Thomas Cottrell is Bellevue Club’s contributing wine columnist and the Director of Wine at Grand Cru Wine Shop and Bar.
In the finest tradition of mystery theater, this month’s featured wine can be deduced from a series of hints and questions. A California wine was featured on the cover of July 2008’s Decanter Magazine. The headline for this European publication was “New World Greats to Lay Down—40 Superstars to Add Flair to your Cellar.” Who made the wine in the cover photo? This same wine scored 91-94 points out of 100 from wine critic Steve Tanzer and 92-94 out of 100 by Wine Spectator. Have you figured out the answer yet? Another hint is that the
San Francisco Chronicle named this winemaker as Winemaker of the Year in 2006. That same publication picked two of this person’s wines—a red and a white—for its Top 100 Wines of 2006. Here is some more help: Mike Steinberger of Slate Magazine called this person “The Greatest Vintner in America.” Everybody’s favorite in international wine-tasting competitions, this vintner was also on the cover of the May 2004 issue of “Wine Spectator.” If you haven’t figured out the puzzle yet, the answer is Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards in beautiful Cupertino, Calif. The wine that has dazzled the world is the Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m not alone in the opinion that it is one of the finest wines made on this side of the Atlantic.
Besides the accolades, this wine’s stature has been proven to me over and over again at blind tastings of the best California Cabernets. When the brown paper bags are removed, Monte Bello has consistently been my favorite or among the top two or three. It was proven to me again recently when I had the privilege of tasting half a dozen older vintages of Monte Bello. Paul Draper was in town to talk about the wines, but each bottle spoke for itself. Out of bottles ranging from 1992 to 1999—with 1993 and 1998 omitted—they were uniformly delicious, but my favorite was the extraordinary 1997.
The wine was dark and intense, rich yet balanced, with amazing length. Every Monte Bello I’ve ever tasted has combined a Bordeaux-like tobacco leaf character with a sweet, clearly Californian fruit profile. The marvelous thing about them is their layers of flavor with complexity that makes you want another sip—and another. Compared with famous California Cabs, the Monte Bello exhibits lower alcohol levels and a better acidity, lending the exceptional balance that allows a 1971 to win a tasting in 2006. Though delicious, these wines can be difficult to find and expensive. Expect to pay in excess of $100 per bottle, but compared to the many costly American Cabernets, this one may actually be worth the price—especially if you want to keep it for years in your cellar. While Ridge’s best wine is certainly the Monte Bello Cabernet, they are best known for their great Zinfandels. I recommend the Dusi Ranch, Three Valleys, Pagani Ranch, Lytton Springs and Geyserville varieties. These are all outstanding wines starting at $25 per bottle. Whether you’re a wine fanatic who easily solved this month’s riddle or a casual wine drinker, do yourself a favor and check out Paul Draper’s work.
