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. — 18 days 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. — a month ago

Mo

9.2

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. — 3 months ago

Ed Chin

9.0

Same as the Vaulorent only slightly more interesting — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of black currants, plums, tobacco, licorice, light vanilla, chocolates, light cedar, espresso, herbs, earth and light vinaigrette.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, herbs, toast, light vanilla, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, coffee, peppercorn, earth and mediterranean spices.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fruit forward, rich and elegant. Very complex and engaging.

This 12 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is staring to drink at its peak now, and will continue to do so in the next 7 to 10 years.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the slopes of Spring Mountain were aged in French oak barrels. A small production of less than 8,200 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120. — 5 months ago

Jason Meneses

9.2

Wow, so big, so fruity, a bit sugary. It’s old school cool, like a true OG CA Zinfandel. — 8 months 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. — 3 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

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Clean and fresh and mineral. Hints of pears and soft citrus. Long — 4 months ago

with Gregg

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Ridge Three Valleys 2023
Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A classic Sonoma field blend composed of 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Crafted in Ridge’s signature transparent style, this vintage leans toward a riper and more fruit-driven expression than many of the winery’s other bottlings.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry preserves, ripe plum, black cherry, and raspberry compote dominate, supported by touches of black pepper and baking spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with polished tannins and a broad, generous texture. The fruit lingers across the palate with a warm, persistent finish.

Food Pairings
A natural companion for barbecue, smoked meats, burgers, and hearty pizza.

Verdict
While impeccably made, this is one of the few Ridge wines that didn’t quite resonate with my palate. It leans a bit too jammy and overripe for my preference, though lovers of rich, fruit-forward California reds will likely find plenty to enjoy.

Did You Know?
Ridge has long been one of California’s pioneers of ingredient transparency, listing the exact grape composition directly on the label.

🍷 Personal Pick
I truly love Ridge wines, but I’d still reach for Lytton Springs or Geyserville before this bottling. If bold, juicy Zinfandel blends are your style, however, this one could easily become a favorite. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium lemon core . Some ripe pear , citrus, white flowers , light white peach and red apple notes also with just a touch of toastiness. Quite ripe and generous on the nose . On the palate this is also generous in style , creamy ripe pear and lightly honied apple , white peach , though there are some more chalky , seashell elements that turn up on the finish . This is quite rounded but has enough energy and acidity to balance well, alcohol is also balanced , and there is a light saline hint also on the moderate length finish . This is drinking well now and I don’t see it being particularly long lived , so best over the next 5 years or so — 7 months ago

Ed Chin

9.1

Fevre is always a solid wine. I think the style lends itself to playing it safe and down the middle. Never over top in fruit nor mouth ripping acidity. A safe crowd pleaser — 8 months ago

k

9.3

Full mouthfeel with acidity, minerality, and tropical fruit notes exquisitely balanced. Or peach and honeyed citrus per label. Still lovely. — 10 days 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 — a month ago

Some Dude

9.2

What a treat to serve this with a couple of steaks fresh off the grill and a chipotle-flavored tomato bread salad. This wine elevated the meal and delighted our guests! — a month 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. — 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!! — 6 months ago

Dave

9.2

This is my entrance into the world of Chablis. Don't know how it took me so long, but I've also never seen Top Gun 🤷‍♂️ This wine has a supple mouthfeel despite it's bright acidity on the back of my tongue. Flavors of lemon and peach, with plenty of minerality on the finish. Thanks to my friends who gave recommendations- this is the first one from your lists that I found locally. Sorry we took over your comment section, @Doug Powers !
Listening to Lana Del Ray
@Tom Casagrande @Jan A — 7 months ago