Monte Bello 2023 is a Cabernet Sauvignon based red from Ridge Vineyards, grown on a volcanic site at the top of the mountain in California's Central Coast. The Cabernet Sauvignon proportion in this blend is 89%, partly because a significant portion of the Merlot crop that year did not fully ripen.
Cool temperatures and long hangtime extended the growing season, and the harvest did not begin until October and continued through November. At veraison, yields appeared to be much higher than average, so a small amount of fruit thinning was performed in some plots. However, the final wine production was among the lowest in the past decade.
Fermentation took place in 80 small, individually assessed lots, followed by nearly two years of aging exclusively in new oak barrels, approximately 95% of which were American.
If drinking while young, decanting is recommended. It is best enjoyed between 2028 and 2046.
Robert Parker (99)
The 2023 Monte Bello is the definition of classicism across every metric, seamlessly fusing a slow-moving, even-keeled profile with an enviable combination of charm, assertion and effortlessness. The nose opens with a perfect melange of red and black berries, framed by classically informed toasted, herbal and graphite flourishes, along with youthful vanilla undertones that meld with floral notes after aeration. The palate is simultaneously seamless, supple, juicy and firm, before moving into a long finish that is expansive yet expertly controlled, riding on a chassis of ultra-refined, chalky tannins. I had one bottle open for multiple days and saw nothing but an upward trajectory, with notable oak integration relative to its first-day showing. Additionally, I retasted the wine out of magnum in the context of a vertical spanning back to 1971, which only solidified my belief that this could prove to be one of the all-time greatest iterations of Monte Bello. It will be worth cellaring for a decade, at minimum, and should drink beautifully for at least the next three after that. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, and the wine achieved 13.2% natural alcohol.
James Suckling (98)
Haunting aromas of tobacco leaves, iron and graphite lead to potent, concentrated black olive, black cherry, wild sage and cocoa flavors in this fresh, brilliant classic from an elegant vintage. Aged in 100% new oak barrels, about 95% American. It's tight and closed but bursting with potential. Unusually low in alcohol at 13.2%. Drinkable now if you want to, but it’ll be much better with time. Best from 2033.
Jancis Robinson (18)
Sleek blackcurrant fruit with cedar, tobacco and mint in the mix. Beneath that, a beefy, meaty intensity, with a fragrant oak-spice lining. Firm, grainy tannic structure with high acid and a long, perfumed finish. Well proportioned: the fruit is generous but doesn’t dominate, and the persistence moves into a non-fruit spectrum: meat, leather, leaf-litter.
Vinous (99)
Quite simply, the 2023 Monte Bello is brilliant. It’s an unbelievably expressive wine in every way. Stunningly pure and delineated, the 2023 is an infinitely layered, complex, concentrated Monte Bello that attains superb balance and powerful concentration without a shred of excess weight. Dark blue-toned fruit, bay leaf, blood orange, crushed rocks and chalk press on with confidence through an epically long finish. The extended growing season meant that much of the Merlot in the vineyard never fully ripened, hence the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) in the blend. Cool conditions and long hangtime not only imbued the 2023 with immeasurable depth, it also cemented the hallmark cedary freshness that lifts Monte Bello like few other wines in the world. This is a Monte Bello for the ages.
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
The tremendously impressive 2023 Monte Bello blends 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, assembled together after a cold spring and long hangtime. Bay leaf, cedar, and warm baking spices accent a light-bodied frame of structured tannins and high-toned acidity, blended as usual from highly selected lots and spending nearly two years in barrel. It's still shedding its youthful skin; enjoy best 2033-2045.
Decanter (97)
A super volcanic site at the top of the mountain, the Montebello is comprised of 80 sub fermentations, rich, structured, ageable and intense. These are wines built to last 20-50 years. Intense mountain garrigue, As California bay and eucalyptus, wild thyme and intense purple florals all swirl in harmony. Sappy purple fruits and wintergreen mint leaves soar from the wine's aromatics. The texture is mouthcoating in spite of the serious tannins, it's lively as red and black fruits combine, highlighted by a blood orange pith.
Owen Bargreen (99)
A spellbinding Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 ‘Monte Bello’ was initially blended from 30 lots in the Monte Bello Vineyard. From a slightly cooler vintage, the 2023 has a slightly larger portion of Merlot (9%) added. It offers cool wintergreen notes on the nose alongside sandalwood, orange bell pepper, and fresh sage that combines with shades of boysenberry compote on this intoxicating nose. The palate is lush and round with a terrific mouthfeel and loads of mouth-watering finesse. Showing stunning length, this beauty really needs a year or two in the bottle before savoring. Drink 2028-2050
