The 1992 Monte Bello is vivid and youthful, bursting from the glass with a bouquet of briary blackberry and wild plum fruit, with nuances of cedar and leather. On the palate the wine is equally vibrant, firm at the core with a long, persistent finish. A rather more rustic vintage than the suave 1991, but a very compelling Monte Bello.

Youthfully deep ruby-red color. Very dark aromas of black cherry, cassis, mocha, bitter chocolate and menthol. Tightly wrapped and rather muscular, with black fruit and menthol flavors verging on medicinal. Currently lacks charm and sweetness, but there's plenty of flavor intensity and structure here for aging. The tannins dust the teeth. Tough going today.

Great complexity. Medicinal, racy and lively. Very subtle and dry – not very typically Californian! I think I would have guessed French if given it blind. (JR)

This was a magical showing for the 1992 Monte Bello—and the best bottle I've ever encountered. At age 26, the wine is still stunningly vibrant and youthful, bursting from the glass with a classic bouquet of cassis, blackberries, black truffles, gravelly soil and pencil shavings. On the palate, it's full-bodied, multidimensional and utterly complete, with superb concentration and energy, its richly layered mid-palate framed by fine-grained, satiny tannins, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Above all, it stands out for its seamless balance and delineation. While for many years the more flashy and dramatic 1991 stole the limelight, as the dust settles, the deeper, more complex 1992 has emerged as the greater wine and one of Ridge's true classics. The product of an October harvest after extensive crop thinning, it's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot that attained 13.4% natural alcohol.