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In Spanish, a Pedregal is a “rocky place,” and this vineyard, located in the lower hills to the east of Oakville, is one of rocky outcrops and red, iron-rich soils that routinely produce wine with intense flavors and extraordinary texture. Because the site produces such outstanding Cabernet, Ramey Cellars has a long-term lease that gives them complete control of the farming, which they carry out organically and sustainably. A warm spring in 2015 led to an early bud break, but cooler temperatures in the summer kept the fruit from ripening too quickly. The crop was smaller than usual, yielding bunches with small but highly concentrated berries. Co-fermenting the Cabernet fruit with 11% Petite Verdot, aging on the fine lees in French oak for nearly two years results in a classically made wine with the Bordeaux elements of grippy tannins and subtle aromas of cedar, pencil shavings and dried herbs.
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) | Napa Valley |
| Sub-Ava | Oakville |
| Winery | Ramey |
| Vintage | 2015 |
| Color | Red |
| Varietal(s) | 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot: co-fermented |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 8.0 x 31.5 |
| Case Size | 32.5 x 26.5 x 20.0 |
| Alcohol | 14.5% |
| Product Code | RM15PED |
| UPC | 185983000145 |
95 points (Cellar Selection) – Wine Enthusiast; 94 points – Wine Spectator; 93 points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
The aroma profile dazzles with dark raspberry and plum and notes of cedar, leather, savory herbs and forest floor. The palate is rich and fleshy, offering vibrant flavors of blackberry, cherry, plum and fruitcake spices. While starting to drink well now, this wine will reward cellaring well into the next decade.