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2018 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain Estate Chardonnay

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

June 2, 2024 - $47

Estimate

RATINGS

95Jeb Dunnuck

...notes of caramelized apples, white flowers, honeysuckle, and crushed rocks...medium-bodied Chardonnay with bright acidity, a focused, chiseled texture, terrific minerality, and just a kiss of background oak.

94The Wine Advocate

...a powerhouse on the nose, bursting with baked apples, salted almonds, beeswax, hay and loads of spicy accents...palate is both silky and pure, concentrated and refreshing, finishing very long with loads of lift and flavor.

94Vinous / IWC

Apricot, tangerine oil and light tropical overtones open up first... The layers start to fill out, and yet the 2018 never loses its sense of transparency and overall detail. A real sense of phenolic weight gives the wine its distinctive mountain feel.

90Wine Spectator

...ripe, savory aroma, with flavors to match, as well as roasted peach and baked apple elements. Sage cream and buttery hints show on the finish.

17.5Jancis Robinson

Beautiful condition: combines the sophistication of great, refined Chardonnay – poise and punch – with Californian ripeness. Lengthy, ripe, powerful, exotic but not overblown. Absolutely stunning...

PRODUCER

Ridge

Ridge Vineyards is a multi-estate enterprise with vineyards and wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma County and Paso Robles. It is a leader in organic, sustainable winemaking and is the largest grower of certified organic grapes in the appellations of Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The business was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. For more than 50 years Ridge’s winemaker and CEO was Paul Draper, a legendary figure in California winemaking. Draper retired in 2016 and Ridge veteran Mark Vernon became CEO. Each winery has its own winemaker. Ridge makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Rhone style wines. Robert M. Parker Jr. writes that Ridge “is undeniably one of California’s top wineries.”

REGION

United States, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA includes high elevation territory in the counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. The AVA follows the coast line from San Francisco to Monterey with elevations from 400 feet to 3,000 feet above sea level. There are 1,500 vineyard acres and the AVA was established in 1981. Despite the challenging terrain in these rugged mountains and hills, highly esteemed wineries have been located here since the early 20th century, when Paul Masson, a Frenchman by birth, started making sparkling wine in the area. By the 1970s vineyards were growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Numerous microclimates within the AVA offer viticulturists diverse growing conditions, and many varietals are grown successfully.

TYPE

White Wine, Chardonnay

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.