Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Maddalena Wines is a Paso Robles and Monterey estate grown wine brand with a mission of making award winning wines, while keeping our commitment to the preservation of the environment and giving back to their communities.
Maddalena Riboli is a trailblazer. In 1947, she joined her husband, Stefano Riboli, in the family wine business. Through hard work & intelligence, she excelled in the male-dominated wine industry and opened one of the first tasting rooms in California. In 1983, she launched her namesake wine brand- Maddalena Wines. Her vision to invest in land led the family business to great success. Her family credits her with the fire that has led to the continued success of Riboli Family Wine Estates through the generations
Today, the Riboli family owns 1,400 vineyard acres across Paso Robles, Monterey, and Napa Valley. At 99 years old, she continues to inspire to serve the customer, reinvest in yourself, and always keep moving forward.
A geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.