External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.2 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 60 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 2/6/2024 & rated 93 points: Pop and pour with dinner. Abundant notes of oak and butterscotch on the nose and palate. This was the first of four bottles opened and I'll be in no hurry to consume the rest as there is plenty of life left in my opinion. (429 views) | | | Tasted by ziavino on 2/2/2024 & rated 93 points: Last time I tried this '16 MB Chard was about 4 years ago, and it's interesting to see how well it's still drinking. Creme Brulee notes lead the way on the nose, with notes of buttered popcorn, poached pear, and matchstick evolving on the palate. Oak is a bit much, but lively acidity keeps it in check. Hedonistic, still. (386 views) | | | Tasted by NOhandle852 on 7/25/2023: Very buttery and oaky different great taste (753 views) | | | Tasted by vinus_operandi on 7/18/2023 & rated 91 points: All American Chardonnay Tasting - nj usa
thought this was a mt Eden chardonnay (which is located close by). yellow in color with hints of butterscotch and tropical notes. a full bodied white that only suffered from some slight oxidation which did not ruin the day for me. a little on the fat side but it went well with the Sicilian meat balls (798 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 7/15/2023 & rated 90 points: All American Chardonnay Tasting (New Jersey, USA): Double decanted at 1:30pm and tasted through 8pm. Ever so I slightly oxidized (which seems moe common with this wine than most of my Cali Chards) with a deep lemon yellow color, buttered popcorn and butterscotch nose. Rich texture but not altogether in sync. Warmed nuts, lemon curd and butter on the palate. Medium acidity. Slightly disappointing, as I have had much better bottles of this.
The next day this was still similar but actually seemed a trifle fresher, believe it or not. (1091 views) | | | Tasted by RichD2 on 6/7/2023 & rated 97 points: This is an amazing wine. Intense flavors and deep yellow color. Full-bodied with fruit, minerality, and acidity to match. It seems quite high in dry extract. Long finish! Very enjoyable now, I'd expect this to last another five years. (631 views) | | | Tasted by Renzloh on 11/24/2022 & rated 93 points: Very nice. Drank before Thanksgiving dinner. Great body, long finish. (868 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 7/23/2022 & rated 92 points: Nose of flint, pineapple and toast. Tastes of pear, peach, pineapple with a heavy dose of toasty oak and sweet dill. Med+ acidity. Creamy texture. Long finish. (904 views) | | | Tasted by gypsybeer on 6/12/2022 & rated 95 points: Was a bit concerned reading previous posts. This bottle was astoundingly good. The pencil notes of puligny ++ acid. Paired with chix piccata. Has several years of life ahead. (1026 views) | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 4/10/2022 & rated 93 points: Immediate signs of ageing on the palate - which is a worry. Butterscotch on the big rich biscuity palate. Acidity seems OK, full bodied. Long and some complexity. Drink now. (1087 views) | | | Tasted by GZ on 12/18/2021: Enjoyed with Louise for Christmas (1418 views) | | | Tasted by pkouchu on 1/26/2021 & rated 93 points: ember, toasted cedar, lemon, wet river rock, citrus peel, nutmeg, white peach and mint.
slightly heavy toast and reduction, hoping it blows off because the fruit is rather nice. only time will tell (2111 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 7/6/2020 & rated 91 points: Similar to previous (1640 views) | | | Tasted by Sonoma-W on 6/20/2020 & rated 90 points: K thought it had a Merseault quality; D thought it more old fashioned. Not as well balanced as the 2014 we had recently. Thicker texture. Would definitely try another one to see it again! (1889 views) | | | Tasted by llindahl on 5/19/2020 & rated 94 points: Beautiful full bodied Chardonnay. Grilled lemons and a certain smokiness on the nose. Well integrated oak and a luscious feeling on the palate. (1899 views) | | | Tasted by Northville wine fan on 4/25/2020 & rated 95 points: Wonderfully balanced. Delicious, well bodied flavor with apple, melon and pear - long finish. Without a doubt one of the best chardonnay's I've had the privilege to have. (1683 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 4/23/2020 & rated 91 points: Beautifully put together chardonnay, but I don't appreciate it as much as some other reviewers. (1185 views) | | | Tasted by ghanbai on 4/5/2020 & rated 96 points: Rivals any Aubert, Kistler or Kongsgarrd! (1256 views) | | | Tasted by cbleary on 3/7/2020: Richly concentrated and built to last. Could easily hold up to a course of strong cheeses. (1019 views) | | | Tasted by Amishdesai93 on 1/27/2020 & rated 96 points: Excellent drinking Chardonnay. Very pleasant and balanced. (1067 views) | | | Tasted by mrkurtz on 1/21/2020 & rated 95 points: Super interesting wine. Very toasty and nutty (hazelnut), with burnt sugar on the nose. The palate is still quite restrained, with med+ acid, apple, pear flavors. Butterscotch on the finish. Seems like the alcohol might be a little prominent but the acid brings good balance. (990 views) | | | Tasted by Benj on 11/24/2019 & rated 94 points: This is stupidly delicious. Quite toasty - and actually the oak needs a little time to integrate, maybe even just a year or so. But beyond that we have yellow pear and honeysuckle, struck flint, some tropical fruit, and a lot of very pleasant oak tannin giving this plenty of grip. Acidity is medium at the moment, and in a rare happening I am glad it’s not higher since I think the wine might actually explode my mouth if it was. I would guess best in 2021-2022, though if you like your Chardonnays older this should happily make it. 14.4%, $80.
Made even better by the views on a beautiful sunny day at Monte Bello. (1235 views) | | | Tasted by SuperSomm on 11/12/2019: Pale golden colour. Pronounced nose with pear, ripe lemon, flint, wet stone, butter and toast. Pronounced taste of pear, yellow apples, ripe lemon, flint, limestone, toast, smoke and brioche. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Full body. A great Californian Chardonnay! Goes well with fish or shellfish. (222 views) | | | Tasted by ziavino on 9/28/2019 & rated 96 points: Outrageous nose, with aromas of buttered popcorn, toasted coconut, poached pears, and brush fire. Gorgeous on the palate, revealing flavors of lemon curd, apple, pear, smoke, and wet stone. Oak is seamlessly integrated, and the acidity is perfect. Melts away with a rare combination of elegance and power. (1248 views) | | | Tasted by Omar Khayyam on 3/24/2019: Dream Big - Discover California Wine Tasting (Stockholm, Gamla Riksarkivet (old government archives building) March 2019): Lovely full on complex, luxuriously oaked but so balanced and just a great California chardonnay. Highly Recommended. (1904 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains (Oct 2019) (10/1/2019)
(Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay Monte Bello Central Coast White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Californian Premium Chardonnay (1/31/2019)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello Chardonnay, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Ridge Producer website | Wikipedia
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m) on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA near Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeMonte Bello On weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
Once referred to by wine writers as the Chaine d'Or -- or "golden chain" -- the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA sits above Silicon Valley, running along the craggy range next to the Pacific on some of the prettiest parts of Northern California. The area supports more than 75 wineries, despite being limited by geography and high land prices.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west. |
|
