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. — 20 days ago

Bruce Leboff

9.2

A big and bold Cali cab- a bit bold bordering on over the top power. A bit of California sweetness but fun to drink. Has many years left - saving the next bottle for a big juicy steak meal — 4 months ago

with Michael

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.4

Despite a 17 pct alcohol level this wine is perfectly in balance. Blood sausage, long afterburn rather sweet. — 10 months ago

Mike

9.5

Really good wine — 4 years ago

Julia Reinstein

9.2

making ragu with Paolo — 7 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.2

Took sometime to open. Still some fruit， tannins. Half a bottle 1992. — 8 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.7

biting. for the individual that likes strong acidy licorice tones. — 10 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, — a month ago

Justin Manni

9.3

Great for its youthfulness. Would benefit from another year or two in the cellar. — 7 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

Chris McClellan

9.0

Big tropical fruits, lemon curd, luscious, yet retains acid in the end…maybe too much vanilla cream (oak) for me, but overall delicious after dinner and segway to whiskey around the fire…. — 5 years ago

with Michael and Ryan

Jessy Manuel

8.9

Chocolate, raspberry...tobacco. Lingering flavors and tannins. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

At £140-£180 this is a decadent treat that is drinking fabulously but will benefit from more ageing in 10-20 years 😉 At 13.5% ABV it’s not over powered like many 🇺🇸 wines but it feels over priced for what it is to me 😁

📍 Ridge Monte Bello 2009

🏵 94-95 points w/ bigger potential

🍇 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot & 6% Petit Verdot

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Earthy mocha choc infused blackcurrant w/ warm oak, mint, dry cured meats, dark cherry, pencil shavings, black olive & raspberry liquorice

👄 Med body of dark berries infused with mocha & liquorice w/ dry cracked rock minerals & dark cherry

🎯 Long earthy rich mocha dark fruit boom with a dry linger — 8 years ago

Palmer Emmitt

Owner/Winemaker Judge Palmer

9.2

At twelve years old, this is holding up remarkably well, though there’s nothing delicate about it. It’s a huge, unapologetically ripe wine, overflowing with black cherry, blackberry compote, fig and dark plum, layered with cocoa, tobacco and savory spice. The sheer volume of fruit is almost overwhelming, yet the wine never feels tired or heavy. A firm spine of acidity runs straight through the middle, keeping everything fresh and surprisingly alive. Still massive, still intense, but now showing a hint of tertiary fun as well. — a month ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — a month ago

A

9.0

Glass of wine at A Fiori. Very pleasant. I enjoyed this a lot. [Can’t stop thinking about it (10), definitely will look for it to buy again (9), nothing wrong with it would buy again (8), finished it but would not buy again (7), could not even finish it (6)] — 2 months ago

Meredith Moody

9.7

Wow. Big fan. Lots of bright red fruits like cherries and raspberries in the beginning. Great acidity. It is more earthy than I expected, but not unwelcome. I really appreciated the almost floral/rosy note that contrasts the brightness off the bat. Still pretty tannic, I imagine this would only get better with age. Tasted expensive. I have no clue how much it costs. Only improved with time/air as we ate dinner. Super cool to taste how it “opened up” and how it changed. — 8 months ago

Joan Ziegler

9.4

Something spec. Try it — 4 years ago

Julia Paglierani

9.2

Very clean finish. Fruity a little minerals — 6 years ago

Lance Williams

9.2

Tasted at March 2019 Montebello Collector event — 8 years ago