This wine keeps getting better! It's structure is solid through out. Mineral with creamy pineapple and slight honeysuckle. Touch of vanilla oak. Last bottle sadly....
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Modestly more rich & luxurious than previous bottle. Ripe white peach flavors with fully developed stone fruit aromas. Exceptional match for our seafood chowder featuring lobster & scallops, based on a lightly toasted roux. Well & thoroughly enjoyed by 9 collectors. Drinking very well now, and likely 3-5 more years.
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On first opening, a little oxidized. That cleared up a little after a while and actually became nice with food. This would have been better sevefal years ago. Drink up and hope for the best!
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A bit slow to open, as the malo dissipates. Becomes fuller as it warms, with tons of ripe white peach, and good acidity. This bottle was very nice, and has not begun to show any age at all.
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Pears, vanilla and lime on the nose. Medium mouthfeel, flavors of green apple and pear with a long finish. Well balanced at this stage and oak is more integrated than previous bottles I’ve had of same wine. This is approaching my preferred drinking window, but it held up very nice.
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There is some oak tannin that requires an hour or so of air to smooth out. Alcohol is a little elevated. Citrus and pear in roughly equal proportion, with a little cream to round out the mouthfeel. Finishes toasty and a touch bitter.
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Tasted blind. Clear, medium lemon - a little darker than the McWilliams just before. Legs. An initial blast of petrol quickly gave way to white flowers, peach, vanilla cream and a touch of lemon-lime. Some savoury underbrush and rocky minerality complete the picture. Medium acidity, medium(+) body, pronounced flavour intensity and a medium(+) finish. A bold and unctuous wine, with something akin to a viognier about it. Drinking well now, but I am not sure if this will improve any further. 91-92 pts.
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Sub 2010 Red Burgundy Night (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, gold colour. Legs. Nose is clean. medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla cream, butter, sweet golden apples, ripe peach. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium- acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of fatty almost oily vanilla cream, sweet golden apples, citrus lemon curd, ripe peaches. Medium+ finish. Good quality. Not enough acidity for my tastes. I would have rather they sacrificed some ripeness to preserve more acidity. Time to drink up. Not for further ageing. Rich oaky style. Love it or hate it. Hahaha I can see why this is WA95 points but WS90 points only. I was guessing oaky ripe chardonnay based on the nose, but the almost oily palate and high alcohol had me thinking Rhone.
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Unfortunately my last bottle of this great wine. Showed beautiful aromatics on day one and getting more tropical on day 2. Explosive notes of vanilla, sweet spices, popcorn, some butter, exotic fruit (mango, pineapple), but also some ripe citrus and nice menthol notes. It's medium-full bodied, has high viscosity and an almost oily mouth-feel, still medium+ acidity providing freshness. Long finish with a touch of bitterness adding additional complexity. What a beauty this wine is. I went through about 8 bottles of this over the years and all of them showed beautifully.
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Just delicious, rich, buttery and mouth filling. A little high in EtOH (14.5%) but an absolutely great example of Ridge chardonnay at it's best. Perfectly mature but will age gracefully for another few years.
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Delicate brioche, lemon and green apple on the nose with hints of pear. Excellent structure and pure fruit on the palate. Very well balanced and a really long finish. (2017)
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This is a great example of a Burgundian styled domestic Chardonnay. I was worried that it would be well past its prime. However, the bottle had very subtle vanilla tannins left, and flavors of honey, clover, butterscotch, and honeydew with a bit of pie crust were evident.
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Rich and weighty. Toasty with ripe peach, light buttercream and almond paste notes. Very rounded and mouth coating. Substantial and classy. Drink over the next 3-5 years
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Very mature nose with rubber and marure yellow fruit. Sweet and subtle oak. Very easy to drink with a long finish carried by sheer fruit and power. Not heavy though. Perfect to drink now. Wish I had saved a few more of these.
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Haven't tasted this in about a year, so it was about time to pop another bottle. Medium straw Color, pretty thick viscosity. Very beautiful nose of citrus, popcorn, butter, some sweet spices (vanilla), and some ripe pear. On the palate there is also a little bit of minerality. It's medium-full bodied and dense, but without being heavy. There is medium+ acidity providing a lot of freshness to the fuller body. Very good length, there is also a touch of bitterness on the finish, but it only adds further complexity. A fantastic Cali Chardonnay with a still realistic price tag.
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Drinking lovely right now. This has a slight bite and incisiveness to it that I always find vs. the Montebello chardonnay, which is more elegant and subtle. Very expressive, an abundance of racy citrus and melon tones.
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The wine is clear and bright with a pale lemon colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium+ intensity aromas of butter, vanilla, walnuts, quince, very ripe peaches and some notes of honey. The wine is dry with a medium+ refreshing acidity. It has medium+ alcohol, medium body and medium+ intensity flavours of quince, vanilla, ripe peaches, walnuts and butter. The finish is medium+.
It is an outstanding quality wine showing a very clear typicity, with a nice fruit concentration well balanced by the alcohol and fresh acidity. It's elegant and complex in the nose thanks to its maturity and well-integrated oak notes. Can drink now, but it has enough acidity and fruit concentration to develop some more complexity in the next 2-3 years.
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): Beautiful tropical fruits and oak. Same on the palate. The yellow tropical fruits are really ripe. Orange and creamy mango. Concentrated and a pleasant bit of residual sugar. Beautiful wine with a great length.
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Color - Moderate yellow Nose - White winey Body - Moderate Duration - Short to moderate Flavors are Sweet white winey with early bright spice flavor that resolves as the bottle/glass is open longer. There is minimal to no oaky tastes.
Chardonnays from around the globe (Vadebacus (Sant Cugat - Spain)): Tasted blind. Quite classy nose with lemon, butter and toasted aromas of medium intensity. On palate it medium to full bodied, with wood still noticeable, carries a medium acidity and a citrus profile. I like this very much, on nose and palate, unfortunately the finish has a remarkable bitterness that leaves a not much likable aftertaste. 90+
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Spending the day at Oinoscent: Clear pale lemon color. Clean with medium+ intensity, aromas of derived from oak ageing with nuts, almonds and walnut over butter. Youthful still Dry, medium+ body, medium intensity, medium+ alcohol and acidity, balance, buttery, swet oak, walnut and nutmeg, massive but trying to keep it in check, medium + to long aftertaste. Outstanding quality, premium price, drinking now but can age further.
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Very dignified, seamless, smooth and persistent with nothing sticking out. Fruit is in the yellow pear spectrum. This is a wine where my toolbox doesn't do justice to the tasting note. This is really very,very good.
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Light-medium straw color. Very classy nose of citrus, ripe pear, some popcorn, butter and a touch of sweet oak/toast and some minerality too. Hits the palate with minerality again, some citrus and pear and also some wet stone mineral kind of thing, some spices and just a touch of bitterness providing additional complexity. Medium-full bodied, without being heavy, beautiful medium+ acidity providing freshness to the body. Very long finish. It leaves an overall impression of balance and class, but still has this California-fruit going on without being overwhelming. Ridge is one of my favorite producers in California (Santa Cruz) and in 2009, they hit the Estate Chardonnay out of the ballpark, maybe it's because of the whole Montebello vineyard fruit going into the regular Estate bottling.
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Light straw yellow color. Delicate nose with lime, pear, minerals and hint of popcorn. Palate is big, follows the nose and adds dried herbs like thyme and rosemary. Beautiful balance, structure and acidity. Pears and minerals lingers on the long finish. Overall balance is great and I love this Chardonnay. This will last for several more years. 92+
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Occasional group: Chateauneuf du Pape 2010 (By PZ @ Bottles): Very clean bouquet with tropical fruits and some caramel. On the palate a rich wine; yellow fruits, creamy, good citrus acidity, a pleasant touch of sweetness and a great length. Delicious wine.
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Just loved this bottle. Medium to Full bodied, well integrated oak, shows very nice tropical fruit, pineapple, sweet caramel. Never over the top with good acidity to keep all the ripe goodes in check.
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The nose was elegant and showy with aromas of peach and mango, roasting cashews, a spritz of lime and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it was smooth with medium weight, showing peach and ripe apricot with a hint of green apple and minerals. The finish was long with peach and a lingering hint of butterscotch.
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Beautiful wines with good wine friends (@ PZ): Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with yellow tropical fruits. On the palate a mouth full of wine with a lot of yellow fruits and vanilla. Elegance and good acidity as well. Pleasant bitterness. Overall a creamy and concentrated and beautiful wine with a future of several years.
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Helder lichtgeel. In de neus boenwas, tropisch fruit, hout. Fluwelig in de mond met peer, ananas, perzik. Mooie zuren houden de wijn goed in balans. Een bittertje in de lang aanhoudende afdronk.
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Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Stylish, young and relatively elegant. Fruit-display showed banana, peach and lychee. Excellent tension due to clearly present acidity. Not surprisingly, this is quite heavily oaked (to my taste), and hopefully this melts into the wine in a few years time. All in all, this certainly is a great example of California Chardonnay. Not too overdone, but exciting, fresh and convincing. 18/20
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Like Bernie wrote: Super pale colour. Very lean and muted nose. Later a bit more expression. The taste was very juvenile, tart with some developing fruit and honey. On the palate a slightly harsh. Good power, but not overdone or maybe Cali-bombastic. Potentially 90 to 92 points. Right now, for me very difficult to rate.
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Extremely pale straw color. Good Chardonnay fruit in the nose. Buttery with honeysuckle tones, perhaps a hint of green apple. Long satisfying finish. Nice wine
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Extremely full bodied and sweet due to the high alcohol. The oak is very present and the wine seems full of baby fat. Too big for my taste, and unlike previous bottles of Ridge. Even the Montebello 2004 seems lighter...
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Orange citrus dominated with floral notes as well. This is full-on oaked or it may score a bit higher. This shows better a bit colder than normal for me. I think this needs time for the oak to integrate.
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I have a serious addiction to the lecherous Chardonnay wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and this is one of the reasons why. Orange blossoms, papaya, mineral, piña colada, cement and white flowers. A laser-guided palate and the finish is legendary. Purity in terms of terroir, while the acidity keeps this so enamouringly fresh. Full-bodied, yet light and a paradoxal wine always draws me in. Drink now - 2018.
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Light gold. Musky nose of hay, wheat, fig and nuts. Dainty peaches and pears mid palate with a clean well balanced finish. Quite nice and likely to improve over the next 2-3 years, but hard to resist now.
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2009 California Chardonnays (Bi-weekly group blind tasting at Tom's House): Blind tasting of 8 2009 California Chardonnays. Group's #2, my #3. Floral nose with spice, butter, fennel, vanilla, oak and musk. Tropical fruit and floral flavors, kind of sweet. An odd finish that I did not enjoy kept this from being my top wine.
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Very good level for their basic cuvee. Not as overdone as some other overseas chardonnays tend to be. This still had plenty of fruit, nicely toasted oak, but was balanced, as it had a suculent acidity which made it quite easy to drink (needs to be chilled though). Good value for money.
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The nose showed floral notes with field grasses, apples dipped in butterscotch and a hint of lime. On the palate, sweet citrus notes and peach washed across the senses with velvet-like weight. The finish showed a hint of alcohol but is balanced by sweet peach and ripe stone fruit.
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Straw color. Needed a good chill and time in the glass to show its stuff. Nose of pear, almonds and honey, with a touch of citrus. Crisp, almost lean on the attack, but gives way to warm, buttered oak finish. Good, but a little disappointing for the price.
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Starter course, with apple/lettuce salad. Clear (almost sparkling) light gold. Nvery nice nose, a bit of citrus and a bit of floral. Smooth lovely fruit, enough acid to balance. This is a wine which makes a case for what California Chard can be.
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This wine is delish! Good viscosity. Gorgeous, sophisticated both on the nose and in the mouth. Vanilla and banana aromas. Flavors are awesome and impeccably balanced. Very fine. 5-12-17-9: 93/100.
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Blind Tasting 1978 - 1990 Ridge Zinfandels (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Oaky nose, some buttered popcorn too. Medium bodied with nice medium+ acidity. Tart apple, honeysuckle, lemon and a touch of oak on the palate. This doesn't hit my chardonnay sweet spot right now but could be lovely in three+ years when the oak has integrated. Seems to have the structure to age.
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Ridge Tasting: Nice wine with lemon, oak, vanilla, citrus and minerals. A good use of oak on this wine and the fruits are well represented. Medium finish. Drink now or cellar a few years.
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Ridge Tasting: Current Releases (Wine Co., St. Paul, MN): Medium gold color. Rich nose of oak, warm butter, carmel, citrus and hints of tropical fruit, and minerals. the elegant palate has good body, bright fruit, mineral, oak, and a medium finish. This is a really well made, balanced Cali chard that is distinctive and not overdone.
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By day four the oak has given way to alot more fruit and smoke. The first two days were really dominated by the planky oak aromas and flavors. Floral nuance is really accented by cinnamon laced chocolate dessert. Best enjoyed between three and five years from vintage date. Always a favorite!
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Pale yellow with a nose of bright fresh citrus, grapefruit, white peach. Lots of long thin legs, high viscosity. Rich and creamy but well-balanced with lots of acid.
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Straw yellow color. Nuanced and delicate nose with hints of warm pear and minerals. Mineral dominated dry start on the taste with excellent acidity. Popcorn and butter notes mixed with lime and more minerality on the finish
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Light yellow in glass. Burnt popcorn on the nose with malo/buttery scent and woody notes. Still some pretty pear, almost an apple-pie like note. Rich pear, green apple, mild buttery note but not overbearing. Same woody notes that makes this reminiscent of burnt popcorn, but it's not at all overdone. Still quite-solid acid that keeps things together nicely. Resolves to a finish of delicious apple pie with almost a coconut-like note. Outright delicious, but if I had more bottles I might give it some time for the oak influence to settle down a bit.
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Clean, waxy, lemon curd nose. Little honey and tangy citrus with plenty of pungent oak that should integrate with time. Rather weighty but well balanced and rounded. 88+
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5/3/2024 - affordableCollector wrote: 93 Points
yellow, in color. grilled pineapple, ripe banana, mango, lemon, vanilla, spice. youthful, sliced banana, warm tropical fruits, on the finish.
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11/5/2023 - MarkRichards Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine keeps getting better! It's structure is solid through out. Mineral with creamy pineapple and slight honeysuckle. Touch of vanilla oak. Last bottle sadly....
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10/21/2023 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 95 Points
Modestly more rich & luxurious than previous bottle. Ripe white peach flavors with fully developed stone fruit aromas. Exceptional match for our seafood chowder featuring lobster & scallops, based on a lightly toasted roux. Well & thoroughly enjoyed by 9 collectors. Drinking very well now, and likely 3-5 more years.
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4/9/2022 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
On first opening, a little oxidized. That cleared up a little after a while and actually became nice with food. This would have been better sevefal years ago. Drink up and hope for the best!
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4/19/2020 - paul canet wrote: 92 Points
in a perfect spot right now
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8/23/2019 - oldcorke wrote: 95 Points
A bit slow to open, as the malo dissipates. Becomes fuller as it warms, with tons of ripe white peach, and good acidity. This bottle was very nice, and has not begun to show any age at all.
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7/7/2018 - Nutty08 wrote:
Wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Shows a lot of toast and butterscotch. . Nice lime and apple fruit underneath. Didn’t spend a lot of time here.
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6/5/2018 - walla_wallou Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice wine!! Fruit, some oak, good balance and long finish!
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4/14/2018 - askoje wrote: 90 Points
Pears, vanilla and lime on the nose. Medium mouthfeel, flavors of green apple and pear with a long finish. Well balanced at this stage and oak is more integrated than previous bottles I’ve had of same wine. This is approaching my preferred drinking window, but it held up very nice.
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11/23/2017 - bhouk wrote:
There is some oak tannin that requires an hour or so of air to smooth out. Alcohol is a little elevated. Citrus and pear in roughly equal proportion, with a little cream to round out the mouthfeel. Finishes toasty and a touch bitter.
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4/12/2017 - ozyloy wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind.
Clear, medium lemon - a little darker than the McWilliams just before. Legs.
An initial blast of petrol quickly gave way to white flowers, peach, vanilla cream and a touch of lemon-lime. Some savoury underbrush and rocky minerality complete the picture. Medium acidity, medium(+) body, pronounced flavour intensity and a medium(+) finish.
A bold and unctuous wine, with something akin to a viognier about it. Drinking well now, but I am not sure if this will improve any further. 91-92 pts.
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4/12/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 Points
Sub 2010 Red Burgundy Night (Extra Space): Tasted blind.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, gold colour. Legs.
Nose is clean. medium+ intensity, with aromas of vanilla cream, butter, sweet golden apples, ripe peach. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium- acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of fatty almost oily vanilla cream, sweet golden apples, citrus lemon curd, ripe peaches. Medium+ finish.
Good quality. Not enough acidity for my tastes. I would have rather they sacrificed some ripeness to preserve more acidity. Time to drink up. Not for further ageing. Rich oaky style. Love it or hate it. Hahaha I can see why this is WA95 points but WS90 points only.
I was guessing oaky ripe chardonnay based on the nose, but the almost oily palate and high alcohol had me thinking Rhone.
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11/19/2016 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unfortunately my last bottle of this great wine. Showed beautiful aromatics on day one and getting more tropical on day 2.
Explosive notes of vanilla, sweet spices, popcorn, some butter, exotic fruit (mango, pineapple), but also some ripe citrus and nice menthol notes. It's medium-full bodied, has high viscosity and an almost oily mouth-feel, still medium+ acidity providing freshness. Long finish with a touch of bitterness adding additional complexity. What a beauty this wine is. I went through about 8 bottles of this over the years and all of them showed beautifully.
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10/10/2016 - Calculus wrote:
Accidentally entered
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9/25/2016 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just delicious, rich, buttery and mouth filling. A little high in EtOH (14.5%) but an absolutely great example of Ridge chardonnay at it's best. Perfectly mature but will age gracefully for another few years.
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7/2/2016 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Delicate brioche, lemon and green apple on the nose with hints of pear. Excellent structure and pure fruit on the palate. Very well balanced and a really long finish. (2017)
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7/1/2016 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Pale yellow, lovely nose.
Oak has receded, buttery richness still present. Nice.
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5/21/2016 - Mendy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a great example of a Burgundian styled domestic Chardonnay. I was worried that it would be well past its prime. However, the bottle had very subtle vanilla tannins left, and flavors of honey, clover, butterscotch, and honeydew with a bit of pie crust were evident.
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9/7/2015 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Butter, richness, light touch on the oak. Seems to have improved with age.
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2/18/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
This has improved further from the last time I tried it. Such rounded fruit and intensity but without any unwelcome bite or edge. Lovely stuff.
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2/14/2015 - BigTarheel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich and weighty. Toasty with ripe peach, light buttercream and almond paste notes. Very rounded and mouth coating. Substantial and classy. Drink over the next 3-5 years
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12/26/2014 - UTPK wrote:
Very mature nose with rubber and marure yellow fruit. Sweet and subtle oak. Very easy to drink with a long finish carried by sheer fruit and power. Not heavy though. Perfect to drink now. Wish I had saved a few more of these.
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11/10/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous notes, this is lovely stuff with some backbone and style.
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11/8/2014 - joeprez wrote: 87 Points
Probably at the end of its drinking window.
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10/12/2014 - kernel Likes this wine: 92 Points
nearly a year since last tasted. really very nice. just a little bit more buttery than i remember. but i like that. VGV
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8/15/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Haven't tasted this in about a year, so it was about time to pop another bottle. Medium straw Color, pretty thick viscosity. Very beautiful nose of citrus, popcorn, butter, some sweet spices (vanilla), and some ripe pear. On the palate there is also a little bit of minerality. It's medium-full bodied and dense, but without being heavy. There is medium+ acidity providing a lot of freshness to the fuller body. Very good length, there is also a touch of bitterness on the finish, but it only adds further complexity. A fantastic Cali Chardonnay with a still realistic price tag.
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7/28/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Drinking lovely right now. This has a slight bite and incisiveness to it that I always find vs. the Montebello chardonnay, which is more elegant and subtle. Very expressive, an abundance of racy citrus and melon tones.
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7/3/2014 - team-blackburn wrote: 92 Points
We'll balanced not too much oak paired well with seared scallops & risotto.
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5/26/2014 - Jcalvin3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Golden. Subtle oak with mineral and citrus undertones. Excellent finish.
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5/22/2014 - Man in Black wrote:
The wine is clear and bright with a pale lemon colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium+ intensity aromas of butter, vanilla, walnuts, quince, very ripe peaches and some notes of honey. The wine is dry with a medium+ refreshing acidity. It has medium+ alcohol, medium body and medium+ intensity flavours of quince, vanilla, ripe peaches, walnuts and butter. The finish is medium+.
It is an outstanding quality wine showing a very clear typicity, with a nice fruit concentration well balanced by the alcohol and fresh acidity. It's elegant and complex in the nose thanks to its maturity and well-integrated oak notes. Can drink now, but it has enough acidity and fruit concentration to develop some more complexity in the next 2-3 years.
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5/3/2014 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): Beautiful tropical fruits and oak. Same on the palate. The yellow tropical fruits are really ripe. Orange and creamy mango. Concentrated and a pleasant bit of residual sugar. Beautiful wine with a great length.
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4/19/2014 - cyak Likes this wine: 84 Points
Color - Moderate yellow
Nose - White winey
Body - Moderate
Duration - Short to moderate
Flavors are Sweet white winey with early bright spice flavor that resolves as the bottle/glass is open longer. There is minimal to no oaky tastes.
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4/5/2014 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice value. A bit much vanilla. Not subtle.
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1/9/2014 - Periko Likes this wine: 90 Points
Chardonnays from around the globe (Vadebacus (Sant Cugat - Spain)): Tasted blind. Quite classy nose with lemon, butter and toasted aromas of medium intensity. On palate it medium to full bodied, with wood still noticeable, carries a medium acidity and a citrus profile. I like this very much, on nose and palate, unfortunately the finish has a remarkable bitterness that leaves a not much likable aftertaste. 90+
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11/15/2013 - jasj Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really nice chardonnay. High quality wine making is the first that springs to mind. Well balance and just the right amount of oak.
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11/1/2013 - kernel wrote: 91 Points
good fruit , pears ,a little brioche. a bit generic but very nice nonetheless.
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10/17/2013 - pomelo wrote: 89 Points
Beaucoup trop boisé pour l'instant. Laissez reposer un minimum de 3 ans avant la prochaine bouteille
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9/30/2013 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Spending the day at Oinoscent: Clear pale lemon color.
Clean with medium+ intensity, aromas of derived from oak ageing with nuts, almonds and walnut over butter. Youthful still
Dry, medium+ body, medium intensity, medium+ alcohol and acidity, balance, buttery, swet oak, walnut and nutmeg, massive but trying to keep it in check, medium + to long aftertaste.
Outstanding quality, premium price, drinking now but can age further.
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9/28/2013 - bhouk wrote:
Very dignified, seamless, smooth and persistent with nothing sticking out. Fruit is in the yellow pear spectrum. This is a wine where my toolbox doesn't do justice to the tasting note. This is really very,very good.
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8/30/2013 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine.
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7/27/2013 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light-medium straw color. Very classy nose of citrus, ripe pear, some popcorn, butter and a touch of sweet oak/toast and some minerality too. Hits the palate with minerality again, some citrus and pear and also some wet stone mineral kind of thing, some spices and just a touch of bitterness providing additional complexity. Medium-full bodied, without being heavy, beautiful medium+ acidity providing freshness to the body. Very long finish. It leaves an overall impression of balance and class, but still has this California-fruit going on without being overwhelming. Ridge is one of my favorite producers in California (Santa Cruz) and in 2009, they hit the Estate Chardonnay out of the ballpark, maybe it's because of the whole Montebello vineyard fruit going into the regular Estate bottling.
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5/2/2013 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Light straw yellow color.
Delicate nose with lime, pear, minerals and hint of popcorn. Palate is big, follows the nose and adds dried herbs like thyme and rosemary. Beautiful balance, structure and acidity. Pears and minerals lingers on the long finish. Overall balance is great and I love this Chardonnay. This will last for several more years. 92+
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2/9/2013 - toddmk wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Estate Chardonnay is always a reliable, rich cali chard.
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1/5/2013 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Occasional group: Chateauneuf du Pape 2010 (By PZ @ Bottles): Very clean bouquet with tropical fruits and some caramel. On the palate a rich wine; yellow fruits, creamy, good citrus acidity, a pleasant touch of sweetness and a great length. Delicious wine.
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10/28/2012 - Filippo wrote: 93 Points
Just loved this bottle. Medium to Full bodied, well integrated oak, shows very nice tropical fruit, pineapple, sweet caramel. Never over the top with good acidity to keep all the ripe goodes in check.
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10/22/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose was elegant and showy with aromas of peach and mango, roasting cashews, a spritz of lime and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it was smooth with medium weight, showing peach and ripe apricot with a hint of green apple and minerals. The finish was long with peach and a lingering hint of butterscotch.
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10/19/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wines with good wine friends (@ PZ): Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with yellow tropical fruits. On the palate a mouth full of wine with a lot of yellow fruits and vanilla. Elegance and good acidity as well. Pleasant bitterness. Overall a creamy and concentrated and beautiful wine with a future of several years.
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10/19/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 92 Points
Helder lichtgeel. In de neus boenwas, tropisch fruit, hout. Fluwelig in de mond met peer, ananas, perzik. Mooie zuren houden de wijn goed in balans. Een bittertje in de lang aanhoudende afdronk.
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10/19/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Impromptu tasting @ Peter Z. (Belgium): Stylish, young and relatively elegant. Fruit-display showed banana, peach and lychee. Excellent tension due to clearly present acidity. Not surprisingly, this is quite heavily oaked (to my taste), and hopefully this melts into the wine in a few years time. All in all, this certainly is a great example of California Chardonnay. Not too overdone, but exciting, fresh and convincing. 18/20
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9/28/2012 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 90 Points
Like Bernie wrote: Super pale colour. Very lean and muted nose. Later a bit more expression. The taste was very juvenile, tart with some developing fruit and honey. On the palate a slightly harsh. Good power, but not overdone or maybe Cali-bombastic. Potentially 90 to 92 points. Right now, for me very difficult to rate.
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9/22/2012 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Extremely pale straw color. Good Chardonnay fruit in the nose. Buttery with honeysuckle tones, perhaps a hint of green apple. Long satisfying finish. Nice wine
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9/5/2012 - UTPK wrote:
Extremely full bodied and sweet due to the high alcohol. The oak is very present and the wine seems full of baby fat. Too big for my taste, and unlike previous bottles of Ridge. Even the Montebello 2004 seems lighter...
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7/17/2012 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Orange citrus dominated with floral notes as well. This is full-on oaked or it may score a bit higher. This shows better a bit colder than normal for me. I think this needs time for the oak to integrate.
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5/20/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
I have a serious addiction to the lecherous Chardonnay wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and this is one of the reasons why. Orange blossoms, papaya, mineral, piña colada, cement and white flowers. A laser-guided palate and the finish is legendary. Purity in terms of terroir, while the acidity keeps this so enamouringly fresh. Full-bodied, yet light and a paradoxal wine always draws me in. Drink now - 2018.
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5/10/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
definitely not a 95 pt wine, but nicely balanced acidity, clean chardonnay fruit, buttery oak, and a little minerality. nicely done.
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3/18/2012 - EGunderson wrote: 90 Points
Smooth fruity chardonnay.
Great lemon and citrus on the nose. Really nice fruit on the palate. Medium finish.
Good wine.
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2/8/2012 - team-blackburn wrote: 87 Points
It was flat and nondescript on the first day, vaccuume sealed it for two days and it showed signs of life.
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1/29/2012 - tgkswine wrote: 91 Points
Very enjoyable chardonnay but not in the league of the California big boys.
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1/16/2012 - smphelps wrote: 92 Points
Light gold. Musky nose of hay, wheat, fig and nuts. Dainty peaches and pears mid palate with a clean well balanced finish. Quite nice and likely to improve over the next 2-3 years, but hard to resist now.
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1/12/2012 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 90 Points
2009 California Chardonnays (Bi-weekly group blind tasting at Tom's House): Blind tasting of 8 2009 California Chardonnays. Group's #2, my #3.
Floral nose with spice, butter, fennel, vanilla, oak and musk.
Tropical fruit and floral flavors, kind of sweet.
An odd finish that I did not enjoy kept this from being my top wine.
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1/8/2012 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Pretty good
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12/24/2011 - dransford wrote: 92 Points
Great minerality. A bit oaky for my tastes but should ingrate some over time. Good fruit but restrained.
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12/9/2011 - UTPK wrote:
Very good level for their basic cuvee. Not as overdone as some other overseas chardonnays tend to be. This still had plenty of fruit, nicely toasted oak, but was balanced, as it had a suculent acidity which made it quite easy to drink (needs to be chilled though). Good value for money.
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12/8/2011 - Mark Larson wrote: 91 Points
Needs a couple years to integrate. Very nice but not optimal.
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12/6/2011 - Porchino wrote: 89 Points
Parker says this is a95 no way on the planet
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11/26/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose showed floral notes with field grasses, apples dipped in butterscotch and a hint of lime. On the palate, sweet citrus notes and peach washed across the senses with velvet-like weight. The finish showed a hint of alcohol but is balanced by sweet peach and ripe stone fruit.
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11/24/2011 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 89 Points
Straw color. Needed a good chill and time in the glass to show its stuff. Nose of pear, almonds and honey, with a touch of citrus. Crisp, almost lean on the attack, but gives way to warm, buttered oak finish. Good, but a little disappointing for the price.
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11/24/2011 - bonedoc wrote: 90 Points
Good, but overrated.
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11/20/2011 - bjschmitt wrote: 90 Points
Starter course, with apple/lettuce salad.
Clear (almost sparkling) light gold. Nvery nice nose, a bit of citrus and a bit of floral.
Smooth lovely fruit, enough acid to balance.
This is a wine which makes a case for what California Chard can be.
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10/17/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote: 93 Points
This wine is delish! Good viscosity. Gorgeous, sophisticated both on the nose and in the mouth. Vanilla and banana aromas. Flavors are awesome and impeccably balanced. Very fine. 5-12-17-9: 93/100.
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10/10/2011 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 89 Points
Blind Tasting 1978 - 1990 Ridge Zinfandels (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Oaky nose, some buttered popcorn too. Medium bodied with nice medium+ acidity. Tart apple, honeysuckle, lemon and a touch of oak on the palate. This doesn't hit my chardonnay sweet spot right now but could be lovely in three+ years when the oak has integrated. Seems to have the structure to age.
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7/14/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Ridge Tasting: Nice wine with lemon, oak, vanilla, citrus and minerals. A good use of oak on this wine and the fruits are well represented. Medium finish. Drink now or cellar a few years.
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7/12/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Ridge Tasting: Current Releases (Wine Co., St. Paul, MN): Medium gold color. Rich nose of oak, warm butter, carmel, citrus and hints of tropical fruit, and minerals. the elegant palate has good body, bright fruit, mineral, oak, and a medium finish. This is a really well made, balanced Cali chard that is distinctive and not overdone.
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5/13/2011 - nzinkgraf wrote:
By day four the oak has given way to alot more fruit and smoke. The first two days were really dominated by the planky oak aromas and flavors. Floral nuance is really accented by cinnamon laced chocolate dessert. Best enjoyed between three and five years from vintage date. Always a favorite!
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5/4/2011 - vine20 wrote: 90 Points
Pale yellow with a nose of bright fresh citrus, grapefruit, white peach. Lots of long thin legs, high viscosity. Rich and creamy but well-balanced with lots of acid.
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5/3/2011 - askoje wrote: 91 Points
Straw yellow color. Nuanced and delicate nose with hints of warm pear and minerals.
Mineral dominated dry start on the taste with excellent acidity. Popcorn and butter notes mixed with lime and more minerality on the finish
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4/26/2011 - DRod Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yellow in glass. Burnt popcorn on the nose with malo/buttery scent and woody notes. Still some pretty pear, almost an apple-pie like note. Rich pear, green apple, mild buttery note but not overbearing. Same woody notes that makes this reminiscent of burnt popcorn, but it's not at all overdone. Still quite-solid acid that keeps things together nicely. Resolves to a finish of delicious apple pie with almost a coconut-like note. Outright delicious, but if I had more bottles I might give it some time for the oak influence to settle down a bit.
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4/17/2011 - Steve Brickley wrote: 89 Points
White flowers; light yellow; fruit dominant , slight sweetness. Drinking well now. Will drink these now.
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3/26/2011 - Khamen wrote: 88 Points
Clean, waxy, lemon curd nose. Little honey and tangy citrus with plenty of pungent oak that should integrate with time. Rather weighty but well balanced and rounded. 88+
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3/23/2011 - arijus wrote: 84 Points
Quite subdued nose. Big and bold on the palate with tropical fruits. Lacking acidity. Oak on the nose and palate, too oaky for my taste.
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3/23/2011 - team-blackburn wrote: 91 Points
The oak and butter are nicely balanced.
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3/22/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Ridge Montebello Tasting & subsequent drinks; 3/22/2011-3/24/2011 (Berry Brothers, London): Lemon nose with a clean and fresh burst - concentrated finish. Decent juice.
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3/22/2011 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Concentrated. Good citrus and tropical fruits and a pleasant light dose of oak. Very tasteful wine.
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