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The foggy summer mornings and warm afternoons in the Russian River Valley provide 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. This wine is always sourced from a range of vineyards; in 2022 the composition was 44% Lafranchi, 18% Martinelli Laughlin Rd, 14% Kilcullen, 12% Dutton Sebastopol, and 12% Westside Farms. Winemaking included native yeast fermentation, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and bottling without filtration. About this wine that he rated 92 points, James Suckling said, “Light butter and vanilla bean aromas lead to vivid, racy lemon curd, lime zest and cream flavors in this well-balanced, medium-bodied wine. The most affordable of the Ramey chardonnays, it still delivers an elegant texture and delicious flavors.”
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 | 2022 |
| 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 | RM22RRC |
| UPC | 185983000053 |
| MLF | 100 |
92 points –– James Suckling.
Aromas of lime citrus, green apple, and apricot open up to flavors of lemon curd with hints of spice and wet stones that intensify into a firm finish.
Whole clusters were pressed and barrel-fermented on native yeasts in French oak. The wine then aged 12 months in 10% new French oak.