1968 Monte Bello Chardonnay Crush 1

Our three pickings of Chardonnay in 1968, labeled Crush 1, Crush 2, and Crush 3, have been released in reverse order, this wine being the final one. It is high in acid and the driest of the three, but still a very big wine, as were all of our 68 whites. As an unrefined, unfiltered white with quite some time in bottle, it should be handled extremely carefully for pouring with clarity.

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.