This was a fabulous showing for the 1978 Monte Bello, which is another of the high points of this great decade for Ridge. The wine offers up a rich and kaleidoscopically complex bouquet of black truffles, dark chocolate, black currants, pencil shavings and Egyptian musk. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and complete, with ripe, melting tannins, an ample core of fruit and a long, tangy finish. It gets better and better with air. The 1978 is a touch more savory and a little less lavishly textural than the 1974, but the two are very close in ultimate quality. Connoisseurs will be interested to learn that a portion of the 1978 was rebottled due to an incomplete malolactic fermentation: antique olive bottles indicate the rebottled 1978, whereas the original bottles are in Champagne green. This tasting note refers to a pristine example of the former, but the original bottling is reputed to be even better today.

No Specific Tasting Note