2005 Ridge Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains- USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (8/20/2009)
Looks like I have been one of the very few previosuly to not heap massive praises upon this wine the last time I drank this. This time though, it’s a whole 'nother story. This bottle was infinitely better than the last. My cellar is litteraly about 5% white as we don’t drink much of it, but this was out of this world fantastic.
Beautiful Golden/Bright Yellow color with (as B. Grafstrom would say) superfine particulate matter suspended throughout. Gorgeous nose of buttered Popcorn, toast and some citrus notes. On the attack I’m getting a ton of lemon and other citurs notes which give way to a semi-sweet midpalate. Full of Cocounit and sweet lemon cream to go along with creme brulee (I know, I’m strarting to sound like Brad Coehlo.) Awesome finish with the citrus and cream really coming through to go with the bright acidity to back up everything. With a finish that makes the Enrergizer Bunny look like a two-pump-chump this wine ended with a bang… (I don’t drink many whites, but this was absolutely up there with the best I’ve had.)
Nice, every time I visit my downtown store, I spend a few moments eyeing this wine on the shelf. Times are tough right now and so much more to buy. Have to fix my priorities eh!!
Wow Yoni… I absolutely hated the excessive oak on this wine when I had it and I am convinced it was flawed… it was just oak oak oak oak oak wood oak oak oak oak forest oak oak oak oak dead woodchuck oak oak oak
We were lucky enough to taste some of the recent vintage out of barrel. They actually use some American and some French oak on the Chard. Tasting the two different barrels was VERY interesting. The American oak made it rounder with big butter on the finish. The French oak seemed leaner and a bit more classic. They do two bottlings and I forget the split between them but they get a different amount of each kind of oak or one or the other.
This was my third bottle. The first one was (about 18 months ago) was just like that one. All oak and nothing else. The second one (about 10 months ago) was better, and this one was fantastic…