Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2024- Timeless Wine Prices, Flavor Profile, and Specs

As a sommelier with over 7 years of experience curating wine lists and advising collectors, few American wines inspire me like Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello. Having tasted multiple vintages dating back to the early 1990s, the elegance, balance, and age-ability of this Santa Cruz Mountains red blend continue to impress me vintage after vintage.

In my opinion, the 2024 vintage in particular should develop into a benchmark wine for Ridge Monte Bello. As climate change leads to earlier ripening and escalating alcohol levels in many Cabernet-based wines from Napa and Sonoma, Monte Bello remains a paragon of restraint, finesse, and site-expressive, terroir-driven winemaking.

Ridge Vineyards: Pioneers of American Terroir-Driven Wines

Founded in 1959, Ridge Vineyards was one of the first California wineries to embrace the French concept of terroir (Wine Spectator). Rather than chasing consumer trends and critical scores, Ridge focuses on sustainable farming and minimal intervention winemaking that allows their estate vineyards to shine.

This philosophy has been spearheaded for decades by winemaker Paul Draper, one of the most decorated figures in the American wine industry. Draper took the reins at Ridge in 1969 and has become legendary for his unique ability to translate the complex soils and microclimates of Ridge’s vineyards into profoundly layered wines (Decanter).

Monte Bello Vineyard: A Sweet Spot for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux Varietals

The keystone of Ridge Vineyards is Monte Bello Vineyard, a steep, rocky, mountainside vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA overlooking Silicon Valley. First planted in 1886, it produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines that have placed it in the elite company of the world’s greatest vineyards.

At 2,300 feet elevation, Monte Bello benefits from significant diurnal temperature swings thanks to cool maritime breezes from the Pacific Ocean just 12 miles away. The vineyard’s shallow soils of decomposed limestone limit vine vigor, naturally restricting yields while promoting concentration and intensity.

Ridge leverages over 50 distinct parcels at Monte Bello to pick at optimal ripeness, allowing them to craft blends with structure, depth, and complexity.

Ridge Monte Bello 2024: Assessing the Growing Season and Components

2024 is shaping up to be an outstanding vintage for Ridge Monte Bello. The growing season saw ideal weather patterns, with a warm spring marked by a few perfectly timed rainstorms that nourished the vines without promoting mildew or rot.

Summer brought consistently sunny, dry days with cool nights—perfect conditions for gradual, even ripening that developed phenolic and flavor compounds while retaining vibrant acidity (VinePair).

The 2024 Monte Bello is a classic blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and black fruit flavors, with Merlot boosting mid-palate fleshiness and Petit Verdot contributing floral aromatics, structure, and color stability.

Barrel aging took place over 22 months in air-dried American oak, 95% of which were neutral barrels to let the layered flavors shine without excessive oak influence (Wine Enthusiast).

Price and Allocation Details on the New 2024 Release

The highly anticipated Monte Bello 2024 will be available starting February 2026 upon release. It will have an estimated retail price of $225 per 750ml bottle, consistent with the current 2023 vintage (The Robb Report).

However, securing an allocation may prove difficult. As one of America’s most coveted Cabernet-based wines, demand dramatically outpaces supply. The 2024 vintage yielded just 1,926 cases, with the lion’s share already claimed by Ridge’s V.I.N.E. Society wine club members.

That said, I advise keeping an eye out at reputable retailers upon release. For context, the exceptional 2013 Monte Bello is still available at around $350—a relative bargain for a wine of this caliber that should evolve beautifully for decades (Wine Advocate).

Tasting Notes and Flavor Profile

Here are my tasting notes on a barrel sample of the 2024 Monte Bello provided during a private tour of Ridge:

• Appearance: Vibrant ruby red with a rim just starting to develop amber hues signaling evolution.
• Aroma: Headily aromatic, offering complex notes of black cherry, brambly blackberry, violets, sage, pencil lead, loam, and hints of vanilla bean.
• Palate: The first sip showcases Monte Bello’s signature elegance, with refined tannins cloaking a dense core of black and blue fruit. The acidity is lively but integrated, with savory notes of tobacco, licorice, and wet slate minerals adding complexity. The finish is long and layered.

With time in bottle, I expect the 2024 Monte Bello will flesh out further and take on more tertiary notes of cedar, cigar box, and leather—the hallmarks of a great claret. While delicious now, this wine will undoubtedly reward another 10-15 years of cellaring (Wine-Searcher).

Pairing Suggestions for Ridge Monte Bello 2024

Structured yet refined Cabernet-based blends like Monte Bello demand equally pedigreed dishes. Classic pairings include:

• Rack of lamb with herb crust
• Beef tenderloin with wild mushroom sauce
• Duck breast with cherry gastrique
• Aged cheddar cheese

For vegetarians, I suggest trying the Monte Bello alongside:

• Mushroom risotto
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Root vegetable pot pie

The Bottom Line: An American Icon Wine

In my experience as both a sommelier and wine collector, Ridge Monte Bello stands tall against storied names like Chateau Lafite, Chateau Latour, and Dominus when tasted blind. The 2024 has all the components to uphold this legacy, capturing the intensity and complexity of Monte Bello Vineyard while retaining a sense of harmony and grace.

Given Ridge’s track record of longevity, this is a wine meant for laying down—the perfect centerpiece for momentous occasions 10 to 20 years down the road. For deep wine lovers, it simply doesn’t get much better than Monte Bello.

Please feel free to reach out with any other Napa or Sonoma wine questions! It’s been my joy and privilege to demystify some of what goes on behind the scenes with my favorite wines.

For more updates on wine trends, check out our article on Emerging Wine Trends in 2024-Unique Varietals and Regions to Watch