The 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello emerges from the glass with layers of rich, varietal fruit supported by firm minerality and just a touch of French oak. The Monte Bello spends an additional three months in neutral oak and therefore also sees more stirring of the lees, yet it remains fresh, vibrant and beautifully focused all the way through to the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. I tasted a breathtaking array of wines during my recent visit with Paul Draper at Ridge. Draper is a true American icon, so it’s great to see him doing well after a bout with illness. I also tasted a number of older wines, including several Monte Bellos going back to the 1970s. Heretical as it may sound, I think the wines Draper is making today will prove to be far superior to the wines of decades past, many of which are rightly considered legendary. For ease of reference I have also included notes on all of the Ridge wines made outside the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Chardonnays are fermented with native yeasts and go into barrel with their gross lees, which are stirred once a week. The malos usually start the following spring. The wines are assembled just before the following harvest and go back into neutral oak. Aging is about 15 months for the Estate and 17 months for the Chardonnay Monte Bello, with a maximum of 25% new barrels. The reds are fermented with ambient yeasts, undergo malolactic fermentation in tank (except for the Monte Bello which is mostly done in barrel) and stay on their gross lees until the following spring. Tel. (408) 867-3233; Fax (408) 868-1350. www.ridgewine.com

A good Chardonnay that offers plenty of tropical fruit, pear and sweet, smoky oak flavors, brightened with crisp acidity. But Ridge hasn’t been known as a source of great Chardonnay for years, and this ’08 doesn’t change that. It’s seriously overpriced.——S.H.(12/15/2011)—— 86