The 2005 Monte Bello is beginning to drink very well indeed, revealing complex aromas of sweet currant fruit, rich soil, cedar cigar box and sweet spices. With time in the glass, nuances of dark chocolate and loamy soil emerge too. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with fine-grained structuring tannins, the first signs of emerging savory nuance and a bright, beautifully focused finish. As it approaches age 13, the 2005 is still very youthful—indeed, this particular bottle was more reserved and taut than the last four or five that I've encountered—so there's certainly no rush to drink it. Cropped at just under one ton per acre, the 2005 is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.4% natural alcohol.

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Served alongside Ch Pichon Baron 2005 at the International Wine Trade Dinner in Vintners’ Hall 13 March 2025, these wines the only reds served. Very densely coloured with rich, ripe flavours and not much tannin in evidence but an overlay of balsam. Subtle, savoury, and nothing like a stereotypical sweet California Cabernet. (JR)

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Hints of sandalwood and light eucalyptus, deep dark black fruits and tobacco leaf move from the nose through the palate. The tobacco spice becomes more apparent in the mouth, moving into notes of black tea and leather. There is still quite firm, ample tannin here and it would do well with still more cellar time as it gains complexity with air. Allow time to evolve in bottle – intriguing complexity. (ECB)