Brian Hearty

9.2

2020. I did something I don’t normally do and Googled potential wine pairings for a dish of Pumpkin Tagliatelle with Kale, Autumn Frost Squash, and Lamb Meatballs garnished with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter. AI recommended wines included low tannin/high acid reds, rich Rhône whites, and orange wines. This skin ferment Roussanne paired great! Glad to be getting something beneficial from all of the data centers around here… — 6 days ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

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. — 24 days ago

Christine Hibbard

9.0

Crisp refreshing — 7 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, — 2 months ago

S Christovich

9.1

Nice wine. Paired well with pork and salmon. Good value too. — 2 months ago

Sean Coleman

9.7

A fruity brightness that finishes with a light dryness. Slight cherry flavoring and clean finish. Beautiful wine easily drank casually — 5 months ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.8

Holy shit! Best vintage I’ve tasted of this. Perfectly balanced. Maybe more like A 98. Upped rating. Insaneeee!! — 7 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

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. — 13 days ago

Conrad Green

9.1

From a split. Lovely fresh fruit- raspberry, black cherry, wild strawberry, blueberry. Loads of fun and character — 2 days ago

with Bex

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. — 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. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

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. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

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. — 15 days ago

Anna Sangiacomo

10

This is my very favorite ♥️🍷♥️ — 8 days ago

Diana Sabo

9.0

Enjoyed 2023 vintage on October 13, 2026 — a month 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 — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several days. Consistent throughout. The 2018 pours a straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Bartlett pear, passion fruit, lanolin, honeysuckle and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and soooooo wooly. These Sandlands Chenin Blancs are fun with some age. Drink now through 2033. — 2 months ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago

romo

9.2

First vintage post-RPM, immensely enjoyable ten years on. As in Beaujolais, this CA interpretation is losing its original energy over time, but maintains its own signature profile. — 7 months ago

Jamie Amann

9.0

Had a ruby color. Smelled like red berries and tasted like cherry or blackberry. — 8 months ago