Community Tasting Notes 41

• SAP Likes this wine: 95 points

  July 8, 2023 - Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay 2012. Its worth to wait for this white wine ! Deep golden color After opening the nose from the bottle got pure minerality und some gooseberry! In the glas it got opulent aromes of crushed citrus and white flowers added. Well balanced ! The mouth ecrn added some acidity perfect match with ripe peal ! Very elegant in style and a marvelous long finish at the palate! Of course enjoyed in the Riedel Sommelier Chardonnay black tie glas 🤩
  
  Cheers!

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• SAP Likes this wine: 95 points

  October 4, 2022 - 2012 Monte Bello Chardonnay from Ridge Vineyards. Wow. Opened it because a friend came for a visit. The color is deep, clear golden. This 2012 got now an expressive nose of gooseberry, orange peel and ripe apricot ! I was once told that the Monte Bello Chardonnay needs about 10+ years. And I have to say : Yes its right ! I had some of them younger and they where not so calm and elegant ! The mouth is a mixture of fine elegant minerality and acidity. Some citrus in the background at the palate. Love it all over now ! And a loooooong finish.
  
  Cheers !

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• SussexSB Likes this wine: 93 points

  September 3, 2022 - At 67PM. Last of three chards, previous two Italian and won most votes. Instant smack of freshness out of the Zalto Montrachet glass. Beautifully taut yet still allowing some rich flabbiness to pervade. Stone, moss, lichen, clotted cream, nettle. A real rounded example. 14% didn’t bother the table as it didn’t show at all. Plenty of legs left here for sure.

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• originalverkorkt Likes this wine: 92 points

  July 11, 2022 - The Ridge "Monte Bello" Chardonnay 2012, like Chanin and Sandhi, comes from vineyards only a few kilometres from the Pacific coast. But the style is completely different and it was also a slightly warmer year. At the time, they said: "Apart from the lack of cool-climate aspect, the 2012 is an excellent and typically Californian Chardonnay. Initially floral and always woody, the wine becomes buttery and creamy with some honey and lots of popcorn, a ripe, rich yellow fruit and a decent lemon in there. On the palate, the wine is excellently structured and shows great length. 'A bit pomaded but awesome.'" Somehow I, and not only I, found this similarly awesome even now, if not quite as excellently structured. Everything about this wine was ripe, had a lot of fullness, power, a slight spiciness, seemed bulky and doesn't really fit into my bag pattern. And yet I found it sexy. However, not everyone felt that way.
  
  Rating ø: 16.55, own rating: 17 | Ranking: 17 out of 25
  Tasted and rated blind at the Cool Climate Chardonnay Reenactment Tasting on 11-July 2022

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• oldwines Likes this wine: 92 points

  April 16, 2022 - Nice round chard with good balance. Good mouth feel, slightly buttery, moderately oaked. Rich and viscous. Bright acidity, citrus, stone fruit, pear, wet stones and some smoked nuts. Long finish.

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Pro Reviews 4

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2012
• Type White
• Producer Ridge
• Varietal Chardonnay
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard Monte Bello
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Santa Cruz Mountains
• Appellation Santa Cruz Mountains
• UPC Codes 7070292879779, 744442470006

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 215 (37%)
• Consumed 359 (63%)

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