Knocked the dust off this beautiful bottle to pair with ribeyes, cream spinach, and family time. Superb, super juicy/fruity. Tannic, fantastic pairing with a fatty ribeye. — 4 hours ago
This is my very favorite ♥️🍷♥️ — 3 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 — 2 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. — 4 months ago

This is a very elegant Chardonnay from Oak Knoll District in Napa Valley. Very tasty and easy drinking, without the oaky Chardonnay feel.
Nicely balanced and complex, but doesn't show like a Napa Chardonnay.
Wine Enthusiasts 91 points.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.
I had the 2023 vintage not too long ago, and this vintage is drinking better.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (9% new) French Oak barrels for 9 months.
12.8% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$30. — 4 days 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. — 19 days 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. — a month ago
Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago
A fruity brightness that finishes with a light dryness. Slight cherry flavoring and clean finish. Beautiful wine easily drank casually — 5 months ago
This is a delicious Riesling from Oak Knoll District in Napa Valley.
Rich and fruit forward, elegant and nicely balanced. Feels like a Mosel Riesling. Fresh, crisp and easy drinking.
Already drinking beautifully, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.
100% Riesling grapes.
11.7% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$25. — 13 days 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. — 10 days ago
Crisp refreshing — 2 days ago
Lemon, brioche, oak, and green apple. Crisp and bright. — 17 days 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
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Deep inky in color with a short reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of black fruits, cedar, chocolates, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, earth, light vanilla and black pepper.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, toast, light vanilla, dark chocolates, earth, herbs, coffee, peppercorn and mediterranean spices.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich and extracted, elegant and nicely balanced. Complex and entertaining.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime.
This Single Vineyard Merlot is starting to drink beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.
Fruity, easy drinking and good by itself or with food.
A blend of 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Sirah. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. A small production of only 2,200 bottles.
15% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$70. — 2 months ago
This is the 2022 Block 296 version of this vintage. Truly excellent. Sour cherries and oregano on the nose. Spicy! Sour cherries on the front. Medium to heavy tannic structure. Tangy on the mid palate. Long finish. Not your typical overpowering Napa Cab. — 7 months ago
"Odedi"
This is a nice and easy drinking Zinfandel based red blend from Alexander Valley. Tasty and easy drinking. Well balanced and complex.
Needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.
A blend of 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Aged in American oak barrels for 13 months.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$45. — 8 days ago