We tried these two last night at Pig+Fig:
1. Ridge Chard Estate MonteBelloEstateVnyd/SantaCruzMtn (13.7%; 100% Chard; bttld: 1/2023; Aged: sur lie 9 mo; Drk: 11/22-11/28: TG) 2021: Med.light gold color; strong buttery/toasty/Fr.oak/pencilly/toasted coconut/ZagNut bar very ripe some melony/Chard/floral slight mineral/SCM earthy some complex very ripe nose; lightly tart very ripe/melony/Chard very strong toasty/Fr.oak/toasted coconut slight earthy/SCM mineral some complex flavor; very long very strong toasty/Fr.oak/buttery/ZagNut some very ripe/melony/Chard finish; resembles some the CongressSprings or MtEden Chards but way more oak; pretty oak-dominated right now but the oak should integrate eventually. $60.00
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2. Ridge Zin OldSchool LateHrvst StoneRanch/AlexVlly/SonomaCnty (4% PS; 14.2%; SaH: 29.1 Brix; RS: 4.9%; bttld 9/20; Drk: Wintertime/fireside: EB 6/20) 2019: Dark color; strong grapey/raspberry/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/very ripe/plummy some LateHrvsty/raisened/overripe bit alcoholic/fumey nose; fairly sweet rather old-timey LH Zin raisened/pruney grapey/boysenberry/Zin soft bit alcoholic slight pencilly/oak nflavor w/ light tannins; long finish that mimics the flavor; a rather meh expression of LateHrvst Zin. $37.00 (ATP)
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More krippersnort from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. I've not been a very big fan of the Ridge Chards. They make two: the Estate Chard and the MonteBello Chard. They usually are on the very ripe side and are loaded w/ Fr.oak. Oftentimes the oak integrates and they become much more attractive.
When Ridge first started making Chards (and Sylvaners & White Rieslings); DaveBennion's style was to make them on the chalky/lean side more like Chablis than Calif Chard, with very minimal oak. One time about '75, I took a group of Nuclear types up to TheRidge & Dave entertained us, happy to talk w/ folks who had a technical background. We were tasting out on the knoll the new Ridge Red '73 releases. As we were about to depart, I remarked to Dave that I loved his reds, but found his whites rather lacking. He took that as a challenge & went down to the cellar/library & started trotting out some older whites; Chard/Riesling/Sylvaner. He made a believer out of me. The older ones were magnificant/complex old whites, the Chards showing some of that toasted oatmeal character you get in older WhiteBurgs. We topped it off w/ his magnificant Riesling TBA '76. It was quite an experience.
Over the yrs, Ridge has made some extraordinary LatePckd/LateHrvst Zins, mostly fom DusiRanch & Lytton Springs. The Ridge Occidental LH Zin '70 was one of the greatest Zins I've ever had and it lasted many yrs. So I was expecting a loth from this "Old School" LH Zin. I was rather diasppointed. It did not have the intensity & depth & structure of the old Ridge LH's of yore. Just a lot of overripe/raisened/pruney fruit & not much else. Sort of a meh Zin.
Tom