Monte Bello
Historic Cabernet Sauvignon vine from Monte Bello Vineyard, planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1949. Picture was taken by David Gates in June, 2011
Vineyard Name: Monte Bello
County: Santa Clara
Appellation: Santa Cruz Mountains
Sub-Appellation:
Current Owner: Ridge Vineyards
Name of grower who first planted vines (if known): William Short (1949)
Vineyard Location (nearest major road intersection): 4.5 miles up Montebello Road and Steven’s Canyon Road
Which wineries produce from the pre-1960s section of the vineyard today: Ridge Vineyards
Historical producers and dates (if known): Torre (pre-Prohibition), Gemello
Taste characteristics: Cassis, black cherry, violets, chaparral on nose; licorice, mineral, lively acidity on palate, with long finish
What makes this heritage vineyard special? (brief history, interesting anecdotes, etc.):
This block is all that remains of a 17 acre planting by William Short, a theologian from Stanford who purchased part of the old Torre winery on Monte Bello ridge. Torre followed the example of his famous neighbors Osseo Perrone (Monte Bello) and Pierre Klein (Mira Valle) in producing high quality wine in an age where most wine was sold off as cheap French imitations. His vineyard and winery did not survive Prohibition. Short sold his grapes to Gemello Winery in Mountain View. A partnership of families that would become Ridge Vineyards bought out Short in 1959, and made their first commercial Monte Bello cabernet wine in 1962. These blocks were part of the 1971 Monte Bello that showed well in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The vines came from the defunct Fountaingrove community, and are in the process of becoming certified through Foundation Plant Services.
Vineyard Name: MONTE BELLO
| Block* | Year
Planted** |
Variety Composition
(Variety by approximate %) |
Acres | Spacing | Soil Composition
(Geology if known) |
Elevation
(feet) |
| Old vines | 1949 | Cabernet sauvignon | 4.0 | 8’X10’ | Franciscan clay loam over fractured limestone and greenstone | 2240’-2290’ |
Submitted by (Name and relation to vineyard): David Gates, Jr.
Contact information (email address, phone number): dgates@ridgewine.com; 408-868-1360
