Name: Ridge Chardonnay Estate 2020 750ml
Brand: Ridge
SKU: 910645
Price: 131.63 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 93.6 (5 reviews)

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Winery

Ridge

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Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

Country

United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Region

California

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Appellation

Santa Cruz County

WS 94pts

Wine Spectator

Bold, with wonderful intensity, this white features a core of peach, pineapple and toasted spice notes that show overtones of salted butterscotch. The body is buttery and smooth, with a hint of white flowers and Honeycrisp apple on the finish, while a touch of beeswax and nutmeg lingers. Drink now through 2030. 2,400 cases made.

DC 94pts

Decanter

Fruit for the Estate Chardonnay comes from the lower slopes of the Monte Bello estate on the original Klein Ranch. Eastern-facing slopes give this wine plenty of morning sun; this wine was whole cluster pressed and spent five months on the lees. Upon completion of malolactic fermentation, the blend for this wine was chosen. A pale straw hue, with aromatics of honey, ripe pear flesh, toasted brioche, and lemon cream, leap from the glass. The palate brings a bright balance of acidity to the full and fleshy fruit flavours.

JD 94pts

Jeb Dunnuck

Coming from the estate vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2020 Chardonnay Estate has a beautiful nose of honeyed lemon blossom, crushed stone, toasty oak, and a touch of reductive-like minerality. This carries to a brilliantly balanced, medium-bodied Chardonnay with a round, layered mouthfeel, good acidity, and a focused style that should age gracefully for 7-8 years, if not longer.

WA 93pts

Wine Advocate

The 2020 Chardonnay Estate Monte Bello Vineyard opens with streaks of matchstick and dried hay over a core of white peach and acacia, and as it spends time in the glass it blossoms to reveal alluring spicy and herbal undertones. The light-bodied palate is refreshing and gently creamy, with restrained, flint-streaked fruit and a long, floral finish. It's drinking well but could use another 2-3 years in bottle, or a few hours in the decanter.

JS 93pts

James Suckling

A very creamy textured white with sliced cooked apple, crushed stones and chalk. Some burnt lime, too. It's medium- to full-bodied with a delicious finish. Drink now.

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Ridge Chardonnay Estate 2020 750ml

Case of 12

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