93 2014 Ridge Estate Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mtns) 8/6/16 ($45)
13.4% alc
Color: Light gold. (3.0) Bouquet: Toasty cedar complements precise and elegant poached pear fruit. (3.0) Body: Light heavyweight with outstanding fruit and excellent acidity and minerality. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with the pear fruit being very expressive, more than standing up to the cedary oak. Has a rich, viscous mouthfeel. (3.5) Finish: Parallels flavor with persistent cedar. (3.0)
Overall: An outstanding SCM Chard, showing prominent minerality and fruit concentration, yet shows elegance at the same time. The toasty cedar is prominent, but balanced by the fruit. More cedar than the '13, but also more focused, less ripe fruit. Built in the style of past great vintages like '03, '04 or '05. Quality-wise I'd say it's more like the '03 or '04, not quite the '05, but only time will tell. (16)
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