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Ridge Vineyards is a name that needs no introduction. Founded in 1885 by Dr. Osea Perrone on the breathtaking Monte Bello Ridge, this estate has been crafting world-class wines for over a century. From its humble beginnings, Ridge has grown into one of California’s most respected wineries, with a legacy that speaks volumes. The purchase of Ridge by a group of Stanford scientists in 1959 marked the start of the modern era for the winery, and with it came the creation of Ridge’s flagship wine—Monte Bello. Since then, Monte Bello has been the cornerstone of Ridge’s success, continuously setting the standard for California Cabernet Sauvignon.

This rare terroir makes Ridge Monte Bello one of the most distinctive and age-worthy wines in California, delivering a wine that is impeccably balanced, intensely flavorful, and perfectly structured for long-term aging.

Mild temperatures in March prompted an early bloom that coincided with the spring rains. This resulted in a smaller crop that, accompanied by more summer fog than usual, allowed for slow, steady ripening into September. After assembling thirty-six of fifty-eight lots, the wine was returned to the barrel for a further twelve months. As a classic Monte Bello, it will benefit from a decade of aging and develop over another twenty years.

If you’re a wine lover who appreciates the very best, this is your wine. This is the one you’ll reach for when you want to experience the heights of California winemaking. It’s the wine that has stood the test of time—and it’s only getting better.

Opaque ruby color with ripe cassis, plum, and red currant fruit, toasty oak, vanilla, fennel, juniper berry, and bay laurel. Well-integrated velvety tannins, full mid-palate, firm acid, and a long, sumptuous finish.

84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

~ 94 Wine & Spirits Magazine

~93 Cellar Tracker

Deep lustrous crimson. Very complex balsam, sage, and ripe Cabernet, including blackcurrant leaf, on the nose. Extremely subtle and layered. Quite marked acidity on palate entry and then supple tannins enclose the fruit. Definitely worth stashing away for many a long year but nowhere near ready. If it has a fault, it’s that it lacks a very long finish. ~17++Jancis Robinson

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