kitchen dinner stowed safely inside them.

The itinerary was chock full:

Day One saw our guests moving from a Monte Bello winery tour to a blind-tasted nine-vintage Monte Bello vertical; from a virtual vineyard flyover in the Old Torre Winery Barn, to a stroll through three altitudes worth of our mountain estate; and finally, to a wine dinner at Alexander’s Steak House, during which four decades of Monte Bello were served, and which was capped off by a 1968 Essence.

Day Two began with a tour of the Radoux Cooperage, before moving to a blind-tasting of library zinfandels in our Lytton Springs Tasting Room, pairing three-decades worth of Lytton Springs and Geyserville. A presentation on Field Blends came next, and then our guests toured the Lytton Springs winery, before heading for a luncheon in the vines of Lytton West. A vineyard tour followed, culminating in a walk through the one-hundred-and-thirty-year-old vines of the Old Patch at Geyserville. Finally, dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen, featuring magnums of 1990 Geyserville and Lytton Springs.

Then suddenly, it was over.

Yet even as planes, trains, and automobiles began to carry guests homeward, new tales were already emerging, new memories beginning.

We have a treasure trove of stories, pictures, and movies still to share, and look very forward to doing so in the coming days. This page –the event’s home page– remains live, active, and updated, and we encourage you to visit regularly to enjoy the newly-emerging content.

For #RidgeSomms posts, please see below:

#RidgeSomms: It Was The Best Of Times (5.22.13)
#RidgeSomms: Where The Ridge Meets The Hill (5.20.13)
#RidgeSomms: A Gentleman And An Expert (5.19.13)
#RidgeSomms: I Cover The Waterfront (5.18.13)
#RidgeSomms: To Dine In The Valleys (5.17.13)
#RidgeSomms: Jackets Are Preferred (5.17.13)
#RidgeSomms: One Mile High And Rising! (5.16.13)
#RidgeSomms: The Powers of Austin! (5.15.13)
#RidgeSomms: Christina Donley, Moth To St. Elmo’s Flame! (5.15.13)
#RidgeSomms: Michael Torino Sees “Red!” (5.14.13)

And to read the original #RidgeSomms landing page, please read on …

(more…)

Tags:#RidgeSomms, 4488 A Ridge Blog, David Gates, Eric Baugher, Facebook, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Radoux Cooperage, Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, Sommelier Symposium, Sommelier. John Olney, Sonoma, Twitter
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Geyserville, History, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Ridge Memorabilia, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Tasting Rooms, Video, Vineyards and Oenology, Virtual Verticals, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Blogs, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales, Winemaking | Leave a Comment »

Building The 2012 Monte Bello: Part II

May 10, 2013

We’ve just completed the second round of the Monte Bello Assemblage Tasting, and the blend is in!

It was quite a remarkable tasting; somewhat unique in its architecture, as compared to some past editions, in that it was essentially divided into three distinct phases: Audition, Assemblage, and Vertical.

For those of you not familiar with the process by which the Monte Bello is created, I humbly direct you to the following posts:

Beauty Is A Rare Thing: Building The 2012 Monte Bello

Building Monte Bello: The 2011 Assemblage

A Seat At The Table: A Day In Which I Am Invited To Participate In The 2010 Assemblage Tasting!

The Second Assemblage Tasting was held in The Old Torre Winery Barn, and in attendance were the following:

Paul Draper
Eric Baugher
John Olney
Shun Ishikubo
David Gates
Kyle Theriot
Shinji Kurokawa
Amy Monroe
Christopher Watkins (me)

As the warm spring sun began to wend its subtle tides through the warming window panes, Eric inaugurated his singular oeno-alchemy…

… as, one by one, we sought our seats and prepared our palates.

We began with an auditioning of sorts; a blind tasting, 5 glasses …

… no explanation, no context, only the instructions: taste, assess, write, vote; 2 plusses, 2 minuses, 1 neutral.

When the veils were lifted, we were found to have been auditioning 4 blocks’ worth of possible inclusion candidates (three different cab lots, and a merlot option); snuck into the line-up was the First Assemblage, crafted back in April. Two of the lots received majority votes. Then it was on to Round II.

Five glasses again, blind tasted again. And again, the directive: taste, assess, write, vote; 2 plusses, 2 minuses, 1 neutral. 4 of the 5 lots fared very well; one block fell by the wayside for showing a bit too ripe.

With Round III came the “proper” assemblage process: two glasses; one with the “control” (in this case, the First Assemblage), one with an “addition.” A and B. Taste, assess, write, vote. Plus or Minus.

Eric Baugher & Shun Ishikubo

“A” took it by a nose, 5 to 4. A 7% addition of South Slope South Cabernet (S3).

Round IV. Two glasses again. A and B. Control (now including S3) and Addition. “B” essentially sweeps; a 7-2 majority. A blend of Camp and Back Hills falls by the side of the vineyard road.

Paul Draper

Round V, an override! I am on the right side of history for this one; I alone voted with Paul and Eric in favor of a 10% addition of 10-acre cab, and as is his right, Paul opted for the addition. None complained, it had been a tough vote.

David Gates

Round VI, we would find out later, found us debating the future of a block I’d loved on its own; my colleague Amy as well, joined by David Gates; however, David, a veteran of the assemblages, predicted it would not, in the end, be “assembled.” He was right, it lost out to a 6-3 majority in favor of the control. But I am holding out for a solo bottling; on its own, the block is beautiful.

Paul Draper & John Olney

Round VII, the final round of the Assemblage. “A” took the majority, which was the control, but Paul and John came out swinging in favor of the addition; a small block of stressed Merlot. To be continued …

And then came the final round. A 6-wine blind vertical of Monte Bello; the preceding 5 vintages, plus the “new” 2012.

I wrote “proper” tasting notes on each, and was able to spot almost all of them as what they were, though much to my surprise, I confused the 2009 and the 2007 (which, I would say, says a great deal for how the 2007 is currently showing, given the overwhelmingly positive critical response we’ve received for the 2009 of late –Wine Advocate: 98 points, International Wine Report: 97 points, International Wine Cellar: 96 points, Wine Spectator: 95 points–given that we’re currently offering the 2007 in our tasting rooms, perhaps a good time to visit!)

But anyhow, in addition to my “proper” notes, I also wrote a spontaneous Haiku in response to each:

2009 Monte Bello
A walk through the trees;
wet, the path, twilit, the leaves.
Into the green mist.

2008 Monte Bello
The red blushes of
beauty; luxuriant youth,
serene age; timeless.

2007 Monte Bello
As a great trunk’s broad
shoulders grow, ask yourself: Which
is stronger? Roots? Limbs?

2011 Monte Bello
Sweet soul perfection
of campground wisdom; as with
smoke, so with memories.

2012 Monte Bello (2nd Assemblage)
There is strength to fear
and strength to love; run from one,
run to the other.

2010 Monte Bello
Elegance within
a corset; beauty of denial,
of promise: a dream

When all was said and done, a new Assemblage had been born: The 2nd Assemblage. The new details are as follows:

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc 7% Petit Verdot, 13.6% ABV

Welcome.

As we do every year, we continue to invite our Monte Bello Collector Members to experience firsthand the burgeoning development of the vintage that will one day be theirs; they have now seen the 2012 Monte Bello in its Component state (for more, please click here), in its 1st Assemblage incarnation (for more, please click here), and next weekend, they’ll sample that which we have just created, the 2nd Assemblage. And if history repeats itself, it’s quite likely this will be the Final Assemblage, meaning this will be the last opportunity to taste this wine before it goes into bottle for its long hibernation; not to awaken again until its release in 2015. For more information about this very special event, please see below:

Final Monte Bello Tasting
Saturday & Sunday, May 18th & 19th
11-5pm each day
Cupertino, CA

This event is for Monte Bello Collector members only (a total of 4 attendees per membership), there is no fee to attend, and an RSVP is required. We look forward to seeing you!

Tags:2007 Monte Bello, 2008 Monte Bello, 2009 monte bello, 2010 Monte Bello, 2011 Monte Bello, 2012 Monte Bello, Amy Monroe, Assemblage, Blind Tasting, Christopher Watkins, David Gates, Eric Baugher, Final Assemblage, First Assemblage, haiku, International Wine Cellar, International Wine Report, John Olney, Kyle Theriot, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Second Assemblage, Shinji Kurokawa, Shun Ishikubo, Torre Winery Barn, vertical tasting, Wine & Poetry, Wine Advocate, wine haiku, Wine Spectator
Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Events & Photographs, History, Merlot, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Petit Verdot, RIDGE Staff, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards and Oenology, Vintage Wine Labels, Virtual Verticals, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Poetry, Wine Clubs, Wine Tales | 2 Comments »

#VineWatch13: Week 17! (Video of a Vine’s Quiet Rain Dance …)

May 6, 2013

As heard on the radio recently, it’s the driest first four months in the Bay Area since … forever.

David Gates says, if I know a Rain Dance, to go ahead and do it …

Do you know a Rain Dance?

It was certainly cold on the mountain on Sunday, and the sky held what seemed to be promises …

Such beautiful little clusters, what future awaits you?

And to the north, rest ye safely in the wise old cradle of your inheritance …

And may your skies too deliver rhythms of the rain …

Please stay tuned as we follow our lovely vines through the 2013 vintage!

We’re seventeen weeks in to-date, and for a quick look back, please enjoy the links below:

Week 15

Week 12

Week 9

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Week 2-Lytton Springs / Week 2-Monte Bello

Week 1

(if you’re following #RidgeVineyards on Twitter, you can also track VineWatch 2013 by specifically filtering for the following hashtag: #VineWatch13)

Tags:#VineWatch13, David Gates, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Rain Dance, Ridge Vineyards
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Video, Vineyards and Oenology, Winemaking, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

A Mazzoni Island of the Mind ~or~ First Friday at Monte Bello!

May 3, 2013

Greetings!

It’s May 3rd, and it’s First Friday at Monte Bello!

For our May edition of this very special monthly event, we will be celebrating the release of the new 2009 Mazzoni Home Ranch Zinfandel! The 2009 is one of the most notably zinfandel-forward Mazzoni offerings in recent years, and while it shows all the compact rusticity and culinarily companionable spice and acidity we’ve come to expect from this old-vine vineyard, it does so in a comparatively lusher, more fruit-driven fashion, and as such, is already showing beautifully with just two years in the bottle.

And dig this!

We’ll be pouring the 2009 in a two-vintage vertical with its predecessor, the 2008 Mazzoni!

This is the last chance we’ll have the ’08 on hand as a current release, making this an especially rarefied tasting opportunity.

Making today, a good day to be a member.

So remember, if you’re a member, remember:

First Friday!

First Friday at Monte Bello
Date: 5/3/2013

May 3rd ~ 4-7pm

Please join us on the first Friday of each month for an evening affair of delicious wines and small bites. While this is a Member Event, we are more than happy to host guests of our members as well! We’ll have some delicious small bites on offer for your enjoyment.

Members with shipments available for pick up at this event:
ATP – Monthly
ATP – Consolidated
(be sure to note that you are picking up on your RSVP)

For a bit of history on the Mazzoni Home Ranch:

Tags:2008 Mazzoni Home Ranch ZInfandel, 2009 Mazzoni Home Ranch Zinfandel, ATP, Carignane, First Friday, Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards, Sonoma, wine club, Zinfandel
Posted in Carignane, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Tasting Rooms, Varietals & Blends, Vintage Wine Labels, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Clubs, Zinfandel | 1 Comment »

#VineWatch13: Week 16! You’ve Just Arrived At Cluster Station!

April 29, 2013

Everything is beautiful at Lytton Springs. Everything is coming up Lytton. The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah …

Do you always feel like, somebody’s watching you?

Well, don’t look now, but somebody is …

Ah, nothing says Spring like “Still Life with Hawk on Raptor Roost” …

And at Monte Bello? Ladies and Gentleman, your train has just arrived at Cluster Station! Cluster Station, at Grand Growth, that is …

Meaning, of course, that the next big moment along the path towards harvest is soon to arrive; we’ve passed Bud Break, and we’re now pulling towards Flowering!

Can’t see it? Look closer!

Those little clusters are soon to go bloom — meaning: pollination and fertilization — and when that is complete, then along comes seed baby in the grape berry carriage!

Meaning, of course, that Fruit Set Station is close up down the tracks!

To properly mark today’s stage, consider this the strictly vegetative Grand Growth period (“vegetative” meaning expansion of leaf tissue and shoot growth are still getting the lion’s share of the carbs), which is essentially the bookend oppositve veraison; the point at which the transition towards full focus on the fruit will have been completed.

(many, many thanks to viticulturist Will Thomas for his endless patience with me as regards all things vineyardesque!)

And by the way, do you always feel like, somebody’s watching you?

Well, somebody is …