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. — 2 days ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

Total sleeper: while the label simply says ‘Syrah’, the reality in the making of it is that it’s a co-fermentation of 85% Syrah from some of Bedrock’s prized vineyards and (about) about 15% Viognier. And man does it work- particularly for the price.
@grabbitbeforeyoudonthave the option. — a month ago

Karen Prettol

9.4

Really good! — 2 days ago

Louis Martin

9.0

2025 vintage holds its own to the 2022 we tried previously, this time paired with a scallop crudo at Lune. — a month ago

Ki Punwar

Owner, California Wine Republic

9.3

Tempier rose never disappoints. Paired with Salmon and Caesar salad — a month ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

Really nice, good fruit and acidity. Strawberries, herbal quality, other good fruits. — 2 months 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, — 19 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Gentle strawberry and light lime stone. Delicate and pretty. A touch in distinct on the midpalate. Young, so may be early to judge — 25 days ago

Joe Christenson

9.2

Delicious — fresh strawberry, hints of tropical fruit, mineral, honeysuckle, good acid and subtle white floral notes. Beautifully balanced. Paired well with smoked turkey burgers. — 25 days ago

Austin Baird

9.0

Slight eucalyptus, strong tannic structure holding firm 10 years later! Deep dive with red pear, dried bing cherry, and toasted oak. Favorite pairing was the 18 month aged Gouda. — a month ago

Vanessa

9.2

Always hits the spot 🎯 — a month ago

with Deked1

Sam Rubin

9.6

Crisp almost portyyyy — a month ago

Todd Scurci

9.1

#rosé #napa — 2 months ago

with Annie

Mark S.

9.1

Deep cherry red ~ black. Oak vanilla black cherry plum. Fruitiness M++ Sweetness M+ Acidity M Tannin M Smooth Bitterness M Body M++ Finish M % Powerful Concentrated jammy Juicy good balanced Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel @2800, Eva - BBQ, 260914-260915 — 18 days ago

Angelo Casagrande

8.9

Quaffable rose. Party notes. No time. Maybe I’ll return to this. — 17 days ago

Some Dude

9.2

What a treat to serve this with a couple of steaks fresh off the grill and a chipotle-flavored tomato bread salad. This wine elevated the meal and delighted our guests! — 25 days ago

Lindsey Kelley

9.0

Soooo delicious, this was given to me as a baby shower present from my coworker. Drank with Matt on 8/16/2026 — 25 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — a month ago

Brandon Boesch

9.3

So good, floral, berries, acidity, crushable! — a month ago

Holly Morgan

10

Blood orange and cloves as well as cherries in the nose. A bit of vanilla as it opens up. Tastes of tangerine and clove with a sweet cherry after taste. — 2 months ago