Ridge Monte Bello 2014
Santa Cruz
USA, USA
Regular price£976.32
/
Arriving: October 2026
Shipping duty paid to Mainland UK is charged at a flat rate of £9.99 per consignment and POA for Northern Ireland or Islands.
Shipping under bond is dependant on location, but starts at £15 per consignment.
| Style: Red | Packaging: OWC |
| ABV: 13.5% | Closure: Cork |
| Organic: No | Drink from: 2024 |
| Biodynamic: No | Drink to: 2045 |
| Grapes: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot | |
Critic scores
97 RP, 96 AG, 98 JS, 97 JD, 97 DC, 94 WS
Critic reviews
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.
William Kelley, May 2018
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.
Antonio Galloni, May 2017
A deep well of black fruit, together with notes of raw meat, savory and walnuts. Considering how compact and powerful this wine is, it has startling freshness and lightness of touch on the front- and mid-palates. The serious tannins build to a stunning crescendo at the imposing, velvety finish. A cuvee of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% of petit verdot. Tasted at the Thomas Kammeier Monte Bello vertical. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, December 2022
William Kelley, May 2018
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.
Antonio Galloni, May 2017
A deep well of black fruit, together with notes of raw meat, savory and walnuts. Considering how compact and powerful this wine is, it has startling freshness and lightness of touch on the front- and mid-palates. The serious tannins build to a stunning crescendo at the imposing, velvety finish. A cuvee of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% of petit verdot. Tasted at the Thomas Kammeier Monte Bello vertical. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, December 2022