Kent Rasmussen

Former librarian Kent Rasmussen spent many years making wine at Robert Mondavi before setting up on his own in 1986. From his tiny and surprisingly low-tech winery on the Silverado Trail, he pursues a hands off- approach to winemaking. He believes that if you start with top-quality fruit, then too many treatments and adjustments merely dilute the wine`s varietal and geographical origins.

His Carneros Pinot Noir is definitely his showpiece but he also produces superlative Chardonnays. He often creates a few casks of whatever grape variety fires his imagination in a particular vintage and these are released under the Ramsay label - Ramsay is his wife's maiden name and is used particularly for imported varietals such as Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and Mourvèdre.