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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.5 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 53 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by depechemoroder on 12/29/2018 & rated 92 points: A big rich beast, but in the best sort of way. Beautiful golden colour gives way to ripe apricot and peach, roasted citrus, and some tropical notes. Oak is integrated and the fruit could handle a lot of it - a smoky, buttery element. Quite unctuous, but not lacking balance, this is like surfing on wave of ripe orchard fruits with a fresh spritz at the end. Brilliant with smoked haddock souffles. Probably needs drinking now. (1535 views) | | | Tasted by Gestalted on 7/8/2018 & rated 94 points: Now 14 years old. This is what I crave out of aged Chardonnay. Big sherry, tropical fruit and toffee just oozing out of this monster. Outstanding! (1917 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 9/7/2016: Well that is darn delicious. Utterly outstanding. Incredible. (3126 views) | | | Tasted by Fatty Cat on 3/12/2016 & rated 90 points: Ridge tasting at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2016: clear yellow color; lots of lemon, apple and apricot smells in the nose accompanied with oak caramel and butter aromas; in the mouth surprisingly not much flavor; medium body and smooth texture. (2533 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 8/9/2015 & rated 70 points: #DCInvasion (Chicago, IL): Butterscotch. No. Ripe and fat, like chewing on a stick of butter. This shows in a huge, bulbous manner that just isn't pleasant at all. For what it's worth, this clocked in at a massive 14.7% abv. (4785 views) | | | Tasted by Axelpeter on 2/14/2015 & rated 89 points: 17+(Sas+Wolfg),milde Nase, etwas müde aber noch lebendig, Säure mit Firniston ("alte Ananas"),reduzierte Frucht, mineralisch, feiner alter Wein; (935 views) | | | Tasted by medicineman on 10/25/2014 & rated 91 points: Nose slightly weird but plate full fat lemons, caramel butter and lemon. Better than last bottle. Still enjoying. (3038 views) | | | Tasted by sithinfiltrator on 10/10/2014 & rated 87 points: Bought this wine in a close out bin at the local grocery store. Started intriguing, but quickly oxidized and became uninteresting. My guess is it was two years too old. Worth a shot at $15. (3084 views) | | | Tasted by WineDoctors on 10/2/2014 & rated 90 points: Golden yellow viscous and hot. Oxidized baked apple honey notes. Long finish with toasted coconut dominating. Drink now (2302 views) | | | Tasted by medicineman on 8/18/2013 & rated 86 points: Very citric but oxidation now showing Acidity still crisp but now a paler version of its peak. Drink up! (3100 views) | | | Tasted by tarheel17 on 2/10/2013: didn't take great notes, but everyone who tasted it appreciated its poise. The mouthfeel was substantial, with stone fruit and honey flavors, characterized by sun-ripened fruit throughout. This and Cindy's Small Vines pinot were my WOTNs. (2996 views) | | | Tasted by UTPK on 1/6/2013: This should be drunk two years ago. The bottle I had in 2010 was exciting and fresh with good balance. THe bottle I had a year ago was more tired and almost oxidized. The one today was a bit better but certainly on its way down. On the nose it is very overseas, with butter, mature bananas and wood. On the palate the alcohol burns a bit, and there is not enough acidity to balance out the rich and old/tired fruit. Stille better than most other 9 year old US chardonnays... (2737 views) | | | Tasted by WineDoctors on 12/14/2012 & rated 92 points: with crab and focaccia; a consolation prize for not being at the pub tonight; golden yellow; oakey, full bodied, lemony; vanilla; not our style, but very well made (2417 views) | | | Tasted by UTPK on 9/17/2012: This bottle was much more evolved than the last one, to the point where I believe it was slightly oxidized. Dark yellow almost golden. Still OK mouthfeel but none of the fat fruit left, and no popcorn or wood in the nose, more overripe apples. (2979 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 5/19/2012: Ridge Monte Bello Red and White-New Releases and Library Wines (Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California): Again, full yellow. Very forward nose of caramel. Big wine, obviously oaky, not much fruit some interesting elements of spice and leesiness. Not enough acidity to cut through its buttery nature though. (2878 views) | | | Tasted by kosinski on 5/19/2012: Rich butterscotch nose. Flinty white peach flavors with some vanilla and oaky butteriness. Interesting combination of flavor elements in a fairly complex wine. Good length. Still has several years left on it. (1926 views) | | | Tasted by sw92130 on 12/18/2011 & rated 92 points: This was delicious. EB at Ridge said it would age well and he was absolutley right! (2524 views) | | | Tasted by aagrawal on 8/15/2011 & rated 90 points: Some butter, oil; palate clean and nice finish. Definitely california in style with the oak (which means it's not for me...), but well balanced within that style. 90 (2746 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 8/1/2011: In prime form right now. Stunning. Drink away. (2676 views) | | | Tasted by Rupert on 7/12/2011: Ridge Monte Bello 1981-1999 (Gauthier Soho): Ripe and tangy, some tropical fruit, but with a nice lick of toasty oak to keep it in check, delicious (3477 views) | | | Tasted by rayq on 7/12/2011: Monte Bello Cabernet Offline (Gauthier London): Light gold colour. Not particularly forthcoming aromas.
Lively and fresh. Not too oaky but a bit short. Perhaps overshadowed by the Bonneau de Martray. (3461 views) | | | Tasted by beekeeper on 7/9/2011 & rated 92 points: Big wine bordering on viscous. Oak present but not overwhelming. Almond, lemon, melon with great supporting acidity given the ripeness.
This is still on the up I believe. I will wait a few years before I touch my last bottle. (2846 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 5/31/2011: Caught just at the cusp -- amazing stuff this is. Stoney and flinty, big carmel and oak, ripe chardonnay fruit, zesty, towering acidity. An amazing chardonnay. Drink now. (2735 views) | | | Tasted by medicineman on 12/31/2010 & rated 91 points: Planks of oak and sharp lemons still a big wine but beautifully balanced. Years of life left in it, half way through the case however now! (2985 views) | | | Tasted by celtic67 on 6/16/2010 & rated 94 points: medium yellow color. big oaky nose, with butter, bananas & vanilla. pineapple & peaches on the palate. usually not my style but this is balanced & tasty. (3712 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By William Kelley
Decanter, WK Tasting notes (6/30/2016)
(Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello Chardonnay, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA, White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Cruz Mountains – A Study in Terroir (Jul 2014)
(Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello Monte Bello) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/2/2010)
(Ridge, Monte Bello Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains White) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, September 2007, Issue #17
(Ridge Montebello Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/9/2008)
(Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello) Lemon yellow color; nice lemon essence nose; tasty sweet lemon and vanilla oak palate with depth; medium finish 91+ pts. 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and The World of Fine Wine and RJonWine.com. (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. |
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