2023 Estate Chardonnay Named #5 Over the Last 25 Years
Robb Report
August 2025
For the last 25 years, Robb Report has been traveling throughout California, building a comprehensive list of its top wines. They recently compiled their notes to name the Top 50 Chardonnays of California over the last 25 years, with RIDGE’s 2023 Estate Chardonnay coming in at #5! The list includes an impressive array of top producers and vineyards throughout the state, and we’re honored to be included among these iconic wines.
#5: RIDGE 2023 Estate Chardonnay
“This stunning Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains is made by Ridge with grapes grown in their Monte Bello single vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, located only 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean with elevations from 1,300 to 2,700 feet. This delectable wine has aromas of citrus blossom and green apple with flavors of pear, tangerine zest, and lemon curd. A beautiful wine from a revered producer.“
RIDGE & Chardonnay
RIDGE has a long-standing history of producing chardonnay from our Monte Bello Estate. We produced our first chardonnay in 1962 from fully-mature vines planted in the late 1940s on Monte Bello. Production never exceeded ten barrels, and Monte Bello Chardonnay was sold principally at the winery. Several great vintages, among them the 1973, ‘74, ‘79, and ‘84, showed that our cool climate and fractured limestone sub-soils were well suited to the varietal. By 1985, the old vines were producing less than a half-ton per acre and were taken out. The younger vines, planted in the 1970s, provide the majority of grapes today. Initially, these newer plantings were on the “lower” vineyard—not yet farmed as part of the Monte Bello estate—so the wine was called “Santa Cruz Mountains” and these vines have long since been included. Since 2009, the wine has been designated Estate Chardonnay.
Deep Connections to the Top 50
RIDGE’s connections to some of the top wines on this list run deep. Several highly ranked wines were made from grapes from Hyde Vineyard, named for owner Larry Hyde. Larry worked in the vineyards at RIDGE in 1970, just after Paul Draper started. He and Paul remained great friends, and Larry has assisted us with several chardonnay projects over the years. Also, Hyde de Villaine (#4 on the list) is a joint venture between Larry Hyde and Aubert De Villaine of Domaine Romanee Conti, where RIDGE COO & Head Winemaker John Olney once worked!
The #7 wine on this list is Kistler’s 2013 Hyde Chardonnay, which also came from Hyde Vineyard. The first assistant winemaker that Paul Draper hired at RIDGE was Steve Kistler in 1976. Steve honed his craft working with chardonnay at Monte Bello before starting his eponymous winery, focusing on producing some of the best chardonnay in California.
We are humbled and honored to be named among peers and friends making world-class chardonnay in California, thanks to Robb Report for shining a light on these incredible wines!
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