| 1984 Ridge Vineyards Ruby Cabernet Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains, California WB Rating: 83 Alcohol by volume: 11.6% Price at time of purchase: $0.00 () Type: Ruby Cabernet Principal varietal(s): Ruby Cabernet Here's a mystery wine for you! Ruby Cabernet is a cross between Carignane ("tough, high yield") and Cabernet ("low yield, high quality") that in most cases emphasizes the worst in each grape rather than the best. At one time Ridge had a small portion of Ruby Cabernet planted in their famed Monte Bello Vineyard, from which this unusual wine was made. It was obviously tasted at least 10 years after its intended life span, yet with Ridge's usual uncanny ability to make balanced and ageworthy wines, this was still very pleasant. Tasted more than anything like a refined Cabernet -- cassis fruit, lots of cedar -- but at this age didn't have the tannin or other structure to keep it from tasting a bit tired. Amazing, though, to find a wine of type this drinkable at age 18! (Thanks to our friend Jim Colbert for sharing this with us.!) - HK 2002-09-10 [Back] |
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