1996 Monte Bello Fares Well in Blind Tasting “Face-Off”

Wine Spectator

On 7 June 2016, Wine Spectator magazine published an article by writer Matt Kramer titled “Are You Really A Critic?” Here’s an excerpt from the article where he mentions the success that the 1996 Monte Bello had against some pretty stiff competition:

All 10 wines in the tasting came from the hotel’s 25,000-bottle cellar, and the wines were in pristine condition. With 20-year-old wines this is worth noting, as such impeccable provenance is rare these days.

Let me cut to the chase: Château Latour 1996 was the group’s sixth-ranked wine, which caused comment as you might expect. (It was my last-ranked wine.) The Château Margaux 1996 came in third. (I ranked it first.) Obviously, these are very big names.

The group’s first-place choice was Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 (it was my No. 2 wine), followed by Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 (No. 3 for me).

Read the full article at WineSpectator.com (may require subscription)