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With its foggy summer mornings and warm afternoons, the Russian River Valley provides a sweet spot for Burgundian varietals. RRV Chardonnays may be richer and more opulent than the lean and racy styles produced along the coast but more structured and refreshing than those from warmer appellations inland. Diverse soils and subtle differences in elevation also contribute to the complexity of Ramey’s RRV Chardonnay. The 2021 vintage was sourced from several special vineyards in the region and made with native yeast fermentation, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and bottling without filtration. The Wine Spectator described the wine as offering, “mouthwatering lemon curd, lime blossom and mandarin orange flavors that show notes of fresh-grated ginger and lemon verbena. Sea salt minerality gains momentum on the finish, where grace notes of toasted green tea, citrus zest, and white pepper linger.”
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) | Russian River Valley (Sonoma) |
| Winery | Ramey |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Color | White |
| Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 8.0 x 30.0 |
| Case Size | 34.5 x 26.0 x 30.5 |
| Alcohol | 13.5% |
| Product Code | RM21RRC |
| UPC | 185983000053 |
| MLF | 100 |
94 points –– Wine Spectator.
Tangerine, baked apple, and pear aromas emerge before flavors of lemon curd, apricot and hints of spice and wet stones intensify into a firm finish.
Whole clusters were pressed and barrel-fermented on native yeasts in French oak. Aged 12 months in 10% new French oak.