Assemblage Update on the 2023 Monte Bello

Blog Post

Updated May 2024

If you’re not familiar with the assemblage process here at Ridge, you can learn more about how we harvest, ferment, and taste lots separately to create two “First” wines from the Monte Bello mountain in our blog post: An Elegant Version of Monte Bello from Select Parcels.

First Assemblage

On February 14, the RIDGE production and vineyard teams held the first of two assemblage tastings to assess the numerous vineyard blocks, 45 in total, that make up the Monte Bello vineyard.

The first step in the process is to identify wines that, though excellent in quality and capable of aging for 10-15 years, tend to evolve more quickly. We use these wines to make our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Having made this first cut, we were left with 30 outstanding lots to consider for the 2023 Monte Bello.

These thirty vineyard parcels were then blind tasted, selecting only those that best exemplify Monte Bello’s character, as honed over the last 60+ vintages. When choosing which lots should go into a wine intended to cellar and evolve over 30-40 years, careful attention is paid to tannin, structure, mouthfeel, elements that will last and reward over the long haul. Less attention is paid to fruit expression or specific aromas as these tend to be fleeting, temporal in nature.

Nine blocks immediately stood out as having clear Monte Bello character: two from Perrone, five from Torre, and two from Klein. These became our core blend which we then tried individually against the remaining wines, choosing the best to include and slowly building the Monte Bello with each successive flight. At the end of the day, several more lots were included.

2023 was an unusually late year with unseasonably cool weather throughout August and September. While the extended ripening period favored cabernet, creating wines of formidable concentration, well-coated tannins and balanced acidity, conditions were less advantageous for merlot, which struggled to reach the level of maturity needed for Monte Bello quality. The 2023 Monte Bello therefore contains a much smaller amount of merlot (3%) than usual. In this way, it is a throwback to the first decade of Monte Bellos from 1962-1972 which were 100% cabernet sauvignon.

Having completed the first assemblage, we look forward to the 2nd assemblage tasting in May where we reconsider any wines that, not completely finished with primary or malolactic fermentation in February, were not ready to initially assess.

–John Olney, Head Winemaker (February 2024)

Second Assemblage

In March and April, we continued to taste and monitor wines that, though promising at the first Assemblage, were difficult to evaluate. Usually, this difficulty is related to our traditional winemaking approach. Because we rely only on naturally present yeast and malolactic bacteria to complete primary and secondary fermentation, we give up a certain amount of control over how long this takes. For example, a given Monte Bello block may, due to a lower naturally present yeast population on the grapes, ferment slowly and not be completely dry until March. This stands in contrast to fermentations using commercial yeast specifically designed to quickly ferment a wine to dryness in a matter of weeks. We believe the inconvenience is usually worth the wait.

In May, we gathered again for the second Assemblage tasting to consider eight remaining potential Monte Bello lots. Three lots stood out, including a press wine, initially held out as too tannic, but included here added structure and darker fruit. As always, to confirm that our new Monte Bello was in character and quality with recent vintages, we blind tasted it in a vertical of 2017-2022 Monte Bello. Tasting notes in the group concurred that the 2023 Monte Bello held its own in the lineup as a wine with a full, saturated palate, firm acidity and well-coated, elegant tannins.

–John Olney, Head Winemaker (May 2024)