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.