2016 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Chardonnay Monte Bello aged 18 months in 86% American and 14% French oak, using one-year-old to five-year-old barrels. It's open and giving on the nose with aromas of lemon pith, saline, crushed shell, toasted almonds, honey toast, quince and white peaches plus dried hay and floral nuances. It's medium-bodied and uber minerally in the mouth, fleshing out fan-like to pure stone fruits, lifted by seamless freshness and finishing very long and floral-tinged.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Chardonnay Monte Bello is a powerful wine. Rich, deep and layered, the 2016 offers a striking mélange of varietal fruit and structure. Tangerine, mint, butter and toasty notes all develop in the glass. More than anything, though, the 2016 is a wine of texture and resonance. I loved it.
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.