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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 84 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 3/11/2022: Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): The obligatory starter chard for the tasting. It’s interesting because the description of it made me think it would be very much not my style but this was less offensive than some. More honey notes. 14 months in American oak. Full malo. And yet almost a touch sweet which maybe makes it more ok (I have never minded the SQN dessert wines one of which is chard). Still not for me, but not bad. (1678 views) | | | Tasted by apg23 on 2/20/2022 & rated 87 points: Too sharp. Lacking balance. Not a fan. (794 views) | | | Tasted by Bob23 on 2/4/2022 & rated 92 points: Certainly on the back nine of life, but still had good acidity/balance. A touch of honeyed maturity/materization, but still had enough kick to count. (833 views) | | | Tasted by Tony Ling on 1/6/2022 & rated 95 points: PNP from Coravin into Riedel tasting glass (“Flower” day): medium golden to the eyes.
Sulphurous notes that reminds me of the 1999 Bourgogne blanc tasted before.
94-95 points. (1108 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 10/26/2021 & rated 89 points: Pretty golden color, with stone fruit and integrated oak accents but seemed slightly oxidized to me--may be on the downside. Tasted at winery (982 views) | | | Tasted by Tarrant on 6/20/2021 & rated 94 points: Drank our last bottle last night, all I can say is wow, after 10 years this was just spectacular - Deep gold, viscous, honey-like with notes of butter, toast, oak, very complex on the nose and the palate with terrific length, it was surprisingly bigger than the Ridge Estate Cab we had alongside w/14.1% alcohol, but it was remarkably balanced. Agreed there is likely no point in holding anymore but this was just a lovely example of a Santa Cruz Chard (94 Points). (878 views) | | | Tasted by R Z on 6/13/2020 & rated 93 points: Second bottle of Ridge's 2011 Estate chard, four years later, and this has fully held up. Slight oxidation, negligible oak, minerality, length, and above all, balance. (1008 views) | | | Tasted by PatrickO33 on 11/12/2019 & rated 92 points: White flowers, peach, apricot, Vanilla. Fresh, yet complex, simply gorgeous! (1139 views) | | | Tasted by MRichman on 12/12/2018: Very nice, steely with a bit of butter. (1431 views) | | | Tasted by bjschmitt on 8/26/2018 & rated 91 points: With Chicken kiev, brown rice, carrots.
Look: yellow/yellow gold, a beautiful wine, full and bright.
Smell: fruit (apricot and peach), maybe some melon.
Taste: a touch of smoke, moderate to low acid, toasted oak, a joy to drink. Won't get better, so drink up. (1384 views) | | | Tasted by yowser on 8/24/2018 & rated 90 points: Popped a bottle open last evening, fearful of its condition given its age. Not to worry -- delicious, mature, elegant. I wish I still had a case of it. (1342 views) | | | Tasted by Glencoewine on 2/18/2018 & rated 92 points: Agree with Oldwines. Outstanding Chard in old world style. Elegant. (1501 views) | | | Tasted by cjsadler on 1/18/2018 & rated 91 points: Nothing much doing on the nose, but on the palate this is a mineraly, balanced joy. (1410 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 12/31/2017 & rated 92 points: Consistent with previous bottles. Great expression of Chardonnay with minimal intervention. Not over oaked, seems like partial Malo. Balanced and delicious. (1397 views) | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 5/19/2017 & rated 92 points: Pop and pour. Paired with Pork Tenderloin Steaks with a Lemon and Thyme sauce. The citrus of the sauce and in the wine played very well together. This is in my wheelhouse. (1819 views) | | | Tasted by Zorg on 3/18/2017 & rated 89 points: Good but the acidity could have been higher and there could have been more fruit. Not for those who are afraid of oak. (1840 views) | | | Tasted by SeaWine on 12/12/2016 & rated 91 points: Notes of apple and, less so, pear on the palate with decent acidity. The oak and while present, is nicely integrated. (My wife, who now avoids/decries too much oak, had no complaints.) I would have liked just a touch more fruit, but overall this was elegant and enjoyable. (1715 views) | | | Tasted by weisinc on 7/13/2016: - Yellow color and aromas of orange blossom, oak and cedar. It's balanced and has flavours of grapefruit and raspberry with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish. (2199 views) | | | Tasted by team-blackburn on 6/11/2016 & rated 92 points: Beautiful balance, sad this was my last one. (2306 views) | | | Tasted by R Z on 4/25/2016 & rated 93 points: This was terrific. Not overly oaked. Refined and classy, with great length and structure. Reminded me of a very good Puligny Montrachet. Ready now. (1893 views) | | | Tasted by team-blackburn on 2/24/2016 & rated 91 points: Nice balance (2120 views) | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 1/19/2016 & rated 92 points: Pop and pour. This was good with the first sip. White fruit and honey with a touch of floral. Maybe a small hint of lemon and finishes with a touch of oak. Continue to love chard from Santa Cruz Mountains. (2097 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 12/2/2015 & rated 92 points: Lovely medium yellow color. nose with a hint of oak and very expressive pear, citrus and green apple. Slightly buttery but very well balanced. Moderately long aftertaste that seems a little flinty at the end. This is a wonderful wine with nothing bad to say. (2046 views) | | | Tasted by bjschmitt on 8/1/2015 & rated 91 points: Served with sautéed scallops, rice, and corn on the cob.
Buttery, fruity, citrus on the nose.
Clear yellow, almost a touch of gold.
Nice body, touch of toasted oak, some acid to get the mouth watering. Good length.
Really nice wine - went very well with the dinner. (2089 views) | | | Tasted by j.a.price.trucking on 6/16/2015 & rated 90 points: No detailed notes, but wow. Was perfect with grilled sardines and grilled copper river. (1981 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2013, IWC Issue #171
(Ridge Vineyards Chardonnay Estate Santa Cruz Mountains) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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.Ridge Chardonnay Estate‘Ridge produced its first chardonnay in 1962 from fully-mature vines planted in the late 1940s on the Monte Bello estate vineyard. Production never exceeded ten barrels, and Monte Bello chardonnay was sold principally at the winery. Several great vintages, among them the 1973, ‘74, ‘79, and ‘84, showed that our cool climate and fractured limestone sub-soils were well suited to the varietal. By 1985, the old vines were producing less then a half-ton per acre and were taken out. The younger vines, planted in the ‘70s, provide the majority of grapes today. Initially these newer plantings were on the “lower” vineyard—not yet farmed as part of the Monte Bello estate—so the wine was called “Santa Cruz Mountains” and these vines have long since been included. Since 2009 the wine has been designated Ridge Estate Chardonnay. In years when differences among lots are sufficient to warrant a separate bottling, we make a limited amount of Monte Bello Chardonnay as well.’ – Producer’s noteChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeEstateIn the United States, "Wines with “estate bottled” designations must: a) also designate an appellation of origin or an AVA, and both the vineyards and the winery must be located there; b) the grapes must come from vineyards owned or controlled by the winery; and c) the wine must have been produced, from crush to bottle, in a continuous process without leaving the winery’s premises."
- WINE LABEL FAQS: A QUICK SUMMARY OF LABEL DESIGNATION RULES" by David E. StollUSAAmerican 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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