Ridge Monte Bello 2014

Professional Ratings

• 98 James Suckling
  Unique aromas of blackberry, black currant, dark chocolate and walnut. Full body, very powerful and tannic. Incredible depth and power. Precise and so focused. Muscular. Great structure. This needs at least six to eight years to come together.
• 97 Decanter
  Another superb Monte Bello, the 2014 reveals an exuberant bouquet of crushed wild berries, plum, cherry, cinnamon, menthol and woodsmoke, framed by nicely integrated new oak. On the palate the wine is deep and intense, structured around rich tannins and underpinned by vibrant acidity, with terrific persistence on the finish. This has a long life ahead of it. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050.
• 97 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  A worthy successor to the profound 2013 and the fruit of the earliest harvest on record at this address, the 2014 Monte Bello is still quite youthfully expressive, wafting from the glass with an exuberant bouquet of minty dark berries, plums, black cherries, cigar box and a nicely integrated framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and intense, with a rich chassis of structuring tannins, which are currently largely concealed in a succulent core of fruit, and bright balancing acids. In profile, it's structurally more open-knit and giving than the massive 2013, and I suspect it will reach its plateau sooner, but it should enjoy over three decades of longevity. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and it attained 13.5% natural alcohol. "The drought had a positive effect on concentration," observed winemaker Eric Baugher when we corresponded shortly after harvest, adding that "the wines are opaque in color, with rich tannins and marvellous fruit." Four years later, that remains an accurate characterization of the 2014 Monte Bello.
• 96 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  Always one of California's most majestic and beautiful proprietary red wine blends, Ridge Vineyards has yet again produced one of the vintage's top wines. The 2014— made from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot—shows exceptional balance and structure. The wine's blackcurrants, earth, and chalk are coupled well with fine acidity. (Tasted: October 30, 2017, San Francisco, CA)