Jancis Robinson Blind Tastes the 2008 Monte Bello

Jancis Robinson

September 2022

Jancis Robinson was recently involved in two blind tastings recreating the famed “Judgment of Paris” blind tasting from 1976. In the second tasting, a charity event for The Marie Curie London Brain Game, the 2008 Ridge Monte Bello proved its worth against a 2008 Chateau Latour.

The Battle of 2008 Cabernets

Ridge Monte Bello V Chateau Latour

The next pair were both mainly Cabernet, both 2008s and both absolutely irreproachable. I was convinced that the Bordeaux first growth Ch Latour 2008, a famously slow developer, would be much more tannic and youthful than its California counterpart, Ridge Monte Bello 2008 from high above Silicon Valley. This last has proved over the years to be my favourite California Cabernet of all. It has hugely impressive longevity (the 1975 tasted in 2018 was still going strong) and just as much subtlety as a Bordeaux first growth. As indeed was proven by this blind tasting when I confused the two wines.

Jancis Robinson

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