Bodega Monte Real

Bodegas Vinicola Real

200 Monges Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2014

Under the radar to many, yet supreme winemaking here. Mostly dark fruit, picota cherries, plums, blackberries, ample bodied and length in a difficult year. Ageing gracefully. A star — 4 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Blend 2018

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 5 months ago

Monte Bernardi

Sa'etta Chianti Classico Riserva Sangiovese Blend 2016

Beautifully made, fresh and highly drinkable but plenty of complexity — 7 months ago

Pooneet, Tom and 5 others liked this

Herdade do Esporão

Monte Velho Alentejano Antão Vaz Blend 2021

McCarthy & Schiering, $11

Bursting with tropical flavors, lots of pineapple and guava, almost reminds me of POG juice. Balanced with a crisp acidity and very easy to drink. Amazing for the price, I immediately went back and grabbed 2 more bottles
— 3 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Chardonnay 2017

Big tropical fruits, lemon curd, luscious, yet retains acid in the end…maybe too much vanilla cream (oak) for me, but overall delicious after dinner and segway to whiskey around the fire…. — 5 years ago

Michael LongRyan McClellan
with Michael and Ryan
Bill and Mike liked this

Bodega Comando

La Bruja Avería Rozas de Puerto Real Grenache 2017

Will be buying more of this! — 6 years ago

Sharon, Daniel P. and 15 others liked this

Suavia

Monte Carbonare Garganega 2016

Outstanding Italian White. Remarkable balance of minerality, acidity and fruit. Very pure. Apples and pears. Wine is bright and fully open right out of the bottle. Best white of the year so far. Nice!! — 7 years ago

John Pacailler
with John
Hermes and Paul liked this

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2016

Buen rioja, aunque no creo que esta cosecha nos de esta textura y bouquet. — 5 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Bought at Pine Orchard 11/25 $70 after tasting at Ridge in 10/25. Less expensive here. The 2023 is rated at 100 pts. Absolutely delicious. Floral aromas, lightly crisp, subtle oak, smooth finish. — 5 months ago

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Gran Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2005

Cedar, fruit in the background, coconut?. Mature and delicious — 6 months ago

Viña Real (CVNE)

Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2019

True Rioja flavor. 2019 vintage. Not too much oak. Beautiful black fruits — 7 months ago

Bedrock Wine Co.

Monte Rosso Sonoma Valley Zinfandel 2012

Decanted for 2 hours. Still big, no signs of fading. Did not drink enough before it was consumed to review properly, but seemed a touch sweet. — 3 years ago

Monte del Frá

Tenuta Lena di Mezzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2016

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Lena di Mezzo mixes crushed blackberries with plum sauce, wild exotic spices and dark chocolate. It’s remarkably fresh for an Amarone, casting silky textures across a medium-bodied frame, but it’s supported by vibrant acidity and a mix of tart wild berry fruits and minerals that saturate the palate. Notes of spiced orange peel, medicinal cherry and sweet herbs linger long over a bed of rounded tannins. There’s just the slightest hint of heat here, but the balance is otherwise perfect. I’m loving the savory-over-sweet persona as well. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 5 years ago

Louis M. Martini

Monte Rosso Vineyard Gnarly Vine Zinfandel 2011

The Monte Rosso was outstanding in every way- expressive nose of dark red fruits and layers that touched all parts of the palate. The flavors complimented a wonderful dinner. 8 years and still getting better. 100 year old vines that show how good Zinfandel can be when grown and tended to reveal their sense of place. Outstanding 🍷🍷🍷 — 7 years ago

Romano Dal Forno

Monte Lodoletta Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2017

Despite a 17 pct alcohol level this wine is perfectly in balance. Blood sausage, long afterburn rather sweet. — 5 months ago

Andrew, Brecht and 1 other liked this

Romano Dal Forno

Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore Corvina Blend 2013

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe and some dried fruits: bramble berries, slightly stewed black cherry, dried herbs, stony earth, baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The alcohol is high.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Grenache-based blend, Corvina-based blend or Sangiovese-based blend from France or Italy. I felt the combination of slightly stewed cherry and spices ruled out what I would want from a Sangiovese blend. Which, left me to decide between Southern Rhône or Valpolicella. I liked this wine…the oak treatment was interesting. I was getting a French barrique. Hmmm…

So, for my final conclusion: I’m calling this a Grenache-based blend, from France, from Southern Rhône, from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2017, from a more modern leaning producer using a good portion of barrique. I’ll be damned! I don’t hate my call but I gotta get better at distinguishing these wines from Southern Rhône. I probably just need to drink more of both, lol. Tasty stuff! Drink now through 2039.
— 5 months ago

Mark, Douglas and 6 others liked this
Zach D

Zach D

That’s a super tough blind tasting. Good deductive reasoning. Cheers

Monte Bernardi

Retromarcia Chianti Classico Sangiovese 2022

Nice. Old school not very funky but nice — 8 months ago

Capezzana

Barco Reale di Carmignano Sangiovese Blend 2018

Dry as Dirt…. — 5 years ago

TwiLea Fletcher
with TwiLea
TwiLea Fletcher

TwiLea Fletcher

06/17/21
Ok dirt…. Now I get it.
No more martinis unless they have blue cheese olives.
8.8

Seghesio Family Vineyards

Monte Rosso Zinfandel 2014

So great. Loads of ground, smoky sandstone, ripe blackberry, maple syrup. Rich, structured, so good, so balanced. My favorite Zin plot of land. — 6 years ago

Severn, Josh and 9 others liked this
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

MR is the best Zinfandel site IMHO.
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

@Severn Goodwin - Agree. Howell Mtn. a close second.

Sbragia Family Vineyards

Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Spectacular moon mountain cab. I love Cabernet Sauvignon from this AVA. Good minerals and fantastic fruit on the palette. This is fantastic now and would age well in the bottle for a few more years. If you see this, grab it! — 7 years ago

David, Shay and 1 other liked this