Verkostungsnotizen
Vinous 98
The 2019 Monte Bello is a wild, exotic wine. Huge, soaring aromatics meld into a core of heady, exotically ripe fruit. Not a shy wine by any means, the 2019 is atypically opulent, and yet all of the classic Monte Bello structure is there, underneath all of that fruit. The 2019 needs time in bottle to shed its baby fat, but there is a lot to look forward to. I imagine it will always be a pretty exuberant wine. Inky red fruit, blood orange, espresso, sweet American oak, cedar and pipe tobacco leave a lasting impression. In a word: magnificent!
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2059
Robert Parker 97
The 2019 Monte Bello includes 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It has a poised, graceful nose of fresh sage and lilac with savory, meaty aromas in the background. The palate is medium-bodied but with admirable stuffing and concentration, leading to a springboard finish of pencil lead, gravel and pleasing, refreshing acidity. The standard elevage in new American oak is still years away from fully integrating, as evidenced in the herbal, upright but pleasant posture of the finish. This is a confidently elegant, high-toned iteration of this iconic wine that should drink and develop beautifully over the next three decades.
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2064
