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Reviews
97 Wine Spectator -
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Very expressive, with warmed blueberry compote, menthol, sweet bay, steeped açaí and zesty sassafras notes all in the mix, carried by brambly grip and a cold cast iron spine. Late echo of mesquite completes this remarkably complex and vivid offering. Should be fun to watch this develop in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2044
97 James Suckling -
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A bright and beautiful Monte Bello with dark and black fruit, such as blackcurrants, as well as walnuts and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied with creamy tannins that are there from start to finish. Turns lightly dusty. Beautiful length. Really pure and focused. Needs time to come together completely, but already a beauty. Drink after 2025.
96+ Vinous -
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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.
Technical Details
- Blend74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
- WinemakerJohn Olney & Eric Baugher
- CountryUS
- RegionCalifornia North Coast
- AppellationSanta Cruz Mountains
- VineyardMonte Bello
- Aging/Cooperage17 months in 100% new oak barrels (90% American, 7% French, 3% Ozark)
- Alcohol13.7%
- PH3.39
- TA7.43 g/Lg/100mLs
Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains 2018 (Magnum 1.5L)
Cabernet Blends | US
WS97, JS97, VN96+
Too late, we are SOLD OUT!
2018 was a TINY vintage for Monte Bello but the quality is through the roof and it is poised to be one of the great, collectible vintages of Bello. It received the second-highest score from Wine Spectator in its history of reviewing the wine. Not too shabby. Just 3 magnums available and that's it for the vintage!
About the Producer
The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892. This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge's production facility. At 2600', it is surrounded by the upper vineyard, now referred to as the Perrone Ranch. The 2018 vintage brought along some winter rain storms which ended in January. Though summer was foggy and cold, the vines received abundant sunshine and warmth that ripened the grapes by early October. Sensous and showing with great complexity, it will show well over the next thirty years.