95+(?) 1990 Ridge Monte Bello 12/26/05 ($120@winery)
85% Cab, 10% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Color: Deep black garnet with enough onion skin to look ready. (3.5) Bouquet: Ripe, rich cassis with a subtle Pauillac-style terroir. It jumps out of the glass and is delicious. (4.0) Body: Light heavyweight with enough acidity and tannin to more than support the fruit. Beautiful balance. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but more restrained with less size. Still very tasty. (3.0) Finish: Getting sweeter and longer as it gets air (about 2 hours now). Parallels flavor and long, but could become more forward with 1-3 years of bottle age. (3.0)
Overall: Just makes greatness and has room to improve. A beautiful, very enjoyable Monte Bello. It may get even more exciting with a little more age. (17.0)