Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Ridge – Monte Bello 2017
Santa Cruz Mountains – California, USA 🇺🇸
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Overview
One of California’s most legendary wines, Ridge Monte Bello has been estate-grown, produced, and bottled entirely in-house since the 1960s. The 2017 vintage reflects a Bordeaux-inspired blend from the cool Santa Cruz Mountains, offering both structure and elegance. (Educational note: Monte Bello’s higher-altitude vineyards give cooler temperatures, yielding more restrained, ageworthy wines compared to Napa Valley powerhouses.)

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry, cassis, and red plum at the core, accented by cedar, graphite, and cocoa. Hints of tobacco, dried herbs, and floral notes bring depth and complexity.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and refreshing acidity. A graceful, layered wine that “dances on the palate,” finishing long and harmonious with both power and finesse.

Food Pairings
Perfect with grilled lamb, prime rib, or braised short ribs. Also pairs beautifully with mushroom risotto or aged cheeses.

Verdict
A benchmark California classic — Bordeaux in inspiration, but with a Santa Cruz identity all its own. The 2017 Monte Bello is elegant, expressive, and deeply satisfying. 🍷

Did You Know?
Ridge’s Monte Bello gained international fame in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, where it ranked among the world’s top Cabernets, cementing California’s place on the fine wine map.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Highly allocated and cellared by collectors worldwide, Ridge Monte Bello is a vertical-worthy wine with decades of aging potential. — 7 days ago

Robert Ahlstrom

9.1

Deep ruby, opaque, spices and coconut, tart cherries, well balanced tannins and acidity, great rioja — a month ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.2

Full bodied and with a great taste of oak. So rich in flavor. — 2 months ago

with Mike

Pooneet K

9.2

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 5 days ago

Ericsson

9.3

One of those surprisingly good wines. — 21 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. No formal notes due to the setting however, looking back on my previous notes, that assessment still applies. The 2017 Amador County continues to be an absolutely delicious expression of the variety. Drink now through 2032.  — 2 months ago

Kland Aida

9.2

A very good Valle de Guadalupe wine. Smooth, chocolate, leather, and earthy. Great with steaks. May 2024 — a month ago

jochen rueckert

9.0

Nice. Old school not very funky but nice — 6 days ago

Doug Powers

9.1

Lovely foothills Syrah in a German-glass finished (it’s the closure/cork), at 17 years old still shows massive fruit, I’d say it’s mature, but very long, lingering finish, most amazing to me (for those of you who know Hank) is that this wine is 14.9% ABV!?!? — 2 months ago

with Hank and Jim

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. This bottle of the 2005 Gran Reserva came from a Library Release in 2022 so the cork was perfect. The wine pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart, ripe and some dried, mostly red fruits: Bing cherry, raspberries, plum, tobacco, leather, dill and assorted dried garden herbs, gentle baking spices and dry, dusty earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is in a lovely spot and yet, has a long life ahead. Drink now with some patience and enjoy through 2045. — 3 months ago