The Mount Rushmore of California Cabernet, According to 9 Wine Experts
VinePair
May 2025
In VinePair’s recent article, nine experts were asked to highlight “the wines that have had the biggest impact on the industry, on consumers, and even on the world.” Together, these wines make up a list that celebrates the rich history of California wines featuring cabernet sauvignon. Did your favorite make the list? Read the full article to find out, or continue below to see what the respondents said about Ridge Vineyards.
Monte Bello: Cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains
“A tried-and-true favorite. Year after year Ridge produces Cabernet Sauvignon that showcases the elegance and brightness of the variety. As one of the first to use clear ingredient labeling highlighting their straightforward approach to winemaking, they are experts at the marrying of tradition and innovation.” –Kathryn House McClaskey, Founder, House of Wine, Boise, Idaho
“Paul Draper’s stewardship of Ridge is arguably one of the most important constants in 20th century American viticulture. From the middle 1960s to today, Ridge Monte Bello has proved that balance, elegance, and uncompromising quality will always triumph over chasing any styles, trends or vogues: Farm well, and let the site do the talking with a gentle hand in the winery. Every vintage of Monte Bello is spectacular, if differentiated, and I’m sure they will be for years to come.” –Morgan Harris MS, Head sommelier, Prelude, San Francisco
“So much to say: history, longevity, location, style. The focus on site specificity — location, elevation, and soil — and consistency in the winemaking are key to the longevity and affection for this wine. It has a place in the storied history of California wines, specifically the Judgement of Paris in 1976, which it didn’t win, but came in fourth, and then won the whole damn thing at the 30-year anniversary in 2006. I also think the philosophy of Paul Draper — of organic viticulture and low-intervention winemaking — is important, because while it’s more common or trendy today, this is a winery that’s been doing it for 60 years. They are also a pioneer of transparency and have had ingredient labels on their wines for years.” –Jill Zimorski, Adjunct Professor, DePaul University, Chicago
“The countercultural stalwart. From the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains, Monte Bello has always been aloof. Its very existence serves as a reminder that California as a whole is home to extraordinary terroir, and that world-class Cabernet Sauvignon can emerge from far beyond Napa’s slopes — be it Mendocino, the Sierra Foothills, or Los Angeles. Humble, monastic, and resolute, Monte Bello plays a quiet counterpoint to the California hype train, while being always itself.” –Jordan Mackay, Author, “The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste”
“Another advocate of natural practices, small fermentations, and highlighting the microclimate of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Ridge Vineyards also helped put California wines on the world map at the Judgment of Paris, and later proved that these cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignons are extremely ageable.” –Juan Pablo Trillo Molina, Wine director, Tasting House, Los Gatos, California
Pre-Industrial Winemaking
Our goal at Ridge Vineyards is to tell the stories of exceptional sites across California. We do this by searching for unique, old-vine vineyards, using as few interventions in our farming and winemaking practices as possible, and approaching each vintage with wonder so that the wines are accurately represented.
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