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750ml
Bottle:
$43.84
$46.00
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a...
750ml
Bottle:
$99.90
12 bottles:
$97.90
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a prime example of the transparency provided by this vintage throughout...
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Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$60.21
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous. A rush of floral and spice notes leads into a core of racy purplish fruit....
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$128.10
#52 in Top 100, 2022. A brilliant, youthful, unevolved wine that will give Ridge's Monte Bello a run for its money,...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2017
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$94.16
Ridge’s 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a fabulous choice for readers who want a Monte Bello fix now, without...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2001
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$1004.85
Expansive black-fruit aromas, plus some mulberry and bitter chocolate, make this mature Californian red hard to...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2003
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$323.82
This has a wonderful balance of full, silky tannins and creamy ripeness, but with a degree of delicacy that...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2008
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$353.71
The 2008 Monte Bello is in a gorgeous spot right now, as the aromatics are just starting to show the complex nuances...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2009
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$289.94
The 2009 Monte Bello ,72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot is simply magnificent. Layers of dark...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2010
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$298.10
A highlight of the tasting, with rocking energy, dense black currant and black berry fruit and loads of singed wood...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2012
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$243.35
The 2012 Monte Bello is one of the most harmonious young Monte Bellos I can remember tasting. Seamless and voluptuous...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2013
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$394.95
A Monte Bello for the ages, the 2013's brooding bouquet unfolds to reveal notes of black raspberry, juicy...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$288.91
Stunning depth, power, purity and elegance. The blackcurrants and plums are fresh and intense on the nose with...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$592.30
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$262.45
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be...
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2018
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$479.90
A bright and beautiful Monte Bello with dark and black fruit, such as blackcurrants, as well as walnuts and hints of...
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2018
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$209.17
A bright and beautiful Monte Bello with dark and black fruit, such as blackcurrants, as well as walnuts and hints of...
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2019
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$613.45
#45 Wine of the World 2022. This is a very powerful Monte Bello with currants and blackberry, black licorice and...
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Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2019
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$134.83
#45 Wine of the World 2022. This is a very powerful Monte Bello with currants and blackberry, black licorice and...
Cabernet Sauvignon Ice Wine Tequila United States California Santa Cruz County
Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.
One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.
The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.
Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.
California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.