×

Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017 750ml

size
750ml
country
United States
region
California
appellation
Santa Cruz County
subappellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
6 Ratings
See 6 Professional Reviews
JD
100
JS
99
WA
98
VM
97
WS
96
WE
95
Additional vintages
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2003 2002 2001 1997
JD
100
Rated 100 by Jeb Dunnuck
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar. ... More details
Image of bottle
Sample image only. Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description

Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017 750ml

SKU 883630
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$1549.68
/case
$258.28
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
Add to Cart
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
JD
100
JS
99
WA
98
VM
97
WS
96
WE
95
JD
100
Rated 100 by Jeb Dunnuck
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar.
JS
99
Rated 99 by James Suckling
#26 in Top 100 Wines from USA, 2021. This shows incredible intensity and depth of blackberries, pine needles, blackcurrants and black olives. Conifer, too. Love the nose. Full-bodied with so many layers of fruit and very fine, creamy tannins. It goes on for minutes. Impressive density with such weightlessness. Superb wine. Drink in 2026 and onwards.
WA
98
Rated 98 by Wine Advocate
The 2017 Monte Bello is ultra powerful and concentrated, unfurling over the several days it was open to reveal rich cassis, roast plums, tar, aniseed and exotic spices. What sets the palate apart is its purity: though incredibly layered, it offers a kaleidoscopic journey from blackcurrant to tobacco and dried flowers, offering continual sparks of flavor long after the wine has been swallowed. Structurally, it has the firm but ripe tannins and seamless freshness to dictate a very long life in the cellar. This vintage is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 3,750 cases produced.
VM
97
Rated 97 by Vinous Media
The 2017 Monte Bello continues to develop beautifully. A heady, opulent wine, the 2017 also has tons of supporting structure to balance things out. Layers of dark red/purplish fruit give the 2017 remarkable primary intensity, with hints of licorice, mocha, dried flowers and menthol that build over time, hinting at the wine's ultimate potential. Sensual and exotic, but with plenty of tannic clout, the 2017 has a very bright future. Today, it is decidedly explosive. In 2017, the berries were small, and that high skin-to-juice ratio yielded a Monte Bello that is quite imposing in the early going.
WS
96
Rated 96 by Wine Spectator
Distinctive, with vibrant flavors of violet, juniper and anise out front, backed by a core of intense dark currant, plum and cherry fruit. Firmly grounded, showing serious cut and drive through the bay leaf– and sage-accented finish, which sports ample toast alongside the fruit and floral elements. A chiseled, ripped Cabernet for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,750 cases made.
WE
95
Rated 95 by Wine Enthusiast
This iconic bottling, which hails from mountaintop vines that produce less than 1.5 tons per acre, begins with aromas of roasted plum, clove and nutmeg. The blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc is framed by elegantly tense tannins, as baked plum, mace and cardamom flavors consume the midpalate, while the finish stays quite fresh. This epitomizes the definition of Cellar Selection. Drink 2021–2042. (Cellar Selection)
Winery
The Monte Bello (originally Monte Bello Cabernet; until 1975, 100% cabernet) is the wine that introduced Ridge to the world, and the world to Ridge. It is a blend of bordeaux varietals. Cabernet sauvignon still predominates; exhaustive tasting of test blends during assemblage determines how much ”if any” merlot, petit verdot, or cabernet franc will be included in the finished wine. Almost every vintage (an unbroken chain from `62 on) has something substantive to recommend it. Every decade has its high points. Taste and opinions differ. But the just-concluded decade of the nineties has been outstanding. Generalization does a disservice to the individual wines. There's structure, there's complexity, there's balance. And they develop for a long, long time.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
United States
region
California
appellation
Santa Cruz County
subappellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
Additional vintages
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2003 2002 2001 1997
Overview
Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar.
green grapes

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

From the valleys of California and Chile to the rolling hillsides of the Bordeaux region of France, the one red wine grape varietal you will find in abundance is the Cabernet Sauvignon. This darkly colored grape has been cultivated since the mid 18th century, when it was borne from a cross of fine Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc varietals. Since then, it has spread around the world and has been received with pleasure by wineries looking for a varietal which delivers excellence of flavor and aroma, whilst being hardy enough to resist frost and rot and other such difficulties. Indeed, Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most recognizable red wine grape varietal on earth, and is easily distinguished by its high tannin level and acidic nature, which is often so beautifully mellowed by being blended with Merlot and other such grapes.
barrel

Region: California

When it comes to New World wine regions, it is widely agreed that many of the finest wines are grown and produced in California. The long stretches of coastline and the valleys and mountainsides which come off them are ideal areas for vine cultivation, and for over a century now, wineries have found a perfect home in the hot, dry state, with many of the wines produced here going on to reach world class status. The state is greatly helped by the brisk oceanic winds which cool the otherwise hot and dry vineyards, which hold mineral rich soils covering vast areas and featuring many established wineries. The state is split into four main regions, the largest by far being the central valley which stretches over three hundred miles in length.
fields

Country: United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews

There have been no reviews for this product.

Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Highest Rating
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017 750ml
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2017 750ml
2017
$258.28
100 JD
Cabernet Sauvignon
United States
California
Santa Cruz County
750ml
N/A
Better Price, Same Score
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 750ml
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 750ml
2013
$207.28
100 WA
Cabernet Sauvignon
United States
Washington State
Columbia Valley
750ml
Closest Match
Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2020 750ml
Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2020 750ml
2020
$259.94
100 WA
Cabernet Sauvignon
United States
California
Napa Valley
750ml
Best QPR in Price range
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay 2019 750ml
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay 2019 750ml
2019
$202.07
100 WE
Cabernet Sauvignon
United States
California
Napa Valley
750ml
More wines available from Ridge
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2017 750ml
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $94.34
Ridge’s 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a fabulous choice for readers who want a Monte Bello fix now, without...
VM
94
JD
93
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2020 750ml
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2020
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $92.16
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2001 1.5Ltr
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2001
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $988.71
Expansive black-fruit aromas, plus some mulberry and bitter chocolate, make this mature Californian red hard to...
JS
98
WA
97
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2003 750ml
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2003
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $319.38
This has a wonderful balance of full, silky tannins and creamy ripeness, but with a degree of delicacy that...
JS
94
VM
92
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2008 750ml
Pre-Arrival
Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello 2008
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $348.08
The 2008 Monte Bello is in a gorgeous spot right now, as the aromatics are just starting to show the complex nuances...
WA
95
VM
95
More Details
Winery Ridge
green grapes

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

From the valleys of California and Chile to the rolling hillsides of the Bordeaux region of France, the one red wine grape varietal you will find in abundance is the Cabernet Sauvignon. This darkly colored grape has been cultivated since the mid 18th century, when it was borne from a cross of fine Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc varietals. Since then, it has spread around the world and has been received with pleasure by wineries looking for a varietal which delivers excellence of flavor and aroma, whilst being hardy enough to resist frost and rot and other such difficulties. Indeed, Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most recognizable red wine grape varietal on earth, and is easily distinguished by its high tannin level and acidic nature, which is often so beautifully mellowed by being blended with Merlot and other such grapes.
barrel

Region: California

When it comes to New World wine regions, it is widely agreed that many of the finest wines are grown and produced in California. The long stretches of coastline and the valleys and mountainsides which come off them are ideal areas for vine cultivation, and for over a century now, wineries have found a perfect home in the hot, dry state, with many of the wines produced here going on to reach world class status. The state is greatly helped by the brisk oceanic winds which cool the otherwise hot and dry vineyards, which hold mineral rich soils covering vast areas and featuring many established wineries. The state is split into four main regions, the largest by far being the central valley which stretches over three hundred miles in length.
fields

Country: United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.