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. — 10 days ago

Doug Cranmer

9.1

Soft, but structured stone fruits. Some classic Barbaresco notes. — 3 months ago

with Mary

Mark Mannebach

9.2

Peach citrus upfront with a nice mineral finish — 4 months ago

Tom Jenkins

9.0

Hugo’s menu, GM recommended. Soft, delicate. Light on the tongue, hints of tart fruit. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb. — 7 months ago

JKT

9.0

11 years in, still fresh and lively acids minerals standing out on palate — 18 days ago

George Ko

9.5

Just fantastic. Perfect with marinated meats or steak. Juicy, with a little tartness. Incredibly smooth, easy drinker. Cranberries, black spice and slight olives. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2025 vintage. Super-intriguing. Not the cheapest white blend but this shreds. Can go a few years if you wanna add some age but wouldn't go farther than a half-decade as that would eliminate the preshie freshie qualities entirely. Light-medium body. Seafood executioner par excellence but it doesn't suck flying solo. 8.19.26. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

This is a remembrance of Sofia & my trip to Franciacorta & visit to Ca’ del Bosco in 2015.

If Italy has a kind of equivalent to Champagne, it would be Franciacorta. This is not Prosecco. It is made in the traditional method.

It is a beautiful part of Italy with both Lake Garda’s, one smaller (closer) & one much bigger and is a summer haven.

Excuse the fussy pics. I bought a new iPhone 7 just before we left & it had a defective camera.

The nose shows fruit blossoms, pineapple, green, apple, golden apple, white peach, tropical melons, vanilla, frothy cream, some caramel, soft volcanics, chalk & spring flowers setting in greens.

The palate has nice, soft, mousse. Ripe fruits; fruit blossoms, pineapple, green, apple, golden apple, lemon, lime, white peach, tropical melons & mango. Vanilla, frothy cream, some caramel, soft volcanics, sea spray, saline, chalk & spring flowers setting in greens, beautiful, acidity, well balanced, nicely structured & toned with an elegant finish that last a full minute and lands on volcanics. — 4 months ago

Breanne c

9.4

K- 8.5 not super fruity overpowering like fuck that’s sweet — 6 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

This is Garagiste’s private label. I’m guessing the producer is Icardi because that’s usually their go-to for Barbaresco and Barolo, but I can’t be sure. In any event, this is terrific wine and at its peak, in my view. Nose is classic with rose petals, beautiful dried cherry, mineral-flecked gravel, and some tertiary old library scents making an appearance. Soft, long, and balanced in the mouth. Really fine. Strangely, zero sediment. — 8 months ago

Baltar666

8.9

Drink this shit with pasta. Just buy a bunch of this shit, it's pretty good. — 8 months ago

Silvermo

9.0

Buen rioja, aunque no creo que esta cosecha nos de esta textura y bouquet. — 9 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, — a month ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — a month ago

Lyn Farmer

9.3

Deep Ruby color with intense black fruit aromas of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, violet, vanilla, cedar and crushed stone minerality. Light eucalyptus, forest floor, cigar box and graphite. Well balanced tannin and acidity though the wine feels a bit over-extracted. Delicious but a little heavy. Lots of room for development. — 3 months ago

Jack Petras

9.1

This 2024 got lost in a bigger tasting. Now on its own at home it’s showing its subtle springtime beauty. First of the year wild strawberries sprinkled with dried herbs. And a dash of black pepper. Very picnic food friendly. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

La Ca’Növa is now under fifth generation leadership; they used to sell all their fruit to Gaja. Super traditional methods with a twist; they used botti made of Austrian oak instead of Salvonian. Vigna Bric Mentina is a sub cru of the Montefico MGA where the soils are relatively sandy.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two hours. The 2015 “Vigna Bric Mentina” pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe Morello cherry, raspberry, strawberry, roses with freshly cut stems, cedar chest, dried herbs and gravelly earth and minerals. There’s also a kiss of VA, just in case you needed a reminder that this is a traditional Italian wine, lol! On the palate, the wine is bone dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly savory. This is absolutely baller. How did I sleep on this producer for so long? Oh yeah…I remember: access. I live in Omaha. Welp…now I have another producer to chase. Drink now with patience (enjoy the ride!) and through 2045. — 6 months 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. — 8 months ago

JKT

9.0

Very nice, dark color earthy forest notes into firm palate with a good bite and extending into finish — 9 months ago