Vinous (95+)

A dark, brooding beauty, the 2006 Monte Bello is still very, very young. The aromatics alone are enticing, but the tannins still need time to soften. The 2006 is a masculine, vertical Monte Bello that demands cellaring. Even so, it is pretty impressive today. Scents of lavender, sage, mint and savory herbs add closing flourishes. The perfumed sweetness of the fruit - one of the hallmarks of the very late harvest - remains one of the signatures of the 2006. The 2006 can be enjoyed today or cellared for another 25+ years.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2009 Monte Bello ,72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot is simply magnificent. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers, spices and graphite are all woven together in this utterly impeccable wine. The 2009 is an especially huge, intense Monte Bello, yet a sexy, silky core of fruit lies within its imposing frame. Everything comes together in this glorious, radiant wine. Last year the 2009 had some pretty stiff competition from the 2010, but today it is simply firing on all cylinders. Eric Baugher describes 2009 as a year with cold weather early on, followed by heat in early June and July. The fruit was brought in on October 12, just before an intense downpour swept through the region. There is a purity and silkiness supported by structure in the 2009 that is impossible not to admire. Simply put, this is another utterly magnificent, towering masterpiece from Ridge. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049.

Wine Advocate (95)

A superb example of this chronically undersung harvest, the 2011 Monte Bello strikes me as a more contemporary version of the 1985, combining a pleasantly herbal profile with a tensile, understated core and just enough streamlined polish. It opens with a distinctly herbal, open-knit bouquet energized by streaks of menthol, underbrush, dried tobacco and chalky overtones, and it concludes with a succulent, gentle and fine-grained finish. While I don't expect this to enjoy the extraordinarily long drinking window of Monte Bello's more structural and assertive renditions—although this example was served from magnum—it is a fantastic example of a modern vintage drinking near its peak, and I suspect it will hold for the better part of a decade. It achieved 12.8% alcohol, and the blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.

Vinous (97+)

The 2012 is a racy, voluptuous Monte Bello built on a core of sweet red fruit, with striking perfume, silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. The 2012 is of course an infant, and the new oak is still evident. As Vinous readers know, Monte Bello is a wine that really should not be touched until its tenth birthday, and even that requires an optimistic view. The 2012 has been a consistently brilliant wine. Today, it is once again stellar.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2013 Monte Bello is as quintessential an example of Monte Bello as one could ask for, handily combining intoxicating aromas, lavish richness, vibrant energy and tenacious structure. Tasted from magnum, it bounds from the glass with a visceral bouquet that moves through floral, herbal and savory phases before morphing into a dizzying melange that serves as a dictionary definition of Monte Bello's profile. The mouthfeel places the wine among Monte Bello's grander, more enveloping examples, yet for all its power and muscle, the exquisite balance, buoyancy and clear through-line of chalky mineral notes provide ample energy to its multidimensional, show-stopping finish. This is unquestionably a classic rendition not only of Monte Bello but of a California Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend overall, and it is best left in the cellar until at least its 20th birthday. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, with 13.6% alcohol.

James Suckling (98)

Unique aromas of blackberry, black currant, dark chocolate and walnut. Full body, very powerful and tannic. Incredible depth and power. Precise and so focused. Muscular. Great structure. This needs at least six to eight years to come together.

James Suckling (100)

Stunning depth, power, purity and elegance. The blackcurrants and plums are fresh and intense on the nose with blueberries and gently herbal notes, too. The palate has a keenly articulated array of vibrant tannins that hold long, fresh and pure. It invokes a sense of wonderment at the finish. So long and so pure. This blend of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot, seven per cent petit verdot and five percent cabernet franc, is just at the start of a wonderful journey. Try from 2021.

Vinous (98)

One of the highlights in this tasting, the 2016 Monte Bello has turned out just as beautifully as I hoped it would. Soaring aromatics, bright acids and mid-weight structure give the 2016 a super-classic feel. Clearly, the 2016 is very primary today, with plenty of bright red and purplish berry fruit. More than that, though, the 2016 pulses with energy and simply exceptional balance. Don't miss it!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Still a perfect wine in my opinion, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a powerhouse that's going to need substantial time in the cellar. Reminding me of the 1986 Mouton Rothschild with its powerful, inward, massively structured style, it offers a dense, powerful nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, crushed stone, and lead pencil, with some solid chocolaty oak. Deep, rich, massively concentrated, and structured on the palate, it has building tannins, a beautiful spine of acidity, and a fabulous finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only got better, so don’t be afraid to give these plenty of air if opening any time soon. It will ideally be given another decade of bottle age and it's going to see it 50th birthday in fine form.

Vinous (96+)

The 2018 Monte Bello is a wine of extraordinary finesse. Although it doesn’t have the body or overt richness of some recent vintages, it more than makes up for that with its total sense of harmony. Lavender, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers all develop in a sublime, refined Monte Bello that will thrill Ridge lovers. This is an especially elegant, lithe vintage for Monte Bello that is marked by a dry year with no heat spikes and a very long harvest that wrapped up in late October.

Vinous (97-100)

The 2019 Monte Bello, tasted from barrel, is insanely beautiful. Vibrant, deep and pulsing with energy, the 2019 simply has it all. How will it turn out in bottle? I can’t say just yet. But this barrel sample shipped across the country is positively dazzling, so the wine’s potential is clear. The 2019 offers superb fruit density, with mid-weight structure, bright acids and plenty of tannin. It could very well turn out to be epic.

Vinous (97-100)

The 2019 Monte Bello, tasted from barrel, is insanely beautiful. Vibrant, deep and pulsing with energy, the 2019 simply has it all. How will it turn out in bottle? I can’t say just yet. But this barrel sample shipped across the country is positively dazzling, so the wine’s potential is clear. The 2019 offers superb fruit density, with mid-weight structure, bright acids and plenty of tannin. It could very well turn out to be epic.

Vinous (97-100)

The 2019 Monte Bello, tasted from barrel, is insanely beautiful. Vibrant, deep and pulsing with energy, the 2019 simply has it all. How will it turn out in bottle? I can’t say just yet. But this barrel sample shipped across the country is positively dazzling, so the wine’s potential is clear. The 2019 offers superb fruit density, with mid-weight structure, bright acids and plenty of tannin. It could very well turn out to be epic.

Vinous (97-100)

The 2019 Monte Bello, tasted from barrel, is insanely beautiful. Vibrant, deep and pulsing with energy, the 2019 simply has it all. How will it turn out in bottle? I can’t say just yet. But this barrel sample shipped across the country is positively dazzling, so the wine’s potential is clear. The 2019 offers superb fruit density, with mid-weight structure, bright acids and plenty of tannin. It could very well turn out to be epic.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Aged in 100% new oak, the 2022 Monte Bello blends 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, selected from 18 of 21 lots by blind tasting. After assemblage, the wine spent 21 more months in barrel. The vineyard starts at 1,600 feet and goes up to 2,700 feet at top, and is spread out across 4 different ranches, Klein, Rousten, Torre and Perrone, the wines getting more tightknit and ageable as the vines move up the mountain. By the end of harvest, Monte Bello is split into 55 different blocks, which are then picked and fermented separately. Year after year, this is a “wow” wine, herbal, lightly spiced in oak, with a lovely creamy, velvety texture and a backbone of well-resolved tannin supporting a medium-bodied, balanced spirit of mountain garrigue. These wines typically age 20-25 years or more.

Vinous (99)

Quite simply, the 2023 Monte Bello is brilliant. It’s an unbelievably expressive wine in every way. Stunningly pure and delineated, the 2023 is an infinitely layered, complex, concentrated Monte Bello that attains superb balance and powerful concentration without a shred of excess weight. Dark blue-toned fruit, bay leaf, blood orange, crushed rocks and chalk press on with confidence through an epically long finish. The extended growing season meant that much of the Merlot in the vineyard never fully ripened, hence the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) in the blend. Cool conditions and long hangtime not only imbued the 2023 with immeasurable depth, it also cemented the hallmark cedary freshness that lifts Monte Bello like few other wines in the world. This is a Monte Bello for the ages.

Immerse yourself in the complex yet elegant fusion of exquisite flavours presented by the Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys 2020. This opulent, hand-harvested blend hails from California's famed Sonoma County, an epicentre of world-class viticulture. Known for their persistent commitment to creating distinct, terroir-driven wines, Ridge Vineyards has delivered a Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, and Grenache amalgamation that amazes with its robust depth and nuance.

The 2020 vintage flourishes in your glass with a vibrant ruby red hue, teasing the palate with its enticing layers of ripe berries, warm spices, and a hint of toasted oak. Raised using organic and traditional practices, the Three Valleys blend is a testament to Ridge's fifty-year-long journey towards mastering the Bordeaux-style winemaking technique, truly showcasing their exceptional craftsmanship. The exemplary feature of the Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys 2020 is the harmonious balance it achieves; a timeless testament to the ripe, fertile vineyards of Northern California.

Experience the vibrant symphony of flavours with the Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys 2022, a venerated embodiment of Sonoma County's viticultural excellence. Crafted meticulously by the esteemed Ridge Vineyards, renowned for their classic Californian expressions since 1962, this enthralling blend captures the interplay of Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah grapes.

Sourced primarily from premier vineyards nestled across Sonoma County's three lustrous valleys – Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River, the grapes gain their unique characteristic complexity due to the region's diverse climatic and topographic conditions. Employing sustainably-farmed, hand-harvested grapes ensures prime quality.

Cherishing the traditional methods, the Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys 2022 is aged in American oak barrels, bestowing an exotic vanilla undertone on its robust, fruity palate and enhancing the wine's ageing potential. This perfect blend demonstrates Ridge's deft craftsmanship and harmonious fusion of fruit, tannin and acidity. Savour it for a captivating, world-class wine experience.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

From a great site in the foothills of Howell Mountain, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard is going to flirt with perfection on release. Possessing full-bodied richness and depth as well as massive concentration, it’s nevertheless as graceful as they come, with stunning purity and finesse in both its tannins and texture. Offering exotic black fruits, green tobacco, olive, and subtle background oak, I suspect 4-5 years of bottle age will be warranted, but this is a special wine in the making.