Really crisp and tart. A lovely sharp white. — 12 days ago
One of my more favorite summer drier wines. — 21 days ago
Deep cherry red ~ black. Oak vanilla black cherry plum. Fruitiness M++ Sweetness M+ Acidity M Tannin M Smooth Bitterness M Body M++ Finish M % Powerful Concentrated jammy Juicy good balanced Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel @2800, Eva - BBQ, 260914-260915 — a month ago
What a treat to serve this with a couple of steaks fresh off the grill and a chipotle-flavored tomato bread salad. This wine elevated the meal and delighted our guests! — 2 months ago
This is always a solid Sauvignon Blanc, drank last night with Matt — 3 months ago
This just may be my favorite NZ SB — 3 months ago
This is a very tasty and easy drinking Zinfandel blend from Sonoma County.
Fruit forward with nice complexity. Elegant and entertaining.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to get better in the next 7 years.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.
Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 5% Alicante Bouschet and 3% Mataro.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$36. — 14 hours ago
Big but hides abv. Smooth, dark fruits, some herbs and spices, overall a ton of fruit and bitter cocoa. It honestly needs more time. So good with steak au poivre at meritage St. Paul. — 9 days ago
Full mouthfeel with acidity, minerality, and tropical fruit notes exquisitely balanced. Or peach and honeyed citrus per label. Still lovely. — 16 days ago
Lovely with Pat’s grilled salmon. Last of the bottles purchased from Amazon Fresh before closing. — a month ago
Slight eucalyptus, strong tannic structure holding firm 10 years later! Deep dive with red pear, dried bing cherry, and toasted oak. Favorite pairing was the 18 month aged Gouda. — 2 months ago
Kroger $15 — 3 months ago
A superb Zinfandel blend that tastes great now and possesses the requisite structure to age. Ridge sets the standard in American winemaking. Their corpus of high quality wines is unmatched in America and challenges the entire industry worldwide. — 3 months ago
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. — 25 days ago
Lemon, grass and a lot of acidity — a month ago


Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago
Wild Culture Yala. — 3 months ago
Wow. I liked this more than most. Hard alkaline open. Citrus. Dry. Then a little juicy fruit on the way out. — 4 months ago
Ray Vanderhoff
Light golden color. Aromas of tropical, citrus and stone fruits, fresh herbs and freshly cut grass. Flavors of grapefruit, passion fruit, green apple and melon and nectarines with a slight note of flint/crushed stones. Medium finish and vibrant acidity. Just a hint of RS. Medium-bodied and crisp. Crunchy texture. Crowd pleasing and reliable but not spectacular. Thanks for sharing, Ron B! — 7 days ago