Well, in the past Ridge was hard to come by and today it’s even more difficult. I doubt things are going to change in the near future, so probably in some time Ridge will drop off my list.
I do enjoy Ridge’s style a lot when the wines are on, but how successful the wines are seems to be quite dependent on the vintage - the best ones are exceptional, whereas the lesser vintages tend to be a bit too soft or sweet for my taste. The oak also seems to vary quite a lot - in some vintages it doesn’t seem to show at all, in others it can be quite in-your-face.
I am quite sure I’d love Monte Bello (especially with some age), but I’m really not into buying wines with three-or-four-digit prices, so I don’t have any bottles in my cellar and most likely won’t be having in the future either.
Btw - this here event is one of the culprits of my high Ridge consumption: TN: Ridge mini-verticals (Lytton Springs, Geyserville, Estate Cab)