Ridge Monte Bello 2025 En Primeur [in bond ex vat] (3x75cl) Landing Summer 2028

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

3 x 75cl *13.5% ABV * California, USA

En Primeur sales have just opened on the flagship wine from Ridge. Monte Bello 2025 has been hailed as an outstanding and exceptionally age-worthy vintage due to the beautifully balanced ripeness, tannin, acid and fruit. 

Harvest Report

Plentiful winter rains replenished groundwater, starting the growing season off on a positive footing. Cool spring weather delayed budbreak until early April. The growing season then followed a yo-yo pattern of warming up, then cooling down. Temperatures throughout July rarely hit 27°C, signalling a late harvest. With ample access to water, the vines produced a full crop, so a green harvest was carried out at veraison in August. Warm weather then followed, bringing the first grapes to full ripeness on September 2nd.

Temperatures in mid-September, however, once again cooled off so picking was paused. The grapes continued to ripen but very slowly, making 2025 a true exercise in patience. The last blocks were harvested on November 4th. The long ripening time with cooler temperatures also meant the grapes ripened at slightly lower sugar levels. This vintage afforded Ridge the luxury of surgically picking each block one-by-one, at optimal ripeness.

Blending Notes

On February 3rd and 4th, the Ridge team gathered for the first assemblage tastings to evaluate all stand-out lots from the 2025 Monte Bello vintage. After reviewing all ninety lots, twenty-five were selected for consideration during the blind tasting. These were evaluated for structure, balance, and long-term aging potential, with several blocks clearly defining the core blend.

On May 12th, the production and vineyard teams reconvened for the second assemblage. The wines were assessed blind in a series of trial blends to evaluate how each remaining lot might influence the overall profile of the vintage. Wines that were not yet ready during the February assemblage due to the timing of natural malolactic fermentation or the need for additional oak integration could now be evaluated.

This year, five Cabernet Sauvignon lots remained under consideration: one lot composed of press fractions alongside four blocks sourced from throughout the Monte Bello Vineyard. While each brought its own character to the tasting, only one lot ultimately elevated the blend: Foster’s Terrace block from Torre Ranch.

The finished blend is composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, and displays the hallmark qualities sought for Monte Bello: depth, concentration, structure, and layered complexity. The cooler season preserved acidity and aromatic detail, shaping a wine that already shows precision, balance, and the ability to develop beautifully with age.

Drinking window: 2032 - 2065

Please note prices are in-bond and exclude VAT and Duty, which are payable when the wines land, ETA Summer 2028