1971 Monte Bello

Our Cabernet grapes reached their balance in 1971 at slightly lower sugar than usual and produced a wine with more elegance and finesse than we have yet seen. The wine was fermented dry on the skins and from completion of its malolactic in November, was aged in small cooperage until bottled. Softer than the 1970, but with the same fine cabernet character, the 1971 will need at least six years in bottle to approach its plateau of maturity.

Ridge wine is made with an emphasis on quality and naturalness that is rarely attempted. Our grapes are grown in select vineyards (usually identified on the label), where they are left to ripen to peak maturity, often at some loss of quantity. We let the wine settle and age in small barrels, with only rare cellar treatment other than racking. Varieties are not blended unless so indicated on the label. Near Black Mountain on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto, 15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation.

Wine Advocate: 93 Points “The 1971 Monte Bello is one of Ridge’s legendary wines, famous, of course, for its appearance at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where it placed fifth. Based on its notable performance out of magnum five decades later, it is not difficult to imagine what a striking wine it must’ve been in its youth. The signatures of Monte Bello are on display throughout, from minty herbal inflections to aromas of Earl Grey tea, vine smoke, truffle and gravel dust, to a svelte and rich yet deceptively slender mouthfeel and a long, layered finish propelled by the site’s signature chalky, melting tannins. While it certainly showed better in the past decade, well-stored bottles will be quite enjoyable today and should remain so over the next handful of years, though I understand any collector’s reluctance to pull the corks, given the wine’s collectibility and heritage.” -Matthew Luczy (April 2026)

Average Rating: 92.8

No. of Tasting Notes: 6

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