A Cabernet Wine With Unofficial ‘Cult-Status’ Magic 

Forbes

June 2026

In a recent Forbes article, wine writer Cathrine Todd explores the uncommon position of a Cabernet that has achieved an unofficial cult following while remaining accessible to a wider audience. Rather than relying on scarcity alone, RIDGE’s Monte Bello has earned its reputation through our dedication to quality, vineyard character, and a record of performance in the bottle.

Todd highlights a wine that delivers the concentration, structure, and aging potential often associated with far more expensive Cabernet Sauvignons. Monte Bello’s appeal reflects qualities that have attracted a loyal following among collectors and everyday enthusiasts alike. These pillars—a sense of place, sustainable farming, and pre-industrial winemaking—have been ingrained in Ridge Vineyards’ operations since our founding in 1962.

Read Cathrine Todd’s tasting notes from our recent Judgment of Paris 50^th Anniversary Luncheon below.

A vertical of Ridge Vineyards was presented in four different flights that were not in chronological order but instead, were grouped to display a particular commonality among the vintages.

1st Flight – Elegant, Resolved Vintages

The first flight was called elegant, resolved vintages that actually placed the 1990 Monte Bello before the 1985 Monte Bello because the 1990 is more advanced than the 1985.

1985: “Intriguing nose of tar and asphalt with a round texture and vivacious fruit that is generous yet also finely structured with beautifully etched tannins and an overall immensely charming quality with red berries mingled with loamy soil.”

1990: “This wine is something very special as it has that wondrous balance of concentrated cassis with a hint of bacon fat that makes the heart burst with joy, as it is a rare quality that most wines have a hard time pulling off, with big, bold tannins and a touch of black olive on the finish.”

1977: “Exotic nose with sandalwood and Asian spice box with cedar-tinged red cherry fruit and fresh tobacco leaf that has well-defined pixilated tannins that are elegantly defined.”

2nd Flight – Riper Vintages

The second flight displayed riper vintages that included heat waves and droughts.

2001: “A gloriously open-knit wine with a bouquet of truffles, black currants and pulverized rocks with high-toned, pretty fruit on the nose and more depth and richness on the palate with extremely silky tannins.”

1992: “Electric acidity really makes this vintage exciting with touches of crushed rose petal and gravel that is suffused with an incredible tension that is balanced by fleshy fruit.”

1978: “Playfully delectable with baking spices and vibrant cranberry tart flavors with notes of cigar wrapper and crushed walnuts intermixed with a nimble palate that finishes with precision.”

3rd Flight – More Structured Vintages

The third flight has more structured vintages.

2023: “Stunning ruby color with captivating violet notes and blueberry compote flavors and a complex hint of tar underneath with broad-shouldered tannins and an enveloping core of fruit that has a long length of flavor.”

2013: “Scintillating fragrances of mossy bark and smoldering earth with a core of warm mulberries and fresh sage with a linear drive that is thrilling on the finish.”

1995: “This wine has that free love spirit with wildflowers, incense sticks and brambly berries with a lifted quality that dances freely across the palate with plush, delicious fruit.”

4th Flight – Exceptional Balance

This last flight has the 2011 Monte Bello and the 1971 Monte Bello, which was part of the Judgment of Paris, and neither came from a powerhouse vintage, yet their balance is exceptional, and the 1971 is truly a jaw-dropping, multifaceted wine that astonishes.

2011: “Very silky structure with lovely aromatics of pristine black berries and wet river stones with a nice amount of juiciness and an overall harmony.”

1971: “A multidimensional mixture of dried herbs, iron and expansive fruit with a verve and poise that is spectacular and slowly unfurls with an intense sense of place.”