2016 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Klein
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Klein Monte Bello Vineyard is another special bottling from Ridge, part of their Historic Vineyard Series. This vintage, the wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 18 months in 100% new American oak barrels. Medium to deep ruby-purple, it gives aromas of sage brush, bay leaf, iron, dried herbs, pencil shavings, cedar and crushed stone—there's so much here, before you even get to the fruit—with warm red and black cherries, plums and currants. It's medium to full-bodied and minerally to begin, fleshing out to spicy fruits, with firm, pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and nuanced. This merits at least another few years in bottle and should age beautifully over the next 10 to 15+ years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Klein is the most complete of the three wines I tasted in Ridge's collection of Historic Vineyard series wines. Structured, dense and super-expressive, the 2016 is simply superb. Graphite, sage, lavender, and menthol add layers of nuance, but the potent tannins suggest the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to be at its most expressive.
About the producer
Best known for its iconic Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards makes some of California’s finest wines – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Long a pioneer of sustainable farming and minimal-intervention winemaking, Ridge makes an extensive range from Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains.