Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards – Chardonnay – 2023
Monte Bello Estate Vineyard – Santa Cruz Mountains – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A mountain-born Chardonnay from one of California’s most historic estates. The long, cool 2023 growing season delivered a wine of vibrant energy and varietal purity, shaped by indigenous fermentation and extended lees aging. Ridge once again proves that Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains can rival the world’s finest in precision and longevity.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon zest, green apple, and white peach lead with lifted notes of chamomile, fresh herbs, and wet stone. Subtle toasted hazelnut and light vanilla cream echo softly from the barrel work, never overpowering the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Bright, linear acidity frames a medium-bodied palate with tension and focus. Silky texture from nine months on the lees adds quiet depth, finishing mineral, citrusy, and long.

Food Pairings
Grilled branzino, butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with herbs, shaved fennel salad, or creamy burrata with olive oil and sea salt.

Verdict
Beautifully balanced, mountain-driven Chardonnay that captures Ridge’s signature restraint and purity. Enjoy now or follow for the next decade, this vintage will reward both patience and curiosity.

Did You Know?
Ridge ferments its Chardonnay with indigenous yeasts and relies on minimal SO₂, crafting the wine with a philosophy closer to Burgundy than to typical California richness. The Monte Bello Estate vineyard sits at high elevation on fractured limestone soils, one of the rarest soil types in California for Chardonnay. — 8 hours ago

Sam Friedland

9.0

Very good, still a lot of tannins. Should be better I three to five years. — 17 days ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.2

The 2022 release is a hit!
Deep purple color. Aromas of black cherry, cola, dried herbs and cedar. Black and blue fruit on the palate, herbs and oak on the finish.

🏅97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
🏅94 Points - @Dr. Owen Bargreen — a month ago

romo

9.2

Called Chile/Argentina Chardonnay. Reductive AF. — 24 days ago

Chris MacLean

9.2

On the Burgundian side of life — 23 days ago

with Sarah

Jay Kline

9.5

Splash decanted directly before service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours out of red Solo cups. The 1981 Gran Reserva Blanco pours, a golden color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of Khalas dates, dried apricot, black lemon, almonds, toasted coconut and marshmallow. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is waxy. A cerebral wine and just lovely stuff. Well stored bottles have a long life yet left ahead. Drink now with patience and plenty of air and through 2051. — a month ago

Fabio Franchella

9.2

Rare wine. Production less then 3000 bottles 9 different grapes. Perfume of south fruits, yellow flowers, bit minerality, eukalyptus…various fruits in general. Bit buttery, midle to low acidity. Really good, my expectations were higher. — 25 days ago

Fabio Franchella

9.3

Auch der Blanco Reserva bestätigt die konstant hohe qualität dieser legendären bodega. Ausgeprägte Trockenfrüchte, quitten und apothekerschrank aromatik in der nase. Im gaumen trocken, leicht oxidativ, mandeln, weissblütig und viel gelbfruchtige aromen. Komplex, nie langweilig, betörend. I like Tondonia! — 18 days ago

with Zollinger

Nick Jouras

9.4

Double magnum still has a lot of life left we sure enjoyed it with the crowd!! — 25 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Ridge – Monte Bello 2017
Santa Cruz Mountains – California, USA 🇺🇸
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Overview
One of California’s most legendary wines, Ridge Monte Bello has been estate-grown, produced, and bottled entirely in-house since the 1960s. The 2017 vintage reflects a Bordeaux-inspired blend from the cool Santa Cruz Mountains, offering both structure and elegance. (Educational note: Monte Bello’s higher-altitude vineyards give cooler temperatures, yielding more restrained, ageworthy wines compared to Napa Valley powerhouses.)

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry, cassis, and red plum at the core, accented by cedar, graphite, and cocoa. Hints of tobacco, dried herbs, and floral notes bring depth and complexity.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and refreshing acidity. A graceful, layered wine that “dances on the palate,” finishing long and harmonious with both power and finesse.

Food Pairings
Perfect with grilled lamb, prime rib, or braised short ribs. Also pairs beautifully with mushroom risotto or aged cheeses.

Verdict
A benchmark California classic — Bordeaux in inspiration, but with a Santa Cruz identity all its own. The 2017 Monte Bello is elegant, expressive, and deeply satisfying. 🍷

Did You Know?
Ridge’s Monte Bello gained international fame in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, where it ranked among the world’s top Cabernets, cementing California’s place on the fine wine map.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Highly allocated and cellared by collectors worldwide, Ridge Monte Bello is a vertical-worthy wine with decades of aging potential. — 2 months ago