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. — 2 days ago

Mark S.

9.1

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 — 18 days ago

Bryan Vogt

8.9

Past peak on this. Raisin and prune are prominent and little fruit left on the palette. — 25 days ago

Makhanna Seerattan

8.9

I did not try it but Rich liked it . — 19 days 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

"Odedi"

9.1

Dark ruby in color with a reddish/brick rim.

Showing its age on the nose and full in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, black tea and black pepper.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain in Washington State. Elegant and earthy with chocolate notes.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet is complex with a soft mouthfeel, and feels much older than its age.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months. A small production of only 5 barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$80. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured into red Solo cups; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2006 pours a garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated black currants, blackberries, black cherries, tobacco, Poblano pepper, cocoa, fine warm spices and organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Quite delicious and a really lovely example of the 2006 vintage. Drink now through 2036. — 6 days 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, — 19 days ago

Paul J

9.5

1hr decant. Dark, rustic red color. Cherries, plums, and cherry now & laters on the nose. Same on the palate. Medium depth with a lingering finish. — 21 days ago

with Brooke

Karen Prettol

9.4

Really good! — 2 days ago

Henry Fuseler

9.2

8/2026. Big, bold and dry. Nice finish.

Halls Chophouse — a month ago

Steve Bridge

9.5

Easily my favorite visit to SMV and every other one was a 10 out of 10. All the 2023s we tasted on the trip were outstanding. This was right up there with any of them. — a month ago

Mo

9.2

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

John Malcolm

9.0

Not quite as great as I was expecting. May be a bit past its prime. Tasted mostly plum and some dark berries. The finish was a bit weak. — 12 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

The 2020 edition of this wine is excellent. Still on the young side, it’s got a classic Zin nose of pristine brambly blackberry, a lifted note that’s almost but not quite eucalyptus adjacent, and some loamy gravel. Gorgeous balance in the mouth, rich and intense but with an elegant texture, tannins abundant but buried under the concentrated flavors. Flavors balance fruit and savory notes. Long. Love this one. — 13 days ago

Rick Phillips

9.6

Like most of Philip Tongi wines, this 20 year old is just hitting it’s stride. The nose has lush bold fruits, dark plums, blackberry with a hint of licorice. Some old leather, faint earthy tobacco. Decanted for two hours found a refined texture. Smooth with some sediment, lushness is highlighted by the boldness of the flavors. The finish lingers…
— a month ago

with Letha

Some Dude

9.2

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! — a month ago

Austin Baird

9.0

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. — a month ago

Gladys Xiques

9.2

Aged purple fruit. Paired with meat chili — a month ago

Joe Flo

9.4

Excellent mountains wine. — 2 months ago