Stephen Brook of Decanter Magazine wrote a nice piece about the 1970 Monte Bello and why this wine is a “Legend”, which involves a little bit of history and background about the vineyard, winery, founders and retired Ridge Winemaker Paul Draper. The following is a short excerpt from the article:
“Ridge California Cabernet Sauvignon 1970 is a legend because…
The original Monte Bello vineyard was first planted high in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the 1880s, and the site was acquired in the 1950s by a group of scientists from Stanford University. They bought the property as a weekend retreat but realised the handful of remaining vines made exceptional wine.
Production was extremely limited at first but as it gradually grew, the decision was made to hire a full-time winemaker. Paul Draper…”