2019 Ridge Monte Bello
Producer: Ridge
Region: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
Country: USA
Grapes: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 1% Cab Franc
Vintage: 2019
ABV: 13.70%
Vivino: 4.7
Drink By: 2042
Occasional Wine Note: Monte Bello was one of the wines that participated in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, the famous blind tasting event that really put California on the map as a legitimate player. Amongst the Bordeaux style wines tasted, Ridge’s 1971 offering placed 5th after the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar, the 1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, the 1970 Chateau Montrose, and the 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion. Funny enough, the French noted that while the California wines may be good in the short term, there’s no way they would stand up to the longevity of the previously aforementioned Bordeaux powerhouses.
Yet in 2006, when these same wines and same vintages revisited the competition to prove the longevity of lack thereof of the California wines, the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello came out on top, and it was not even close (18 points of the next best wine - the ‘73 Stag’s Leap). California is still on the map and still a force to be reckoned with as it relates to the Bordeaux style of wine (Cabernet-dominant oaked wines), and the current 2019 Ridge Monte Bello offering is still at or near the top of the heap.
James Suckling
Critic Score: 99
This is a very powerful Monte Bello with currants and blackberry, black licorice and smoked meat. Mint. Some sesame seed, too. It's full-bodied with incredible darkness and saltiness like volcanic salt. Umami. Grilled seaweed. Flavorful and captivating. It goes on for minutes. Best after 2025.
Wine Enthusiast
Critic Score: 96
Rich and smoky on the nose, this famed estate Cabernet Sauvignon is enhanced with 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc,. Aromas of roasted plum, mesquite, sandalwood and frankincense show on the nose. Impressively polished tannins consume the palate, where roasted berry, black plum and toasted coffee flavors linger long. Drink now–2039.