The 2008 Monte Bello is marked by the drought vintage, which not only made a more concentrated crop but also deprived the blend of all supporting varieties, as only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot handled the dry conditions sufficiently gracefully to make the final cut. At age ten, this muscular Monte Bello is finally beginning to unwind, offering up rich aromas of black cherry, cassis, dried mountain laurel, loamy soil and burning embers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, expansive and powerful, its generous, sweetly fruited attack giving way to a taut, firm mid-palate that doesn't show as much finesse as the 2010 or 2012, concluding with a long, stony finish. Baugher observes that in its youth, the 2008 was 'monolithic and more angular—a mouthful of tannin.' A decade later, it's beginning to soften, but it still requires another 5 or 6 years of bottle age.

The 2008 Monte Bello is in a gorgeous spot right now, as the aromatics are just starting to show the complex nuances that only develop in bottle. Worn-in leather, licorice, scorched earth, savory herbs and chocolate meld into a core of intense dark fruit. Slightly angular contours hint at a bit of rusticity. (

95 Decanter

Sumptuous on the nose, this shows a discernible oakiness as well as intense minty tones. Sleek and very polished, this has no rough edges and all the concentration one would expect from a small crop this year. It still has an admirable freshness that keeps it youthful, as does the tannic backbone. This has real presence and structure and admirable length.

95 Wine & Spirits

Monte Bello is a wine of nuance and harmony, its sleek structure and scents of truffles and tar giving it a feel more often associated with the Old World than the New. The blend is 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance in Merlot, grown on a limestone ridge under the cool influence of the Pacific 15 miles to the west. This vintage, from a relatively short crop, has impressive flavor impact without weight. It feels almost spherical, the supple tannins surrounding blueberry and black mushroom flavors, the freshness of the Cabernet hinting at pipe tobacco. A pleasure to drink now, this is firmly built to age a decade or longer.