2007 monte bello chardonnay

Varietal Information

bottled February 2009
100% chardonnay
14.4% alcohol by volume

History

In 1949 William Short, retired theologian and then-owner of the Ridge "middle" vineyard (2070' - 2390'), planted several acres of chardonnay, which provided the 1962 estate Monte Bello Chardonnay for the Ridge partners' first vintage. From 1962 to 1984, limited amounts of chardonnay were produced each year under the Monte Bello designation. By 1985, younger, replanted vines had begun to supplant the older vines, whose yields had dropped to a quarter-ton per acre. (To distinguish this wine from the Monte Bello, we called it Santa Cruz Mountains.) Fifteen years later, in 1999, the young vines had matured; we were able to select several exceptional parcels for a Monte Bello, a practice that continues to the present.

Vintage

Harvest Dates: 19 September - 3 October
Grapes: Average Brix 24.6°
Fermentation: Whole-cluster pressed. Juice aerated and racked to barrel for natural primary and secondary.
Selection: Four of the ten Monte Bello Vineyard chardonnay parcels, or fractions thereof
Barrels: 82% air-dried American oak & 18% French oak barrels (40% new, 41% one and two years, 19% three years old)
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel

Growing Season

Rainfall: 30 inches (just below average)
Bloom: Early budbreak in June
Weather: Moderate summer/fall; a long, cool growing season.

Winemaker Tasting Notes

Intense medley of pear, apple, fig, pineapple. Citrus blossom, creme brulee, crushed rock/mineral, lemon zest. Rich, oily texture. Deep flavors. Firm acidity balanced by sweet fruit. EB (6/10)

Winemaker Video Tasting Notes

YouTube video (2:07) - winemaker Eric Baugher presents the 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello.

• 2007 MONTE BELLO CHARDONNAY - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 06-2009 , Tasting
  2007 Ridge, "Monte Bello Estate Vineyard," Santa Cruz
  Mountains ($40) - Medium-light golden yellow; attractive,
  floral, elegant, spicy, apple and pear aroma with notes of ne...(more)
• 2006 CHARDONNAY MONTE BELLO CALIFORNIA WHITE - Chardonnay, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 04-2010 , Tasting
  2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay A selection of chardonnay from the limestone soils of Ridge's vineyards high up Monte Bello Road, this 2006 is...(more)
• 2006 CHARDONNAY MONTE BELLO , James Laube , Wine Spectator 02-2010 , Tasting
  RIDGE Chardonnay Monte Bello 2006
  Designation: Highly Recommended
  
  There's wonderful perfumed, floral aromas of honeysuckle, lavender, ripe pear and apple in ...(more)
• 2000 MONTE BELLO California Dreamin' - Deja Vu, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 12-2003 , Press
  I found an interesting buttery/hazelnut characteristic in all three of the Ridge Chardonnays. My favorite is the 2000 Chardonnay Monte Bello, which offers pineapple not...(more)
• 2000 MONTE BELLO The 100 Best Wines of 2003, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 12-2003 , Press
  2000 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Chardonnay -- Score – 95
  
  Grown on a limestone ridge high above the Pacific, this great California chardonnay doesn't make itself immed...(more)
• 2000 MONTE BELLO The Year's Best Chardonnays, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 04-2003 , Press
  2000 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Chardonnay $50
  Grown on a limestone ridge high above the Pacific, this great California chardonnay doesn't make itself immediately avai...(more)
• 1999 MONTE BELLO Special Report - California Chardonnay , Wine Spectator 07-2002 , Press
  Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 1999 $50 Score: 88...(more)
• 1999 MONTE BELLO Recommended New Releases: California, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 06-2002 , Press
  RIDGE VINEYARDS 1999 CHARDONNAY MONTE BELLO CALIFORNIA ($50.00) WHITE Score: 87
  
  Produced from 14-year old vines, the 1999 Chardonnay Monte Bello (14.5% alcohol) exhibits a...(more)
• 1999 MONTE BELLO Current Releases From California, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 11-2001 , Press
  1999 Chardonnay Monte Bello California ($50): Leesy, sulfidey aromas of lemon, peach, charred oak, toasted nuts and vanilla; rather Meursault-like. Dense and fat but airy and ...(more)
• My Wines of the Year, Matt Kramer , Wine Spectator 01-2004 , Press
  Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello
  
  If you say “Ridge” the automatic word association is “red.” (Or, alternatively, “Zinfandel.”) But one of Ridge’s greatest wines is white, spec...(more)
• My Wines of the Year, Matt Kramer , Wine Spectator 01-2004 , Press
  Every wine lover ought to take stock of his or her wine year. Such an annual personal inventory reminds you of just how many different wines get sluiced down the gullet in a y...(more)
• My Wines of the Year, Matt Kramer , Wine Spectator 01-2004 , Press
  Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello:
  
  If you say "Ridge" the automatic word association is "red." (Or, alternatively, "Zinfandel.") But one of Ridge's greatest wines is whi...(more)