2015 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello

In 2015, the Chardonnay Monte Bello emerges from the Ruston Ranch, a north-facing, high altitude slope planted with an assortment of heritage clones that ripen earlier and at lower sugars rather than the Clone 4 that is the core of the Estate Chardonnay. Phenolic, rich and structured, the 2015 is all class. The lemon confit, orange and buttery notes all grow as this exquisitely layered, powerful, old-school Chardonnay shows off its personality and pedigree. This is the first vintage of the Monte Bello Chardonnay made with organically grown grapes and also the first Chardonnay since 1985 that is under 14% alcohol.

The 2015 Chardonnay Monte Bello is a rich, powerful vintage, offering up aromas of yellow orchard fruit, preserved lemon and subtle notions of frangipane and spice. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with almost chewy levels of extract and considerable breadth, concluding with a stony, mineral finish but seemingly structured more around extract and richness than around acidity this year. This evokes the kind of equilibrium found in the better 2015 white Burgundies, and while it's in a different stylistic register from the 2014 or 2016, it's a compelling wine that may well surprise with some bottle age. This particular Monte Bello is a selection from a parcel planted with heritage selections on the Rousten Ranch at 1,900 feet, so it's somewhat different from the Clone 4 Chardonnay that dominated vintages 1985 onward. I suspect that accounts for its profile as much as the small crop and the drought vintage, and it certainly helps explain why it checks in at a mere 13.5% alcohol.