Sale Price:
$300.00
Original Price:
$380.00
Region: California
Sub Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, Montebello Ridge
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Vintage: 2021
Style: Structured dry red
The Wine
Fellom Ranch comes from one of California’s historic mountain Cabernet neighbourhoods. The vineyard occupies an exposed ridge at approximately 670 metres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, above Silicon Valley, with the Pacific Ocean only about 26 kilometres away.
The Fellom family purchased the property on Montebello Ridge in 1929, when Zinfandel was already established there. Between 1980 and 1983, they replanted and expanded the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon material from Charles Krug. These mature, cane-pruned vines grow in a complex mixture of chert, sandy loam, clay and serpentine. Low-fertility soils and an exposed position naturally restrict yields, while ocean air and cool nights extend ripening.
Arnot-Roberts’ 2021 is a concentrated, firm expression of that site. Black cherry and dark fruit meet sage, lavender, bay leaf and dried herbs, with substantial tannin beneath the fruit. Antonio Galloni attributes its particular density to small juice yields and thick skins, describing a powerful, old-school Cabernet.
This remains a wine to approach with patience. Its published Vinous drinking window runs from 2026 to 2041, making it particularly relevant to collectors seeking Cabernet with a long future. If opening now, allow generous air and time.
Cellared Says
The Santa Cruz Mountains belong in any serious conversation about Cabernet, and Montebello Ridge makes that point rather well. Fellom has the altitude, mature vines and Pacific influence that make this part of California so distinctive. The 2021 is a cellar purchase for me: dark fruit, mountain herbs and plenty of tannin still to resolve. Put a few years between purchase and opening. This is where Californian Cabernet gets particularly interesting for a patient collector.
Reviews
“Readers will have to be patient. There’s real density and substance here.”
95 Points — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Region: California
Sub Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, Montebello Ridge
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Vintage: 2021
Style: Structured dry red
The Wine
Fellom Ranch comes from one of California’s historic mountain Cabernet neighbourhoods. The vineyard occupies an exposed ridge at approximately 670 metres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, above Silicon Valley, with the Pacific Ocean only about 26 kilometres away.
The Fellom family purchased the property on Montebello Ridge in 1929, when Zinfandel was already established there. Between 1980 and 1983, they replanted and expanded the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon material from Charles Krug. These mature, cane-pruned vines grow in a complex mixture of chert, sandy loam, clay and serpentine. Low-fertility soils and an exposed position naturally restrict yields, while ocean air and cool nights extend ripening.
Arnot-Roberts’ 2021 is a concentrated, firm expression of that site. Black cherry and dark fruit meet sage, lavender, bay leaf and dried herbs, with substantial tannin beneath the fruit. Antonio Galloni attributes its particular density to small juice yields and thick skins, describing a powerful, old-school Cabernet.
This remains a wine to approach with patience. Its published Vinous drinking window runs from 2026 to 2041, making it particularly relevant to collectors seeking Cabernet with a long future. If opening now, allow generous air and time.
Cellared Says
The Santa Cruz Mountains belong in any serious conversation about Cabernet, and Montebello Ridge makes that point rather well. Fellom has the altitude, mature vines and Pacific influence that make this part of California so distinctive. The 2021 is a cellar purchase for me: dark fruit, mountain herbs and plenty of tannin still to resolve. Put a few years between purchase and opening. This is where Californian Cabernet gets particularly interesting for a patient collector.
Reviews
“Readers will have to be patient. There’s real density and substance here.”
95 Points — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Image 1 of 1
