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. — 3 days ago

Severn G

9.2

2017 | Grenache
Blackwater Wines; Daniel, Na-Bot Vineyard
Walker Bay; Botrivier, South Africa
(91-93; Drink 2022-2032)
Inaugural vintage. — 3 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.2

The lemon meringue of wines without any of the dessert sugar. All soft cream and lemon. Not usually a fan of Chenin Blanc, I could drink this one all day. — 5 years ago

Madeline

10

A sweet wine, but not too sweet. When it’s freshly opened it almost feels as if it’s bubbling, it’s quite amazing. Sharp notes and citrusy. — 5 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.3

Near equal parts of Rousanne, Chenin and Chardonnay backed by Verdelho and a touch of Muscat sourced from Hamel en Aarde in Walker Bay, South Africa. Low intervention winemaking with elevage in old, neutral wood.
A fab complexity on the nose with a generous fruit, ranging from bruised apple, juicy peaches, orange blossom, through some tropical characters with a honeyd edge followed by toasted nuts and a mother rock-minerality. Rich on the palate but with a fresh acidity and a savoury dimension, ripe fruit drives the palate with a creamy slight waxy mid palate through a dry and solid finish. A performance that hits well above its modest price, though fall somewhat short on the finish to play in the big league, nevertheless an other remarkable wine from Alheit.
Serve at 10-12 degrees in generous burgundy glasses — 6 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Medium to light golden yellow with tiny bubbles. Layered nose with a bit of marzipan, lemon curd, stone fruits and brioche. Medium acidity (6/10) and medium minus bodied. Great citrus zest on the palate with a hint of yeast and tree fruits. Medium finish. Drink till 2025. — 7 years ago

with India

Ed Chin

9.0

Very fragrant creamy texture and nice finish — 6 months ago

Andrey V Tyutin

9.0

Nice, balanced Sauvignon with higher acidity and totally without flower notes. — a year ago

Norman

9.0

Definitely floral — a year ago

Neal Ferry

8.9

Not a Pinotage Fan, however upon 1st tastes….highly acceptable — 3 years ago

Patrick O Driscoll

9.7

Orginator g from the cool maritime climate aligned to the elegance and fine fruit concentration, grown on the mountainous slopes of Constantia with a beautiful view over false bay. This wine is balanced and delivers freshness throughout. — 5 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.2

Our newest love fest is SLS wines from Monterey, CA. Sam is making amazing wines from the higher elevation Monterey coastal vineyards. — 5 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Fantastic at the price point. The kind of CA Pinot I really enjoy; light to medium bodied, finessed, perfumed. Acid driven, stemmy, with cherries, strawberries, roses, a bit of earth and some briny coastal elements. — 6 years ago

Will Stanley

9.0

Really enjoyed this. Very ripe, chocolate-y and satisfyingly acidic. Plenty of tannin and a reasonably long finish. Great value Cab blend and would enjoy drinking again. — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Capensis Silene Chardonnay 2023
Stellenbosch, South Africa 🇿🇦

Overview
A beautifully balanced, quietly impressive Chardonnay from Stellenbosch that lands right in the sweet spot between freshness, texture, and subtle oak influence. This southern-hemisphere expression favors finesse over flash, lightly creamy from restrained malolactic fermentation, gently kissed by oak, and anchored by crisp mineral tension. Surprisingly polished, dangerously drinkable, and quietly sophisticated.

Aromas & Flavors
Delicate tropical fruit, ripe citrus, and soft stone fruit lead the aromatics, followed by subtle toast and cream. On the palate, clean yellow fruit, gentle orchard notes, and a whisper of vanilla spice carry through, finishing with refreshing mineral lift and excellent clarity.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a silky, lightly rounded texture. The balance between freshness and softness is spot-on, dry, lightly mineral, and effortlessly smooth without ever feeling heavy or overworked.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken or turkey with herbs. Grilled halibut, scallops, or shrimp. Creamy pasta with lemon and herbs. Mushroom risotto. Soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert, triple-cream styles).

Verdict
A dangerously enjoyable Chardonnay that punches well above its weight. Think of it as a warm-climate cousin to Petit Chablis, bright, clean, lightly textured, and refreshingly precise. A true crowd-pleaser that still keeps serious wine lovers engaged.

Did You Know?
Stellenbosch benefits from cooling maritime breezes off False Bay, helping preserve acidity and freshness in Chardonnay while still allowing full ripeness, a key reason many top South African Chards show both precision and generous fruit expression.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Chardonnay that aligns with my own preferences , a surprising bottle to pour among friends that consistently overdelivers and disappears faster than expected.
— 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

With its spine of sappy brightness and crystalline salinity, this wine displays all the dense, bright, and savory appeal of the Sonoma Coast. This is an expression showing citrus, coastal bay, and a textural depth to carry the mid-palate to a refreshing finish. — 3 years ago

Karolina Arkell

9.0

Good with sushi. — 3 years ago

Francine Higham

9.1

A lovely, easy drinking wine. Perfect for cold evenings in front of the fire. — 5 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

👁This wine is pale ruby with a delicate haze.

👃On the nose, it offers medium(+) intensity of youthful aromas, including notes of ripe cherry, strawberry rhubarb, fresh raspberry, 🍒🍓 also tulip🌷, violet, red licorice, fennel, dill, nutmeg, and wet moss.

👄On the palate this wine is dry. It has med (+) acidity, a medium body, medium alcohol, medium tannins, and medium(+) intensity of flavors consistent with the nose. It also has a medium(+) finish. I find it has good complexity and balance. 👌👌

This wine was fermented with native, wild yeast in concrete or steel and then aged in neutral oak barrels for about six months. According to the @scribewinery website, it comes from "vineyards planted with equal parts of two California heritage clones ideal for the region’s dense clay: Martini and Pommard. The Martini grapes add spice and fresh, high tones complemented by the Pommard’s natural earthiness."

Scribe, Carneros, XII. Beauty Blue, Pinot Noir, Vintage 2018. ABV 13.5%.

Los Carneros, meaning 'the rams' in Spanish, is a unique wine region because it is shared between Sonoma County and Napa Valley. It is one of my favorite places in Califorina for Pinot Noir. With the coastal breezes and fog channeling inland from San Pablo Bay, the vines have a combination of sun and cooling moderators, to aid in both the ripening and the preservation of acidity / brightness of character, which can ultimately lead to a well-balanced, but also well-concentrated wine.

I picked this up at @france_44 and would definitely buy it again. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Tree Kilpatrick

9.3

Lovely in the glass. Red with a blush of plum. Nose is very interesting. Hint of funk. Zinjammy, and smoky. Little bit of mineral oil or linseed oil. Flavor is spectacular. Pure fruit. Tastes very true to the varietal. Pretty tart. Plenty of tannin too. For an under $10 Coastal style Zin, this is a steal. — 7 years ago