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. — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2021 vintage. Vacillates/alternates between polished and rambunctious. Lots to like on both sides. Acoustic or electric guitar? You get both. A tremendous length of finish. Was going to pick up a case of the 2015 vintage of this (9.3) but this is drinking even better. Decision time...4.27.26. — 6 months ago

katarina ammann

9.2

Heavy tobacco, smoke, and earthy tones on top of dark fruits. Opens up very dynamically because of its vintage. — 6 months ago

Angelo Casagrande

8.9

Lot of dark fruit: blackberries, blueberries, and a tinge of spice. Dark, the wine smells like it tastes. Good value. — 7 months ago

Marisa Sullivan

9.2

Christmas Eve pre-dinner wine (there will be more). Loved it for a lighter evening warm up wine. 🎅 🎄 — 10 months 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 — 12 hours ago

Jon Tate

10

Beautiful Pinot! Drank with customers at Isidore in San Antonio. Favorite wine of the night! — 15 days ago

Eric Urbani

9.6

Laid this down in 2020 and opened for the occasion of my new great nephew Julian Rhys ! Drinking perfectly with the richness of almost a decade of age. Forgot how good this can be. — a month ago

Rick Phillips

9.4

Couldn’t get enough of the 2013 so opened this split of 22. Has years to grow with its floral raspberry & hint of the boldness it will achieve. Just hope Im still around to still taste it in 10 years! — 3 months ago

with Letha

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2024 CCC pours a deep, ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity, with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with attractive, fresh notes of crunchy blackberries, black plum, lavender pastilles, Kiwi fruit, black pepper, crushed rock and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and mineral laden. So fresh and easy to love. Drink now through 2034. — 6 months ago

Kyle B

9.2

Best wine of the tasting in Italy! — 6 months ago

with Terry

Michael Dierberg

9.5

This one had signs of seepage on it so I opened it planning on throwing it out. What an amazing wine and so fresh! Maybe another bottle seeped on to this one? — 7 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Bright ruby color with garnet highlights. Aromas of ripe red and black fruit, Asian spices, wet soil, garrigue and wood ash. Flavors of cranberry, red cherries, red plums, tobacco, Earl Grey tea, dark chocolate, grilled herbs and baking spices. Long and lingering finish. Dusty tannins, firm structure and bright acidity. Lovely concentration and mouth coating texture. Bring on the grilled meat. Great choice, Keith S! — 10 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2013 vintage. Last tasted 11.1.24 (9.6). Decanted (small amount of sed) and tasted after 30 minutes, 1.5 hours and 3 hours. Still built for the long haul...like a quarter century+. Super floral and pretty nose this visit. Biggie, Brutalist architecture with sadistic infrastructure. Yes please! 9.26.26. — 14 days 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. — a month ago

Zach D

9.1

Pours a purple hue with some fading at the rim; aromas of black and red fruit; raspberry, blackberry, some dark cherry, and cassis; palate with good acidity, congruent with the nose; there is a bit of vanilla clove baking spice oak on the palate. Alcohol is moderate at 13.5; I like the wine, and I don’t drink a whole lot of American wines. The oak influence should be more delicate in my opinion, as the fruit is pretty elegant. It overwhelms a bit, and holds it back. I have doubts that this aspect will improve with bottle age, but I have another couple bottles and will leave in the cellar as an experiment. — 2 months ago

Vinny Brooklyn

9.4

Second & last of my bottles. Wonderful, while ready to drink still has plenty of years ahead of it. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2020 Estate pours a bright, yellow/green color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of bright tropical fruit: pineapple, passion fruit, star fruit, lemon curd, almonds, toasted marshmallow, warm spices and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. Lovely stuff. Drink now through 2035+. Bottle No. 9032/12960 — 6 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.6

Clear, medium ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of cherries, roasted tomatoes, and black pepper; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and pronounced primary and secondary flavors of strawberries, black cherries, and clay pots with a long finish. This wine is complex and intense. Overall, I rate this wine as outstanding. — 8 months ago

with Nellie