Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 750ML - (Pre-arrival)

Ridge Monte Bello is the benchmark for California Cabernet!

The 2023 Ridge Monte Bello is a stunner.

Vinous 99. RPWA 99. Owen Bargreen 99. JS 98.

Billy Norris called it a Monte Bello for the ages, pure and delineated and infinitely layered without a shred of excess weight.

Matthew Luczy said it could prove to be one of the all time greatest iterations of the wine.

Jim Gordon says it is bursting with potential!

Cellar it for a decade and drink it for three more after that.

Or sneak one early with a long decant and tell no one.

(they come in fancy 3 packs).

A 99 point Monte Bello with fifty years of runway ahead of it.

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."-Billy Norris

Robert Parker Wine Advocate 99

"The 2023 Monte Bello is the definition of classicism across every metric, seamlessly fusing a slow-moving, even-keeled profile with an enviable combination of charm, assertion and effortlessness. The nose opens with a perfect melange of red and black berries, framed by classically informed toasted, herbal and graphite flourishes, along with youthful vanilla undertones that meld with floral notes after aeration. The palate is simultaneously seamless, supple, juicy and firm, before moving into a long finish that is expansive yet expertly controlled, riding on a chassis of ultra-refined, chalky tannins. I had one bottle open for multiple days and saw nothing but an upward trajectory, with notable oak integration relative to its first-day showing. Additionally, I retasted the wine out of magnum in the context of a vertical spanning back to 1971, which only solidified my belief that this could prove to be one of the all-time greatest iterations of Monte Bello. It will be worth cellaring for a decade, at minimum, and should drink beautifully for at least the next three after that. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, and the wine achieved 13.2% natural alcohol."-Matthew Luczy

Owen Bargreen 99

"A spellbinding Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 ‘Monte Bello’ was initially blended from 30 lots in the Monte Bello Vineyard. From a slightly cooler vintage, the 2023 has a slightly larger portion of Merlot (9%) added. It offers cool wintergreen notes on the nose alongside sandalwood, orange bell pepper, and fresh sage that combines with shades of boysenberry compote on this intoxicating nose. The palate is lush and round with a terrific mouthfeel and loads of mouth-watering finesse. Showing stunning length, this beauty really needs a year or two in the bottle before savoring."-Owen Bargreen

James Suckling 98

"Haunting aromas of tobacco leaves, iron and graphite lead to potent, concentrated black olive, black cherry, wild sage and cocoa flavors in this fresh, brilliant classic from an elegant vintage. Aged in 100% new oak barrels, about 95% American. It's tight and closed but bursting with potential. Unusually low in alcohol at 13.2%. Drinkable now if you want to, but it’ll be much better with time."-Jim Gordon

Decanter 97

"A super volcanic site at the top of the mountain, the Montebello is comprised of 80 sub fermentations, rich, structured, ageable and intense. These are wines built to last 20-50 years. Intense mountain garrigue, As California bay and eucalyptus, wild thyme and intense purple florals all swirl in harmony. Sappy purple fruits and wintergreen mint leaves soar from the wine's aromatics. The texture is mouthcoating in spite of the serious tannins, it's lively as red and black fruits combine, highlighted by a blood orange pith."-Clive Pursehouse

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