At nearly 30 years, expect a mature profile of dried black fruit, cedar, leather, tobacco, dried herb, and earth with softened but still-present tannins. Monte Bello's structure typically holds up well in even less-acclaimed vintages.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend (composition varies by vintage)
- Region
- USA / California / Santa Cruz Mountains
- Body
- Full
- Style
- dry red, age-worthy, traditional, mountain fruit
The producer
See 1994 entry — Ridge's Monte Bello is one of the most important and age-worthy California wines, with limestone-soil mountain fruit and a tradition of restraint and structure.
What critics say
1996 was a more challenging vintage in California than 1994 but still produced age-worthy wines from top sites.
Pairing
Slow-braised lamb shank, ribeye with rosemary, aged cheeses