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The Sonoma Coast has earned a great reputation for Burgundian-styled Pinot Noir; turns out it’s an outstanding terroir for Syrah as well. The cool climate at Ramey’s two Syrah vineyards, Cole and Rodgers Creek, allows the fruit to develop notes of green olive, smoked meat, white pepper and savory herbs — much like the classic wines of the Northern Rhone. And taking the Rhone model a step further, these vineyards each have a few rows of Viognier, which is co-fermented with the red fruit, adding more complexity and perfume to the wine. In 2019, Viognier made up 13% of the blend. If you can lay down a few bottles of this delicious wine, it should develop well over the next 8 - 12 years.
If there has been a movement in California away from buttery, tropical-sweet Chardonnay and over-ripe, high-octane Cabernet, surely one of the leaders is David Ramey. Located in picturesque Healdsburg, Ramey Cellars is a craft-winery that produces startlingly fresh and balanced Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Many of Ramey’s wines express the terroir of single vineyards while others are specific to such appellations as the Sonoma Coast or Russian River Valley. With his master’s degree in enology from UC Davis, one might have expected Ramey’s wines to be faultless and squeeky-clean; however, an early internship at Chateau Petrus imbued him with the belief that wines should be restrained, balanced and crafted to accompany food. This combination of the empirical and the romantic (along with almost 20 years of experience at such wineries as Simi, Matanzas Creek and Dominus) has led him to experiment with indigenous yeasts and malolactic and barrel fermentation in search of a new California style. This style seeks to tame the naturally luscious and vivacious fruit of California with the traditional techniques of the Old World. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, novelist (and wine geek) Jay McInerny has described “his Chardonnays just a little more voluptuous than the average Puligny-Montrachet, his cabs less tannic than the typical Médoc.”
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Appellation(s) | Sonoma Coast |
| Winery | Ramey |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | Red |
| Varietal(s) | 87% Syrah, 13% Viognier |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 8.3 x 30.0 |
| Case Size | 34.5 x 26.0 x 30.5 |
| Alcohol | 13.5% |
| Product Code | RM19SSH |
| UPC | 185983000169 |
93 points — Jeb Dunnuck.
Floral notes and white pepper highlight aromas of plum, blackberries and currants. The silky palate expands with layers of fresh blackberry, green olives, and spice. Refined tannins linger long into the finish.
87% Syrah and 13% Viognier were co-fermented in tank on native yeast with 25% of the Syrah as whole clusters. The wine aged 18 months in 45% new French oak and was bottled without filtration.