Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards — Estate Chardonnay 2023
Monte Bello Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Chardonnay from Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains and strongly influenced by the cool Pacific. The exceptionally long, cool 2023 growing season preserved freshness and varietal character, while barrel fermentation followed by nine months on the lees added texture and dimension. At 14.1% ABV, it carries surprising substance without sacrificing its cool-climate identity.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon, yellow apple, pear, citrus blossom, and subtle stone fruit unfold gradually, joined by mineral notes, gentle vanilla, and restrained barrel nuances. Air brings out additional layers without turning the wine overtly oaky.

Mouthfeel
Beautifully texturized yet remarkably fresh. Bright acidity provides tension while lees aging gives the mid-palate a gentle creaminess and polished weight. It keeps evolving after opening, moving between delicacy, mineral energy, and increasingly expressive fruit.

Food Pairings
Excellent alone, but equally comfortable with scallops, lobster, grilled halibut, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, or richer seafood preparations. Its combination of acidity and texture lets it pivot effortlessly between sipping and serious cuisine.

Verdict
A fascinating expression of mountain-grown California Chardonnay. Delicate yet substantial, refreshing yet textural, it demonstrates how a cool Pacific-influenced site can deliver ripeness without sacrificing precision or energy.

Did You Know?
Monte Bello sits high above Silicon Valley on the Santa Cruz Mountains ridge, with vineyards exposed to significant Pacific influence. Ridge notes that 2023 was one of its longest and coolest recent growing seasons; the extended harvest helped preserve acidity while allowing slow flavor development—the tension you can genuinely feel in this Chardonnay.

🍷 Personal Pick
This sits comfortably among my favorite coastal-influenced Northern California Chardonnays. What gets me is the evolution: refreshing and delicate at first, then progressively more textural and expressive as it opens. It has enough finesse to enjoy completely on its own and enough structure to sit beside fine cuisine. That versatility, without losing its cool-climate personality, is what makes this one special. — 16 days ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — a month ago

Tom Jenkins

9.0

Hugo’s menu, GM recommended. Soft, delicate. Light on the tongue, hints of tart fruit. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb. — 7 months ago

Eric

9.2

A couple years in the bottle has done this one some good. Nice earthy raspberries. — 7 years ago

Diana Sabo

9.0

Enjoyed 2023 vintage on October 13, 2026 — 3 days ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.4

Not as good as expected. A little tired. Nice tho. Day 3, so good! Time and air made this insane. Love, — a month ago

Lyn Farmer

9.3

Deep Ruby color with intense black fruit aromas of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, violet, vanilla, cedar and crushed stone minerality. Light eucalyptus, forest floor, cigar box and graphite. Well balanced tannin and acidity though the wine feels a bit over-extracted. Delicious but a little heavy. Lots of room for development. — 3 months ago

romo

9.2

First vintage post-RPM, immensely enjoyable ten years on. As in Beaujolais, this CA interpretation is losing its original energy over time, but maintains its own signature profile. — 6 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 8 months ago

Oliver N

9.3

Tart black cherry, anise, pine and alpine vibes, high acidity, low spicy tannins.
A beautiful Cali Barbera with the acidity and spice of Piemonte, with the high toned fruit of California sunshine. I love! — 6 years ago

Philippe Jacob

9.2

Calificación profesional 9,0
Se ha decantado y en un principio está demasiado fuerte, aunque sin sabor a vinagre — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several days. Consistent throughout. The 2018 pours a straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of Bartlett pear, passion fruit, lanolin, honeysuckle and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and soooooo wooly. These Sandlands Chenin Blancs are fun with some age. Drink now through 2033. — a month ago

S Christovich

9.1

Nice wine. Paired well with pork and salmon. Good value too. — a month ago

Anna Sangiacomo

9.3

Love these Pinots from Roar — 2 months ago

Mark Mannebach

9.2

Peach citrus upfront with a nice mineral finish — 4 months ago

Jamie Amann

9.0

Had a ruby color. Smelled like red berries and tasted like cherry or blackberry. — 7 months ago

John Knudsen

9.0

Decanted for 2 hours. Still big, no signs of fading. Did not drink enough before it was consumed to review properly, but seemed a touch sweet. — 4 years ago

Maggie Harrison

9.4

yes, this is a photo of a computer image. tasted as part of a Mourvèdre wine group tasting via zoom, wines portioned into woozies. 2018v. super aromatic, raspberry/cranberry juice, fresh leather, violet. palate texture is silky, light but complex and flavorful, acid medium +, long tannins- just a bit of grip. fantastic — 6 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

The reviews say that it’s over Oaked and imbalanced at least in this vintage but I disagreed. This is still quite tight and while it’s no Rioja Alta, it’s still quite good. — 7 years ago