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. — 15 days 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

David Dorn

9.0

Nice wine! — a year ago

Kim Stone

9.5

Loved it enough to buy another bottle. — 5 years ago

Stuart Pollack

9.4

Elegant and earthy. Drinking perfectly now, and needed only a short time to completely open up. Start out with dark cherry flavors, and ends in earth and tar. Sangiovese, but quite different from Chianti and Brunello in style. An excellent if somewhat pricey $75 purchase. — 6 years ago

Lance Williams

9.2

Tasted at March 2019 Montebello Collector event — 8 years 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

Carter Snead

9.3

Dinner with Sister Abigail! — 4 months ago

with Rick and Leigh

Conrad Green

9.4

Pure and elegant. Loads of character. Glossy and delicious. Excellent — 9 months ago

with Peter, Gregg and 1 other

Joan Ziegler

9.4

Something spec. Try it — 4 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Lighter color and body but surprisingly large tannins and flavors. Aromas of ripe plums, dark cherries and leather. Ripe cherry and Dr. Pepper flavors with some tobacco notes. Powerful with bracing acidity. Long finish with lots of tannin. Solid! Nicely aged. — 5 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.3

Really nice. Tons of dark fruit, cocoa, some tree bark, good acidity that makes it more rustic and Italian than smooth Napa. — 6 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.2

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

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.0

This 8 year old Sangiovese from Tuscany is drinking at its peak now.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with light wood, earth, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and peppercorn.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour.

I've had this vintage 5 years ago and it is drinking better now, and will continue to do so in the next few years.

Paired nicely with Italian meatballs in red sauce.

A blend of 90% Sangiovese with 10% Merlot.

14% alcohol by volume.

90 points. — 2 months 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

Alex Wang

8.9

Good wine. But nothing stands out — 9 months ago

JP Seral

9.3

Happy Birthday Syd! — 5 years 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

Julia Reinstein

9.2

making ragu with Paolo — 7 years ago