1976 Monte Bello Chardonnay

The few acres of old Chardonnay vines on Monte Bello Ridge produced six barrels in this drought year. For the first time we held the juice on the skins for approximately 24 hours before pressing. The wine was fermented and the malolactic completed in 60 gallon oak barrels. This fine, complex Chardonnay should be given at least two years of bottle age to develop more fully.

Ridge wine is made with an emphasis on quality and naturalness that is rarely attempted. Our grapes are grown in select vineyards (usually identified on the label), where they are left to ripen to peak maturity, often at some loss of quantity. We let the wine settle and age in small barrels, with only rare cellar treatment other than racking. Varieties are not blended unless indicated on the label. Near Black Mountain on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto, 15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation.

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.