David White

9.3

See earlier notes
Developing very nicely and great balance and flavours — a month ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Last had 4 years ago and was excited to check in - this didn’t disappoint. That perfect ridge mix of old world sensibility and composition with new world fruit and character. 13.8%. Finish is long with nice acid. Great pairing with steaks. Nice wine.

Happy New Year! — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards – Chardonnay – 2023
Monte Bello Estate Vineyard – Santa Cruz Mountains – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A mountain-born Chardonnay from one of California’s most historic estates. The long, cool 2023 growing season delivered a wine of vibrant energy and varietal purity, shaped by indigenous fermentation and extended lees aging. Ridge once again proves that Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains can rival the world’s finest in precision and longevity.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon zest, green apple, and white peach lead with lifted notes of chamomile, fresh herbs, and wet stone. Subtle toasted hazelnut and light vanilla cream echo softly from the barrel work, never overpowering the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Bright, linear acidity frames a medium-bodied palate with tension and focus. Silky texture from nine months on the lees adds quiet depth, finishing mineral, citrusy, and long.

Food Pairings
Grilled branzino, butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with herbs, shaved fennel salad, or creamy burrata with olive oil and sea salt.

Verdict
Beautifully balanced, mountain-driven Chardonnay that captures Ridge’s signature restraint and purity. Enjoy now or follow for the next decade, this vintage will reward both patience and curiosity.

Did You Know?
Ridge ferments its Chardonnay with indigenous yeasts and relies on minimal SO₂, crafting the wine with a philosophy closer to Burgundy than to typical California richness. The Monte Bello Estate vineyard sits at high elevation on fractured limestone soils, one of the rarest soil types in California for Chardonnay. — 3 months ago

romo

9.3

Some poopy bret blew off in 30 mins and revealed a sheer dress of leafy brown spice. Likely peaked at 15 years. — 9 days ago

Ericsson

9.7

Yes—exactly that kind of wine: timeless, composed, and quietly authoritative.

It smells so good on first pour. Damp pine forest floor and clean mountain air register immediately. Everything else unravels from there; but that initial pop-and-pour sniff is pure magic.

On the palate, blackcurrant, cedar, graphite, and dried herbs unfold with control, carried by freshness and finely etched tannins in a medium body.

So classic, so intellectual, and deeply mesmerizing. Drink now or age. — a month ago

Sam Friedland

9.0

Very good, still a lot of tannins. Should be better I three to five years. — 3 months ago

Amanda Drazka

9.2

This New Zealand Sauvignon blanc offers a bright nose with notes of lime, grapefruit, tropical fruit and sea salt at the end. It is a dry, acidic, medium bodied wine. Flavours of grapefruit and mango are present on the palette. It has a long finish beginning with tropical fruits and ending with sea salt. This wine paired well with sushi. — 6 days ago

Daniel Anderson

9.4

Delicious, full and smooth. Maybe a bit young but my kind of cab. Full and lacking any annoying intensity abrasive tannins. Would never d&d on this one — a month ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.1

Deep ruby color. Aromas of blueberry, leather and eucalyptus. Solid wine! Flavors of cherry, raspberry, cedar and pencil lead. Great vintage!

🏅94+ points - Wine Spectrum Rating — 3 months ago

Elmars

9.0

This wine is of exceptional quality. While it may have been slightly premature to consume (released in 2021), it exhibited pronounced tannic characteristics. — 4 months ago