This was a magical showing for the 1992 Monte Bello—and the best bottle I've ever encountered. At age 26, the wine is still stunningly vibrant and youthful, bursting from the glass with a classic bouquet of cassis, blackberries, black truffles, gravelly soil and pencil shavings. On the palate, it's full-bodied, multidimensional and utterly complete, with superb concentration and energy, its richly layered mid-palate framed by fine-grained, satiny tannins, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Above all, it stands out for its seamless balance and delineation. While for many years the more flashy and dramatic 1991 stole the limelight, as the dust settles, the deeper, more complex 1992 has emerged as the greater wine and one of Ridge's true classics. The product of an October harvest after extensive crop thinning, it's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot that attained 13.4% natural alcohol.

When I tasted this wine early in its life I felt it had outstanding potential. With another year of cellaring it has gained considerable weight. It now looks to be one of the greatest examples of Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon Ridge has produced. Only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend, which consists of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. The wine offers a black/purple color, a profound nose of minerals, cassis, licorice, and spices, spectacular richness, and a great mid-palate that boasts layers of fruit. Admirable purity, fine underlying acidity, and considerable sweet, ripe tannin make this another compelling effort. Given the stunning 1990 Ridge Monte Bello and the exceptional promise of both the 1991 Monte Bello and the unbottled 1993 Monte Bello, Ridge has a quartet of stunning Cabernets that rival, and possibly eclipse what this winery achieved in 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1971. Assuming good cellar conditions, the 1992 Monte Bello should have 30-35 years of longevity.