Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards — Estate Chardonnay 2023
Monte Bello Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Chardonnay from Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains and strongly influenced by the cool Pacific. The exceptionally long, cool 2023 growing season preserved freshness and varietal character, while barrel fermentation followed by nine months on the lees added texture and dimension. At 14.1% ABV, it carries surprising substance without sacrificing its cool-climate identity.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon, yellow apple, pear, citrus blossom, and subtle stone fruit unfold gradually, joined by mineral notes, gentle vanilla, and restrained barrel nuances. Air brings out additional layers without turning the wine overtly oaky.

Mouthfeel
Beautifully texturized yet remarkably fresh. Bright acidity provides tension while lees aging gives the mid-palate a gentle creaminess and polished weight. It keeps evolving after opening, moving between delicacy, mineral energy, and increasingly expressive fruit.

Food Pairings
Excellent alone, but equally comfortable with scallops, lobster, grilled halibut, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, or richer seafood preparations. Its combination of acidity and texture lets it pivot effortlessly between sipping and serious cuisine.

Verdict
A fascinating expression of mountain-grown California Chardonnay. Delicate yet substantial, refreshing yet textural, it demonstrates how a cool Pacific-influenced site can deliver ripeness without sacrificing precision or energy.

Did You Know?
Monte Bello sits high above Silicon Valley on the Santa Cruz Mountains ridge, with vineyards exposed to significant Pacific influence. Ridge notes that 2023 was one of its longest and coolest recent growing seasons; the extended harvest helped preserve acidity while allowing slow flavor development—the tension you can genuinely feel in this Chardonnay.

🍷 Personal Pick
This sits comfortably among my favorite coastal-influenced Northern California Chardonnays. What gets me is the evolution: refreshing and delicate at first, then progressively more textural and expressive as it opens. It has enough finesse to enjoy completely on its own and enough structure to sit beside fine cuisine. That versatility, without losing its cool-climate personality, is what makes this one special. — 2 days ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Touches of sherry and sweet notes. Still a fresh punch but complex and precise. A subtle version of what selosse wants to be — 25 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.7

Eugenio b valle encimos#
Fuera de serie — a month ago

Kate

9.0

Smooth. Citrusy. — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

A light nose of lime and stone. A hint of green apple. On the palate lovely fine acidity. This it’s defined and sharp and edgy with great definition and very fine detail. Lovely stuff — 3 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Omakase lalo — 3 months ago

Robert Stackowiak

9.2

Golden color. Green apple and vanilla (light oak) on the palate. Age worthy. April 2026. — 5 months ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.4

Not as good as expected. A little tired. Nice tho. Day 3, so good! Time and air made this insane. Love, — 19 days ago

Graham

9.2

Paired with 17 Shoe PN. Preferred the latter which is rare. Usually like the chard. Both great. — 16 days ago

Graham

9.2

From 375, along with 2017 Horseshoe Chard — 25 days ago

Jenn

8.9

Slightly disappointed, had higher hopes based on the reviews. Although company was great, NYT, couch, candle, cheeseboard. #CPtheVP — a month ago

Zach D

9.1

Pours a purple hue with some fading at the rim; aromas of black and red fruit; raspberry, blackberry, some dark cherry, and cassis; palate with good acidity, congruent with the nose; there is a bit of vanilla clove baking spice oak on the palate. Alcohol is moderate at 13.5; I like the wine, and I don’t drink a whole lot of American wines. The oak influence should be more delicate in my opinion, as the fruit is pretty elegant. It overwhelms a bit, and holds it back. I have doubts that this aspect will improve with bottle age, but I have another couple bottles and will leave in the cellar as an experiment. — 2 months ago

John Bratincevic

9.1

Dry bitter lemon rind, smooth bubbles, super clean. — 3 months ago

Bob Boyle

9.2

Good wine, nice depth to the fruit with long finish — 4 months ago

Roberto Carli

9.5

This is a wonderful expression of Santa Cruz Mountain Cab, caught in a state of absolute grace. I might be lucky with the specific bottle but it's really shining through like a mini superstar. Small red and black fruits are still preserved in a dusty state, in harmony with the emerging leather, pipe tobacco, and graphite, strikingat great balance between freshness and complexity. The nose is giving a preview of the palate, where the canines show completely evolved, silkyyet substantial. Again, lucky me, because it's in a state of grace. — 25 days ago

Vanessa

9.3

😍 Marc Hébrart’s Special Club 2019 is one of those bottles that reminds us why we fell in love with “grower champagne” in the first place.
 
💯 It’s generous without being heavy. Structured without being stern. A masterclass in elegance, energy, and purity, not to mention it’s utterly delicious even in relative youth.

🍇 Pinot Noir plays a lead role in this particular cuvée joined by Chardonnay for extra lift and brightness. The grapes hail from the Premier and Grand Cru villages of Louvois, Chouilly, & Mareuil-sur-Ay.

⚖️ After 36 months aging sur lie, this wine was disgorged and bottled with a “brut” dosage, which melds a soft energy into its steely profile, creating balance and tension.
  — a month ago

with Deked1

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Pale lemon in color.

Nice on the nose, and medium in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing citrus, green apples, light spices, yeast, light brioche, minerals and sea salt.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This 14 year old Champagne is starting to drink nicely now. Rich and nicely balanced. Tangy and spicy.

Still young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

I've had a few vintages of this Champagne, and this one seems less approachable at the moment.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food, like fresh seafood.

A blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. Aged for 7 years on the lees.

12% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$100. — 2 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.0

After I tried through the other Champagnes. This came across as sweet. Just not a fan of this house. — 3 months ago

Ivor

9.1

Best solution on a hot humid summer day. — 3 months ago