Went to the Ridge Monte Bello futures tasting yesterday.

2004 Monte Bello Chardonnay
It's a very good Chardonnay, but to me $60 is a lot of money, especially when wines like Varner and School House are available for half that.

2004 Monte Bello
I missed the 04 futures tasting and passed, so this was my first opportunity to taste the 04.
The nose is great, but on the palate the fruit doesn't show at first; it's very tannic and fairly light for a Monte Bello. Glad I passed.

2006 Merlot Barrel Sample
Had a nose of berries and roses. Didn't get much on the palate beyond tannin and acidity.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Sample
Still going through Malolactic fermentation, which showed on the nose. That blew off after a while. This showed much more fruit and far less tannin than the Merlot.

2006 First Assemblage - 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot (yes I know that's 101%)
There's still five batches in consideration for the final blend - three Cab, one Petit Verdot and the Cab Franc.
The colour is bright purple. The first thing that hits you is espresso coffee grounds. I always thought that coffee came from the oak, but this can't have had that much barrel time yet. After a while I started to notice blackberries. On the palate it's rich and fruity The finish is fairly short and not overly tannic, I expect but that will develop with time.

I'm undecided whether to commit or not at this stage; I certainly preferred the 2005 at this stage, and the 25% price hike is a factor.

1994 Monte Bello
They always pour an older vintage so that you can get an idea of how it's going to develop. The nose was gorgeous; very complex. On the palate, blackberries again and some coffee. Drink now or over the next ten years. They are asking $250 at the winery, which is a lot, but on the net it's available for around $150.

Tasting Room:
2002 Home Ranch $60
I love this stuff. It's drinking great right, it's a beautiful fruit-forward Cab

2004 Geyserville Zinfandel $33
Not quite a field blend; the 18% Carignane and 7% Petite Sirah grow in seperate rows and are fermented seperately. In my view, most Zinfandels should be drunk within 5 years of release/8 years of vintage. Geyserville is one of the few exceptions that I think really improves beyond that mark, but it's hard not to drink it young. Big rich and spicy.

2002 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah $30
84% Petite Sirah, 16% Zinfandel
A big, inky, brooding tannic monster. Should probably be cellared for a long, long time, or fill your fountain pen with it. Good stuff.

Thanks for the preview Dave, I'm heading up there in about 30 minutes.

Dave -- thanks for your notes. Sounds like you may think the '06 is more promising than the '04...? I skipped '03 and '04, loaded up on '05 and am currently undecided on '06. Helpful to get your impressions as well as anyone else who is able to taste. Thanks.

When you signed up, you probably listed an annual amount (six bottles is the smallest amount available) up to a max of the equivalent of two cases (various bottle sizes). In future vintages, you'll have the opportunity to change the order or cancel before your cc is charged, although you'll need to decide before the futures tastings. That's the bargain.

-Al