Astra-Zeneca, Biontech-Pfizer or Moderna? Yesterday I opted for Ridge Montebello 2018. Not for vaccination which will take quite a while in Germany – but as my lockdown wine of the day.
The tasting pack from the Californian Wine Institute to accompany their Capstone education programme’s premiere was a welcome Lockdown interruption. Six small bottles, each containing 20 ml.
It could have been more, especially the Montebello. I have always appreciated Paul Draper’s wines. Since the end of the 1960s, he is making wine at 700 metres in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The history of the winery even goes back to the 19th century when the Italian-born Osseo Perrone planted vines on the summit of Monte Bello.
The day and night temperature variations and the maritime influence make for intense wines that never seem heavy or stout. This is also true of the 2018 vintage, with its distinct yet still youthful character—freshness, elegant cassis, violets, blueberry notes, dark chocolate, tobacco and some earth. Very complex and very long on the palate, finely woven tannins frame the fresh acidity.
