Wine Labs · Market intelligence
Ridge Monte Bello: Vintages, Blends and Prices in 2026
Ridge Monte Bello vintage by vintage: the winery's published blends and oak, plus live prices from 615 shops, 6,824 auction sales and 1,054 restaurants.
Monte Bello is the top red at Ridge Vineyards. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from one estate vineyard high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Ridge has made it since 1962. How much Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc goes in is decided each year by tasting test blends (Ridge).
Below is what Ridge has published about the vineyard and recent vintages, and what the wine sells for today in shops, at auction and on restaurant lists. Blend and cellar figures come from the winery's vintage pages; prices from Wine Labs data collected on November 4, 2026.
Ridge Monte Bello at a glance
| Producer | Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello Ridge, Santa Cruz Mountains |
| Owner | Otsuka Pharmaceutical, since 1986 |
| First vintage | 1962 |
| Grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in most years |
| Typical shop price | $297 (median of 615 sellers) |
| Typical auction price | $215 a bottle, buyer's premium included (6,824 sales) |
A vineyard older than the winery
Osea Perrone, a San Francisco doctor, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in 1885. He terraced the slopes, built a limestone winery into the mountain, and made the first vintage under the Monte Bello name in 1892 (Ridge history). The vineyard was not fully maintained during Prohibition, and by the 1940s the vines were effectively abandoned. Eight acres of Cabernet Sauvignon were replanted in 1949, and those vines gave the first Ridge Monte Bello (2022 Monte Bello).
In 1959, four engineers from Stanford Research Institute bought land at the top of the ridge as a weekend retreat. Dave Bennion made the early wines. After three years of small batches, the partners re-bonded the winery and released the first commercial Ridge Monte Bello in 1962 (Ridge). Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical bought Ridge in 1986 (STAT).
Who makes Monte Bello
Paul Draper joined Ridge as winemaker in 1969 and made his first Monte Bello that year. (Ridge). Draper retired as CEO and winemaker after 47 years at Ridge and stayed on as chairman. In the same announcement he recalled that the 1971 Monte Bello placed first, by 18 points, in the 30-year rerun of the 1976 Paris tasting (Ridge). The team named to succeed him was Mark Vernon, Eric Baugher, John Olney and David Gates (Ridge).
John Olney joined Ridge in 1996 and worked at both the Monte Bello and Lytton Springs wineries. He became head winemaker and COO in 2021 and CEO in 2026 (Ridge winemaking).
Where the fruit comes from
The vineyard runs from 1,300 to 2,700 feet above sea level, 15 miles from the Pacific. Its green stone and clay soils sit over decomposing limestone. Ridge says the vines give less than two tons per acre, and the whole vineyard has been certified organic since the 2022 harvest. In the cellar, each grape and each parcel is fermented apart with native yeasts, then moved to air-dried American oak barrels for malolactic fermentation (Ridge). For the 2022, eighteen of thirty-one lots were chosen by blind tasting (2022 Monte Bello).
Monte Bello vintages and blends
Cabernet Sauvignon has ranged from 64% to 89% of the blend since 2012. Merlot moves the most: from 5% in 2013 to 31% in 2021.
Share of each grape, from Ridge's vintage pages. The 2012 figures add up to 98%.
| Vintage | Cabernet Sauvignon | Merlot | Cabernet Franc | Petit Verdot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 64% | 22% | 8% | 4% |
| 2013 | 80% | 5% | 7% | 8% |
| 2014 | 75% | 18% | 5% | 2% |
| 2015 | 77% | 11% | 5% | 7% |
| 2016 | 72% | 12% | 6% | 10% |
| 2017 | 73% | 15% | 4% | 8% |
| 2018 | 74% | 17% | 2% | 7% |
| 2019 | 82% | 9% | 1% | 8% |
| 2020 | 84% | 11% | 1% | 4% |
| 2021 | 64% | 31% | 0% | 5% |
| 2022 | 86% | 10% | 2% | 2% |
| 2023 | 89% | 9% | 0% | 2% |
| Vintage | Blend | Barrels | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot | 16 months; 98.5% new American, 1.5% new French | 13.8% |
| 2013 | 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot | 16 months, all new; 98% American, 2% French | 13.6% |
| 2014 | 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot | 17 months, all new; 97% American, 2% French, 1% Hungarian | 13.5% |
| 2015 | 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc | 16 months; 97% American, 3% French, 94% new | 13.5% |
| 2016 | 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc | 18 months, all new; 98% American, 2% French | 13.7% |
| 2017 | 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc | 17 months, all new; 95% American, 5% French | 13.7% |
| 2018 | 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc | 17 months, all new; 90% American, 7% French, 3% Ozark | 13.7% |
| 2019 | 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc | 17 months, all new; 95% American, 5% French | 13.7% |
| 2020 | 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc | 20 months, all new; 95% American, 5% French | 13.5% |
| 2021 | 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot | 19 months, all new; 92% American, 8% French | 13.5% |
| 2022 | 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc | 21 months, all new; 95% American, 5% French | 13.8% |
| 2023 | 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot | 21 months, all new; 95% American, 5% French | 13.2% |
American oak has stayed at 90% or more of the barrels in every vintage above. Time in barrel has grown, from 16 or 17 months in the early 2010s to 21 months for 2022 and 2023. Alcohol has stayed between 13.2% and 13.8%. The 2012 figures are as Ridge publishes them and add up to 98%.
What Monte Bello costs today
On November 4, 2026, 615 sellers had Monte Bello on offer in a 750 ml bottle. Most are in the US (375 sellers), followed by the UK (53), Germany (23) and Hong Kong (17). Half of all offers sit between $255 and $340, and the median is $297.
Per 750 ml bottle, US dollars, November 2026.
| Channel | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Auction | $215 | Median of 6,824 sales, buyer's premium included |
| Shops | $297 | Median of 615 sellers, all vintages |
| Restaurants | $520 | Median of 1,054 wine lists |
These three prices don't measure the same thing. Shop prices mix many vintages. Auction prices are what one lot sold for, with the buyer's premium but before shipping, tax and storage. A restaurant price includes service.
Shop prices for recent vintages are close together: medians of $254 to $270 for the 2018, 2019 and 2020, and $300 for the 2022 and 2023. At auction, most vintages from 2012 to 2023 sold for medians between $184 and $224. The exceptions are the 2020, lower at $147, and the 2013, higher at $327. The 2015 has a shop median of $500, well above its neighbors, while at auction it sold for $203.
Medians per 750 ml, 2012 to 2023 vintages. Each has at least five shop sellers and five auction sales.
| Vintage | Shop median | Auction median |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | $274 | $200 |
| 2013 | $409 | $327 |
| 2014 | $245 | $184 |
| 2015 | $500 | $203 |
| 2016 | $287 | $205 |
| 2017 | $287 | $224 |
| 2018 | $269 | $194 |
| 2019 | $270 | $188 |
| 2020 | $254 | $147 |
| 2021 | $295 | $194 |
| 2022 | $300 | $199 |
| 2023 | $300 | $220 |
| Vintage | Shop sellers | Shop median | Auction sales | Auction median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 33 | $274 | 282 | $200 |
| 2013 | 17 | $409 | 331 | $327 |
| 2014 | 27 | $245 | 329 | $184 |
| 2015 | 58 | $500 | 277 | $203 |
| 2016 | 29 | $287 | 272 | $205 |
| 2017 | 32 | $287 | 233 | $224 |
| 2018 | 57 | $269 | 211 | $194 |
| 2019 | 106 | $270 | 206 | $188 |
| 2020 | 144 | $254 | 115 | $147 |
| 2021 | 81 | $295 | 65 | $194 |
| 2022 | 133 | $300 | 51 | $199 |
| 2023 | 75 | $300 | 13 | $220 |
Medians need at least five sellers or five sales.
Per-vintage shop figures leave out stores whose listings do not state a reliable vintage.
At auction
We have 6,824 Monte Bello sales with a recorded price, at 50 auction houses, from November 2002 to November 2026. K&L Wines alone accounts for 3,399 of them, followed by Acker Merrall Condit (613), Hart Davis Hart (401) and Spectrum Wine Auctions (359). Half of all sales fall between $178 and $281 a bottle.
The oldest vintages bring the most. The 1974 has 78 sales with a median of $1,890, and the 1971, the Paris rerun winner, has 16 sales at $1,830. The 1962, the first Ridge Monte Bello, has 8 sales at a median of $1,575.
The median by year of sale climbed from $174 in 2016 to $252 in 2022. Since then it has stayed between $214 and $238. These figures mix all vintages.
All vintages, per 750 ml, buyer's premium included. 2026 runs to November 3.
| Year | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $174 | 108 sales |
| 2017 | $184 | 239 sales |
| 2018 | $187 | 399 sales |
| 2019 | $186 | 502 sales |
| 2020 | $210 | 593 sales |
| 2021 | $226 | 557 sales |
| 2022 | $252 | 425 sales |
| 2023 | $238 | 614 sales |
| 2024 | $226 | 868 sales |
| 2025 | $214 | 1,017 sales |
| 2026 | $229 | 924 sales |
| Year of sale | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 108 | $174 |
| 2017 | 239 | $184 |
| 2018 | 399 | $187 |
| 2019 | 502 | $186 |
| 2020 | 593 | $210 |
| 2021 | 557 | $226 |
| 2022 | 425 | $252 |
| 2023 | 614 | $238 |
| 2024 | 868 | $226 |
| 2025 | 1,017 | $214 |
| 2026 | 924 | $229 |
On restaurant lists
Monte Bello is on 1,054 restaurant wine lists in our data, collected between January 2025 and November 2026. Nearly all of them are in the US. The median list price is $520 a bottle, and half the lists price it between $385 and $715.
Monte Bello in the Ridge range
Ridge also makes Zinfandel-based wines in Sonoma County. These are the wines with the most sellers in our data, all vintages together.
| Wine | Shop sellers | Shop median |
|---|---|---|
| Ridge Three Valleys, Sonoma County | 1,170 | $37 |
| Ridge Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley | 888 | $58 |
| Ridge Geyserville, Alexander Valley | 662 | $58 |
| Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains | 615 | $297 |
| Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains | 523 | $90 |
| Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley | 443 | $52 |
| Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel | 387 | $44 |
| Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley | 319 | $49 |
Buying Monte Bello
Ridge sells Monte Bello directly, and its Monte Bello Collector membership gives access to the estate's wines, Monte Bello futures included. Older vintages, back to the 1960s, sell regularly at auction.
See all Ridge wines on the Ridge Vineyards producer page. See live Monte Bello prices and auction history in Wine Labs market data.
Data methodology: Wine Labs data, November 4, 2026, for "Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA". Shop prices are live 750 ml offers from online merchants and wine shops, one price per seller per vintage (the lowest), with each chain counted once, and with multi-bottle packs and the winery's own shop left out. Auction prices are sold lots with a recorded result, buyer's premium included, per 750 ml bottle, with mixed lots and flagged outliers left out. Restaurant prices are one bottle price per restaurant. All prices in US dollars. Blends and cellar details are from Ridge's vintage pages, linked above.