Ridge 2021 Monte Bello Estate Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
*Products deemed unacceptable (receving a rating below 80 points) are not reviewed.
98-100
Classic
The Pinnacle of quality
94-97
Superb
A great achievement
90-93
Excellent
Highly recommended
87-89
Very Good
Often good value; well recommended
83-86
Good
Suitable for everyday consumption, often good value
80-82
Acceptable
Can be employed
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Discover New Regions for Chardonnay
The Burgundy wine region is a fifth the size of Bordeaux, and produces correspondingly more expensive wines, with fewer bargains and more disappointments. The best way to buy Burgundy is to follow the best producers and depend on our Burgundy wine reviews. Our Burgundy wine guide contains hundreds of Burgundy wine ratings. If you take our advice, the most seductive wines (red from Pinot Noir, white from Chardonnay, always 100%) will be in your glass. It’s not just chance that the Burgundy bottle has rounded sides, the Bordeaux bottle has straight: Burgundy appeals to the senses, Bordeaux to the intellect.The main appellation of the region is plain and simple: red and white, Bourgogne Rouge or Bourgogne Blanc. Climbing up the hierarchy are district appellations such as Chablis, for white wines, Mâcon for white and red wines, Côte de Beaune for…
Stretching 250 miles south from the San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara County is the Central Coast Wine Region, a coastal sprawl responsible for about 15% of California’s total wine production. In the northern parts of the Central Coast, Chardonnay tends to dominate the plantings, with Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon also playing significant roles. The cool, maritime-influenced climate along with the fertile and gravely soil contribute to Chardonnay’s crisp acidity and citrus flavors, and the extended growing season yields concentrated Merlot and Cabernet. Some of the top northern Central Coast AVAs include, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey. South of Monterey, the Paso Robles AVA has garnered fame for its wines produced from Rhône varieties, Cabernet and Zinfandel. At the southern end of the Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (made famous as the backdrop for the…
The wine region of Sonoma is home to some of the most historic vineyards and wineries in California. In the 1850s, Hungarian Agoston Haraszathy planted various grapes in Sonoma that he was confident could rival European varieties, and today it is a leading wine region in California as well as the U.S. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast are predominantly made by smaller wineries and have experienced increased popularity, as can be explored in our Sonoma Wine Guide. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, the only varietal that the U.S. can call its own because it was the first planted in California, is rich with ripe and jammy berry characteristics and can gain complexity with oak barrel aging. The same goes for the elegant Cabernet Sauvignon wines of the Alexander Valley, which tend to be…
