2016 Ramey, Westside Farms Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California, USA
Critics reviews
Ramey's 2016 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard is punchy and vibrant in the glass. Bright acids give notable tension and energy that perks up the citrus and white floral character. I would give the 2016 another year or so in bottle, as it is a bit tightly wound today. This refined, complex Russian River Chardonnay is long on class and personality.
The 2016 Chardonnays are a highlight in this set of new releases from David Ramey. As always, Ramey also presented a few older vintages, which show just how well the wines can age. Ramey picks a bit earlier these days, which gives his wines an extra kick of freshness that works beautifully to complement the intensity of the flavors he coaxes from a number of top sites
Drink 2021 - 2028
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (May 2019)
Intense, impressive, well-integrated nose. Very complete – great current drinking with real energy and fruit-acid balance. There’s a certain savour to this which reminds me of white burgundy. Impressively long.
Drink 2020 - 2028
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (September 2022)
208 cases produced.
The 2016 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard comes from Ramey's 75-acre ranch, with vines planted in 1990. The wine fermented in barrel with bâtonnage and was aged in 20% new French oak for 20 months. The nose is softly scented of lemon cream, acacia blossom, wet stone, pastry crust and honey-roasted nuts. Medium to full-bodied with citrusy flavours segueing into savoury layers, it has bright mineral sparks, juicy acidity and a long, textured finish.
Drink 2019 - 2025
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (April 2019)
A warm, consistent summer delivered finely balanced wines in this vintage. The nose is bright and lifted, perky and charming. The silky attack is vivid and displays lift and vigour, and the oak, discernible on the nose, is well integrated. The structure is lean and precise despite the opulence of fruit, and the finish is poised and seductive, with excellent length.
Drink 2022 - 2028
Stephen Brook, Decanter.com (September 2022)
From the estate property in the Russian River Valley and vines planted in 1990 and 1996, the 2016 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard offers a beautiful, ripe, sexy, yet still classic style to go with awesome notes of orchard fruits, white flowers, and subtle background oak. With bright acidity, notable purity of fruit, and terrific balance, it’s one of the standouts in the lineup. Drink it over the coming decade.
Drink 2019 - 2029
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (June 2019)
About this WINE
Ramey Wine Cellars
David Ramey, renowned for his work at Dominus, founded Ramey Wine Cellars with his wife Carla in 1996. Inspired by European styles and his experience at Petrus, David applied old-world techniques to Napa and Sonoma fruit, pioneering a unique approach in California winemaking.
Starting with two Chardonnay from Hyde and Hudson vineyards, David emphasised terroir by vinifying them identically, letting the fruit express the vineyard’s character. Today, Ramey focuses on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, with grapes sourced from top vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, and has expanded to include Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.
David advocates for better farming practices, managing leased vineyards organically and collaborating with growers to promote sustainability. In the winery, his Burgundian approach includes gentle pressing, barrel fermentation, ageing on fine lees, and malolactic fermentation. He avoids making wines solely for critics, instead aiming for balanced, expressive wines.
Russian River Valley
This low-lying valley Sonoma County in and its 10,000 acres of vineyards was virtually unknown before 1983, when it was granted official appellation status (Russian River Valley AVA).
It has since established a formidable reputation as a prime spot for challenging varieties like Pinot Noir (29% of the acreage in 2007), which thrives in this cool-climate region. Chardonnay (42% of the acreage in 2007) has also blossomed here, showing a signature lean and restrained profile.
The Russian River Valley climate is influenced by cooling fogs, drawn inland from the Pacific. This natural air-conditioning allows the grapes to develop full flavor maturity over an extended growing season, while retaining their life-giving natural acidity.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
Ramey's 2016 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard is punchy and vibrant in the glass. Bright acids give notable tension and energy that perks up the citrus and white floral character. I would give the 2016 another year or so in bottle, as it is a bit tightly wound today. This refined, complex Russian River Chardonnay is long on class and personality.
The 2016 Chardonnays are a highlight in this set of new releases from David Ramey. As always, Ramey also presented a few older vintages, which show just how well the wines can age. Ramey picks a bit earlier these days, which gives his wines an extra kick of freshness that works beautifully to complement the intensity of the flavors he coaxes from a number of top sites
Drink 2021 - 2028
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (May 2019)
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