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Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains 2014

Cabernet/Bordeaux Blends from Santa Cruz Mountains, California
JS 98
WA 97
DE 96
AG 96
WS 94
13.5% ABV
Item # 330633

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$224.95

Out of stock

750ml
Out of Stock
 
98 points/'Top 100 Wines of 2017,' James Suckling: "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. (7/28/17)"

97 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "A worthy successor to the profound 2013 and the fruit of the earliest harvest on record at this address, the 2014 Monte Bello is still quite youthfully expressive, wafting from the glass with an exuberant bouquet of minty dark berries, plums, black cherries, cigar box and a nicely integrated framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and intense, with a rich chassis of structuring tannins, which are currently largely concealed in a succulent core of fruit, and bright balancing acids. In profile, it's structurally more open-knit and giving than the massive 2013, and I suspect it will reach its plateau sooner, but it should enjoy over three decades of longevity. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.5% natural alcohol. "The drought had a positive effect on concentration," observed winemaker Eric Baugher when we corresponded shortly after harvest, adding that "the wines are opaque in color, with rich tannins and marvellous fruit." Four years later, that remains an accurate characterization of the 2014 Monte Bello. Drink: 2024-2045. (May 2018)"

96 points Ronan Sayburn, MS (Decanter): "Refined and complex, this wine has an expressive aromatic profile of cherry, blackcurrant, hints of mint, coconut and cedar wood oak. The palate is very elegant, expressing fine tannins, succulent acidity and long length. The first vintage of this wine was released in 1962, its made from a single vineyard planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 730m above sea level and just 15 miles from the Pacific ocean. Drinking Window: 2018-2030. (Sep 2018)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2014 Monte Bello is going to need at least a decade to show everything it has. Deceptively medium in body and super-classic in its mid-weight structure, the 2014 offers notable brightness and intensity in an understated style, even by Ridge standards. Today, the 2014 is intensely linear, focused and vibrant. Petit Verdot is the variety that suffered most in the drought, so its presence in the blend is minimal. Drink 2026-2054. (Aug 2017)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "This shows the very expressive aromatic profile of the 2014 vintage, with a range of sage, mint and spice notes leading off, followed by a dense core of black and red currant fruit and a long, smoldering finish. Approachable for its aromatic range, but there's absolutely no rush here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.—Non-blind Ridge Monte Bello vertical (June 2019). Best from 2023 through 2040. (2019)"

Producer notes: "75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Opaque ruby color. Intense blackberry fruit aromas, blackcurrant, exotic barrel spice, toasted oak, licorice, and complex forest notes. Rich mountain fruit entry, refreshing high acid, full chalky tannin structure, and sweet oak; strong mineral finish. Barrel aged 17 months in new oak (97% American, 2% French and 1% Hungarian). Alcohol 13.5%."
98 points/'Top 100 Wines of 2017,' James Suckling: "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. (7/28/17)"

97 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "A worthy successor to the profound 2013 and the fruit of the earliest harvest on record at this address, the 2014 Monte Bello is still quite youthfully expressive, wafting from the glass with an exuberant bouquet of minty dark berries, plums, black cherries, cigar box and a nicely integrated framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and intense, with a rich chassis of structuring tannins, which are currently largely concealed in a succulent core of fruit, and bright balancing acids. In profile, it's structurally more open-knit and giving than the massive 2013, and I suspect it will reach its plateau sooner, but it should enjoy over three decades of longevity. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.5% natural alcohol. "The drought had a positive effect on concentration," observed winemaker Eric Baugher when we corresponded shortly after harvest, adding that "the wines are opaque in color, with rich tannins and marvellous fruit." Four years later, that remains an accurate characterization of the 2014 Monte Bello. Drink: 2024-2045. (May 2018)"

96 points Ronan Sayburn, MS (Decanter): "Refined and complex, this wine has an expressive aromatic profile of cherry, blackcurrant, hints of mint, coconut and cedar wood oak. The palate is very elegant, expressing fine tannins, succulent acidity and long length. The first vintage of this wine was released in 1962, its made from a single vineyard planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 730m above sea level and just 15 miles from the Pacific ocean. Drinking Window: 2018-2030. (Sep 2018)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2014 Monte Bello is going to need at least a decade to show everything it has. Deceptively medium in body and super-classic in its mid-weight structure, the 2014 offers notable brightness and intensity in an understated style, even by Ridge standards. Today, the 2014 is intensely linear, focused and vibrant. Petit Verdot is the variety that suffered most in the drought, so its presence in the blend is minimal. Drink 2026-2054. (Aug 2017)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "This shows the very expressive aromatic profile of the 2014 vintage, with a range of sage, mint and spice notes leading off, followed by a dense core of black and red currant fruit and a long, smoldering finish. Approachable for its aromatic range, but there's absolutely no rush here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.—Non-blind Ridge Monte Bello vertical (June 2019). Best from 2023 through 2040. (2019)"

Producer notes: "75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Opaque ruby color. Intense blackberry fruit aromas, blackcurrant, exotic barrel spice, toasted oak, licorice, and complex forest notes. Rich mountain fruit entry, refreshing high acid, full chalky tannin structure, and sweet oak; strong mineral finish. Barrel aged 17 months in new oak (97% American, 2% French and 1% Hungarian). Alcohol 13.5%."
Product SKU 330633
Producer Ridge
Country United States
Region California
SubRegion Santa Cruz Mountains
Varietal Cabernet/Bordeaux Blends
Vintage 2014
Size 750ml
Color Red
Blend 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
ABV 13.5%
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