92 2002 Ridge Home Ranch Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mtns) 12/29/13 ($38)
14.8 % alc
Color: Bright 18kt gold. (3.0) Bouquet: Buttered toast and beeswax with creamy pear fruit. (3.0) Body: Heavyweight with excellent fruit, acidity and tannins from oak. Coats beautifully with high viscosity. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with bitterness from oak and alcohol. Although oak is integrated now. (3.0) Finish: Shows a creamy elegance that lingers despite its weight. (3.0)
Overall: A Chardonnay that showed prevalent oak in its youth, much more than is typical for Ridge Chards and they are not typically shy on the oak. Despite this, the oak has finally integrated, even though there is still some bitterness and significant butteriness from it. A style that some will love and others will hate. The fruit and minerality/acidity are what make all this possible, which are intense. Not my style, but I'm surprised how much I like this irregardless. Big, oaky fruit bomb that is more balanced than it should be. Excellent now, but might improve a little in the next few years. (15.5)
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