At 800m of altitude, Ridge Vineyards is the highest vineyard in California. This parcel is ideally situated: east-facing and protected from the violent wines of the Pacific. Its altitude also lends a pleasant nighttime coolness allowing the grapes to reach perfect ripeness.

The Chardonnay grapes used for this wine are grown in the hills of Santa Cruz, more precisely on the Monte Bello parcel, a terroir located high up, almost at the top of the mountains, on overlapping soils of clay and decomposing limestone, strewn with green stones. Limestone which is a very rare geological feature in the region, imparts a unique Californian identity to the wines produced from this parcel, creating a fine balance between firm acidity and a constant mineral edge.
Now in the process of transitioning to organic viticulture, the winemaking processes uses as little intervention as possible and nothing is added to the vineyard that is not natural. The grapes are harvested, pressed and fermented in oak casks, most of which are American, the rest French. The resulting wine is then aged in barrels for 14 months.
This is a wine with superb aromas of yellow fruit, dominated by pineapple and banana with subtle notes of toast. The body is buttery and supple, with sweet honey and almond flavours. A wine that can be enjoyed now, but would benefit from a few more years of cellaring.