1995 Monte Bello

Still plenty of punch on the nose, this has held its form and shape, not quite the soft generosity of the 1985, acidity feels a little higher here, with mandarin peel, mint and bitter almond notes against waves of blueberry and blackberry fruits, with a violet curl. Good quality, still feels young and intact, well structured, the tannins are holding everthing in place, with black pepper spice in evidence on the finish. Enjoyable, a little edgy. Almost entirely new American oak, rest new French oak.

69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Beautifully integrated aromatics with hints of eucalyptus and sandalwood, a bit of floral lift and back notes of white mushroom and forest floor, and a snap of fresh, broken pea pod. The palate is juicy and full of succulent fruits, even still fresh – why am I even still surprised by the freshness when Monte Bello consistently ages so long? – and a persistent spice through the palate. Still firm tannins though quite fine-grained and well balanced by the acidity for impressive length. (ECB)

The most aromatically exotic vintage of the decade, the 1996 Monte Bello is superb, bursting from the glass with an extravagant bouquet of cassis, cigar box, rich soil, roasted meats and decadent oriental spices. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, richly tannic and very intense, with a deep and tight-knit core and a bright line of acidity, concluding with a long, youthful finish. The 1996 vintage saw rain during flowering—which reduced yields at this address to less than one ton per acre—followed by a warm summer. The result is a super concentrated Monte Bello that hasn't even reached its plateau of maturity yet. Choosing between this and the formidable 1995 will always be a challenge, but I suspect the 1996 has the greater upside. (WK) 96+