Wines from Santa Cruz Mountains
Showing 1 thru -9 of 459
Ridge 2001 Monte Bello Red (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Cellar Selection
- $120
Without doubt this is a wine to cellar. It’s massive in flavor, with the purist blackcurrant and cassis fruit you can imagine, and the huge plaster of sweet oak is perfectly balanced. Then there are the tannins. They’re fine and complex, but gritty. There’s an astringency throughout that a great steak will cut through, but it would be infanticide to open this…
— S.H.
(4/1/2005)
Mount Eden 2005 Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Editors' Choice
- $48
A massive Chardonnay, with tremendous grilled pineapple, peach pie, buttered cinnamon toast, butterscotch, caramel and vanilla flavors, with a firm, earthy minerality. Feels fat and glyceriney in the mouth, providing a decadent palate experience, but acidity contributes to the firm, elegant structure. It should age effortlessly for at least six years, changing and…
— S.H.
(2/1/2009)
Thomas Fogarty 2004 Damiana Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- $45
Absolutely delicious, first-rate Chard from this veteran producer. Shows the prettiest balance of all its parts, and just about as good as California Chard gets. Ripely opulent in tropical fruit, apricot and tangerine flavors and crisp in limey acids, the wine’s 50% new oak adds luscious notes of buttercream, toast, smoke and vanilla.
— S.H.
(10/1/2007)
Mount Eden 2003 Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Editors' Choice
- $38
The mountain vineyard somehow manages not only to beautifully ripen the grapes to a great expression of fruit, but also preserves vital acidity and lends a firm layer of minerality. The result is a big, powerful wine that easily absorbs its lavish coat of new oak. The flavors are of candied pineapple tart, Meyer lemon mousse and vanilla custard, with a finish of…
— S.H.
(10/1/2007)
Ridge 2009 Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Cellar Selection
- Online Exclusive
- $40
This Cabernet-Merlot blend is packed with blackberry and crème de cassis, with a firm minerality. With the weight of the middle palate and the long, spicy finish, it’s especially attractive, although it's also quite tannic. The only difference between this Estate Monte Bello Cabernet and Ridge's Monte Bello Estate Cabernet ($150; note the difference in the…
— S.H.
(8/1/2012)
Thomas Fogarty 2004 Rapley Trail Vineyard M Block Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- $45
This luscious Pinot is impressive now for the power of its black currant, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, cola and Provençal herb flavors, with their firm backbone of acidity. It’s the kind of Pinot that dazzles from the first sip to the last, as it evolves in the glass. The tannins are sweet and gentle, but supportive enough to allow this gorgeous wine to age for six…
— S.H.
(10/1/2007)
Mount Eden 1999 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- Editors' Choice
- $45
Incredible wine, although some may find it overoaked. Dark gold color. Huge, luscious flavors, oozing with tropical fruits, smoky honey, oriental spices, buttered toast, tangerine, vanilla and crème fraîche. This decadent wine seems thick in the mouth. Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
— S.H.
(2/1/2003)
Ridge 2001 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains)
- $30
Amazingly intense and concentrated. Swamps the palate with pear and peach fruit, and a rich acidic structure. Oak plays a role in adding smoke, vanilla and sweet tannins. Long and penetrating, lush and vital. Combines power and subtlety in a rare way.
— S.H.
(12/15/2004)
Showing 1 thru -9 of 459
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