Ramey Wine Cellars

Sourced from High Valley in Lake County, the Brassfield Sauvignon Blanc vineyard is north of Napa at 1,800 feet above sea-level. It is one of the coolest sites in Lake County and helps the wines obtain nervier acidities. As for the winemaking: whole-cluster fermentation, no malolactic and a mix of stainless steel and oak barrels for fermentation, it’s then aged for two months on lees, in a mix of neutral oak, stainless steel and concrete egg. The resultant wine is almost Loire in style – fresh and chalky with a citrus core.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

This wine comes from the Alegria vineyard (in Sonoma County’s Russian River. Certified sustainable, the site has complex alluvial, gravelly loam, marine and volcanic soils. The gnarly head-trained vines range from 60 to 125 years old. The field blend is mostly Zinfandel (80 percent) with Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Carignan, Trousseau, Petite Bouschet, Syrah, Beclan, Tannat, Peloursin, Graciano, Plavac Mali, Palomino, Monbadon. This undergoes a 20-day ferment and maceration before being aged in neutral oak barrels for 14 months. The resultant wine has dark, red-berried fruit with spiciness. The palate has voluptuous but structured tannins, with great freshness at its core.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

A blend of vineyards from the Russian River valley, these are treated in exactly the same fashion as the single vineyard wines but with a little less new oak (14% in 2012) and 12 months in wood. Orange blossom, roasted nuts and stone fruit on both the nose and palate, there is a weight to the wine but it is balance perfectly with a delicate thread of acidity. A great introduction to high quality Californian chardonnay without breaking the bank. Drink 2016 to 2020.

David Ramey is a man with the vinous Midas touch. Ramey Wine Cellars was founded in 1996 by David and his wife Carla, after David had worked for almost two decades at such famous wineries as Matanzas Creek and Dominus. Despite his background making some of California’s great red wines, it is with Chardonnay that David has carved his own niche under the family name.

Along with the likes of Steve Kistler at Kistler and Jim Clendenen at ABC, David’s ethos is to balance terroir driven Californian fruit with Burgundian tradition. In David’s own words, “It’s about harmony – the marriage of Old World methods with New World innovations”.

This Sauvignon comes from the well-known Ritchie vineyard. In the Russian River (Sonoma County), the site is a mix of sandy loam and volcanic soil with vines planted in 1972. After whole-cluster pressing, the juice is fermented in concrete eggs and spends eight months on lees, with some aged in neutral barre. It has an attractive phenolic grip with intense grapefruit, a herbal note and a mineral attack.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

The fruit comes from a mixture of premium vineyard sites within Russian River. This wine spent 12 months in just over 10% new French oak which gives the wine a richness and spice notes. Ripe stonefruit, jasmine and toasty aromas are balanced with a juicy acidity and a denisty and weight on the palate.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Richer than the 2012 but with the same orange blossom fragrance that seems to be the hallmark of this exceptional site. 19 months in French oak (26% new) adds creaminess to the fruit power. Hugely impressive considering the vines are quite young – you can see why David Ramey really rates this site. I’d give this a couple of years in the cellar to shed some of the youthful exuberance. I’ve been a follower of David’s wines for a number of years and the latest releases are right at the top of the tree. Drink 2019 to 2025+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

David Ramey’s premier single vineyard Napa Cabernet has masses of concentration but has a foil of fresher acidity from the cool 2011 vintage.  Undoubtedly ageworthy, the ripe cassis fruit makes it delicious now.