1999 Ridge Vineyards "Monte Bello" Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 1999 Monte Bello is gorgeous wine for current drinking, as all the elements have melded together nicely with the passage of time. Cedar, smoke, leather and dried herbs give the 1999 wonderful aromatic presence. Overall, though, I find the wine's sheer depth to be really impressive. Moreover, the 1999 is aging very gracefully. (AG)” (10/2019)

“The nose, while clearly ripe, is subdued and inexpressive. However, the palate is full-bodied and very concentrated, and while the tannins are still present, the wine is polished. It's certainly approachable but still tight and compact, though good acidity ensures a long, stylish finish. (SB)” (10/2022)

“The 1999 Monte Bello is a classic vintage of this superb cabernet sauvignon, with a deep and nascently complex personality, plenty of structure and superb balance for long-term cellaring. The wine’s cépages this year is seventy-three percent cabernet sauvignon, twenty-five percent merlot two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot. It tipped the scales this year at an even thirteen percent alcohol. In this vintage, the yields in the Monte Bello vineyard equaled the record crop size of 1997, and the team at Ridge actually used a bit of commercial yeasts to start the fermentations of the lots of cabernet destined to have their malos done in barrel. The deep and classic nose wafts from the glass in a blend of cassis, cigar smoke, stony soil tones, a discreet and youthful touch of sweet bell pepper, tobacco leaf and a lovely framing of American oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, tightly-knit and sweet to the core, with ripe tannins, outstanding focus and grip, ripe tannins and a very long, perfectly balanced and superb finish. All this excellent vintage of Monte Bello needs is a bit more time. 93+” (07/2025)

“A wine of great balance, finesse and grace. Well-focused, the ripe, tart, rich blackberry and currant fruit is intense yet elegant, picking up earth, mineral and sage notes, and finishing with fine, well-integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. *Collectible* (JL)” (10/2002)

“73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. From an imperial opened as a finale for the 50th-anniversary tasting of Lytton Springs in London. Rich and complete. Very perfumed, intriguing and neither OTT nor brutal. I wish I could taste this alongside a 1999 red bordeaux! 18/20 points (JR)” (03/2025)