2011 Ridge Chardonnay Estate
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Tasting notes
(made from fruit grown in the Monte Bello vineyard): Light gold. Fresh peach and honey on the highly perfumed nose. Plush and open-knit, offering sappy orchard and pit fruit flavors and a touch of anise. Closes with strong spicy cut, a hint of sweet butter and very good smoky persistence.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Chardonnay Estate is strikingly beautiful. Creamy, layered and impeccably balanced, the 2011 Chardonnay Estate is one of the most gorgeous whites I have ever tasted from Ridge. Hints of lemon, white flowers and crushed rocks are layered into an oily finish supported by beams of minerality. This is a gorgeous wine by any measure. Can the 2011 Chardonnay Montebello be much better than this? We will know the answer next year. Yields were quite a bit lower than normal as the Ridge team was forced to drop quite a bit of fruit to achieve full ripeness and eliminate botrytis in this cool, late-ripening year.
About the producer
Best known for its iconic Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards makes some of California’s finest wines – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Long a pioneer of sustainable farming and minimal-intervention winemaking, Ridge makes an extensive range from Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains.