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. — 5 days ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.4

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 10 months ago

Joan Ziegler

9.4

Something spec. Try it — 4 years ago

Sid S

9.3

Full bodied, and rich — 5 years ago

Tenley Seidel

9.1

Jordy’s bday! Silky, smooth with a sweet finish — 5 years ago

Nick Loewen

9.1

Nice. Melon nose, tasty. — 6 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.2

Took sometime to open. Still some fruit， tannins. Half a bottle 1992. — 8 years 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, — 22 days ago

Bruce Leboff

9.2

A big and bold Cali cab- a bit bold bordering on over the top power. A bit of California sweetness but fun to drink. Has many years left - saving the next bottle for a big juicy steak meal — 4 months ago

with Michael

Delectable Wine

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9.4

Dreamy is the word that comes to mind as the 2018 Vigna la Miccia Marsala Superiore Oro wafts up with a decadent blend of roasted almonds and hazelnuts, complicated by gingery spice and baked peaches. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness and oily textures that are perfectly offset by notes of spiced citrus, cloves, cedar and a bitter tinge of coffee grounds. It cleans up beautifully, ridiculously long and staining yet still fresh, leaving hints of cocoa and butterscotch to linger on the finish. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago

Chip Habegger

9.1

Cherry. Spice, like anise and thyme. Chalky soil. Medium tannins. Medium plus finish. Medium plus perfume. Love Sangiovese but a little tight despite decanting — 5 years ago

Chris McClellan

9.0

Big tropical fruits, lemon curd, luscious, yet retains acid in the end…maybe too much vanilla cream (oak) for me, but overall delicious after dinner and segway to whiskey around the fire…. — 5 years ago

with Michael and Ryan

Juan Pablo Perez

9.1

Nariz: cereza, frambuesa, ciruela, cuero, rosas. Aromas secundarios y terciarios.

Boca: Tanino M, Acidez M, Alcohol M

En su punto de tomar. — 6 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.1

Great wine with cherries, chocolate and Rasberries, Was great with spicy Putanesca, — a month ago

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

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 7 months ago

Daniel Ciolek

9.2

Exceptional on opening. Nose of dark berries and spice. Palate with complex of spiciness, juiciness, black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, & plum. Balanced low intensity tannins with lingering finish. — 3 years ago

Enrique

8.9

Buen ribera a buen precio — 5 years ago

Daniel Ciolek

9.2

Another delightful year of their Meritage style blend. This year it’s made of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lovely nose with complex fruit and spice flavors, mouth watering acidity, and smoothness throughout with just enough tannins for a pop and a pleasant lingering finish. — 6 years ago

Julia Reinstein

9.2

making ragu with Paolo — 7 years ago