Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby with a quite thin bright ruby violet rim. This is quite closed on the nose at first with bright cherry fruit , red plum , blueberry, blackberry , some floral hints and underneath a touch of slate . On the palate this is quite focused and lean , lovely red fruits , hint of spiciness and red cherry floral hints . Really fresh , vital acidity , with fine but very noticeable tannins and a very long focused red cherry , mineral tinged finish . Needs time , but is very promising, great freshness. Probably not at the level of the 2021 , tasted previously , but it’s close . Leave another 5-10 years and will show well a further 10. — 7 days ago

Sergio L Figueiredo

9.3

DUFRY/SP - SLF - Jul/2025
Álcool 14,5%. — 8 months ago

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 months ago

Jon Tate

10

Beautiful Pinot! Drank with customers at Isidore in San Antonio. Favorite wine of the night! — 2 months ago

Roberto Carli

9.5

This is a wonderful expression of Santa Cruz Mountain Cab, caught in a state of absolute grace. I might be lucky with the specific bottle but it's really shining through like a mini superstar. Small red and black fruits are still preserved in a dusty state, in harmony with the emerging leather, pipe tobacco, and graphite, strikingat great balance between freshness and complexity. The nose is giving a preview of the palate, where the canines show completely evolved, silkyyet substantial. Again, lucky me, because it's in a state of grace. — 2 months ago

Robert Swart

9.0

Had at Balvenara’s. — 3 months ago

Graham

9.4

Halloween night - excellent. Tannins softened. Nice fruit still. Missing a little acidity. — 14 days ago

Vanessa

9.5

Let’s talk about SAVENNIÈRES!!!! 📣📣

Savennières is a small but mighty appellation (AOC), located in the Anjou subregion of the Loire Valley, France and specializes in still, dry Chenin Blanc wines. 🇫🇷

Its growing environment is apt for producing concentrated and ripe fruit, translating into wines with strong aromatic and flavor intensity and higher alcohol potential. 💪🏻 It’s no wonder this appellation is all about Chenin Blanc; Chenin has naturally higher acidity, which can help lend structure and balance to the final wine. ⚖️ 🙌🏻🙌🏻

The combination of these factors sets the stage for winemakers to produce some truly powerful and age-worthy whites that can improve, gaining complexity (and softening) with some time in the bottle. 🤔 🧐 Savennières has a reputation as a more serious, cerebral wine that is meant to be savored, especially when paired with a creamy seafood dish like Coquilles Saint-Jacques! 😋 🥘

🌿This particular wine is the Nicolas Joly, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant AOC (2019) hailing from the prized enclave of Coulée de Serrant AOC (within Savennières AOC), owned exclusively and farmed biodynamically by the renowned Nicolas Joly.

This wine is surely capable of aging for decades but tonight we opted to sip this golden wine during the golden hour with unseasonably warm, summery temperatures here in Minnesota.

🐝 🍯 In the glass, we found concentrated, layered notes of honey, beeswax, yellow apple, ripe apricot, quince, chamomile, dried & crushed white rose petals, toasted almond, hazelnut, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, acrylic paint, wet stones, salted caramel, & butterscotch.

It has texture (and finish) for days and a coating mouthfeel.

🫣 Its alcohol by volume clocks in at 15%!!! But it’s well-integrated and balanced by a crisp acidity and robust aromas and flavors. 👌 — a month ago

with Deked1

Skip Smyser

9.0

Nice restaurant wine — 21 days ago

Bonnie Chu

9.1

California eureka tasting. Single vineyard. V clean — 2 months ago

Louis Martin

9.2

Very nice Tuscan wine, dry, robust cherry flavor with a hint of oak, paired nicely with the Lasagna Bolognese at Bellini’s. — 2 months ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago

Akshay Venkitasubramanian

9.3

Nice bottle of red- Sangiovese blend refined tastes — 17 days ago

Ed Chin

9.3

Plenty of dark cherries that was right on the edge of being over top. Yet the mouthfeel and overall impression I had was that it had a sort of elegance to it. — a month ago

Steven Heydemann

9.1

A bit tired. Still, pretty darn good. — 2 days ago

S.S. Mandani

9.1

Purple plum red.

Aromas of beets, tomato leaf, blue and black fruits, stewed.

Iron, tomato, blackberries, dark cherry.

After an hour of decanting, develops that cocoa nib character that is pleasant and adds a richness along with more pronounced red fruits. The tobacco and earthiness calms and the fruit character develops — a month ago

Graham

9.4

Amazing. This is why you wait to drink these. — a month 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, — 2 months ago

Graham

9.2

From 375, along with 2017 Horseshoe Chard — 2 months ago

Freek Welter

9.7

From half bottle, respect!! — 3 months ago