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2005 Vintage

91 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 07
Light gold. Strong smoke and minerals complement fresh pear and apple aromas. Crisp and linear, with vibrant orchard fruit flavors, a gentle hint of smoked meat and lively acidity on the close. Lots of flavor here but no undue weight or fat; this is strikingly racy.

2004 Vintage

89(+?)?   Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2006
Full medium yellow. Somewhat exotic aromas of peach, melon, nuts and sulfides; reduced in a Burgundian way. Then bright on the palate but a bit youthfully hard-edged, with lemony acidity currently dominating the fruit. This needs 6 to 12 months to come into harmony.

2003 Vintage

90  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2005
Bright green-tinged yellow. Musky aromas of citrus skin, smoke, spices, flowers and minerals. Dry, cool, dense and brisk, with sappy citrus and fresh herbal flavors. A bit youthfully austere. Offers a very refreshing sugar/acid balance and excellent length. It is no easy trick to make 2,400 cases of chardonnay at this level of quality.

2002 Vintage

91  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2004
Bright lemon-yellow with a green tinge. Very ripe aromas of candied lemon peel, mirabelle and baking spices. At once generous and sappy, with complex flavors of yellow fruits, apple and spices. Finishes with very good grip. (A second sample came across as somewhat hard-edged owing to some unabsorbed CO2)

Four+ stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine Vol. 16, No. 6 Sep/Oct 2004
Excellent Chardonnay. The Russian River Valley is a bit finer; crisp, intensely flavored, and long on the palate, with a persistent finish. It tastes of lemon peel, baked apple, pineapple, vanilla, and roasted nut.

89  Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate 02-28-05, Issue 157
The 2002 Chardonnay Russian River is a medium to full-bodied, typical California Chardonnay boasting loads of tropical fruit, medium to full body, and a heady, smoky, hazelnut-filled finish. Drink it over the next 1-3 years.

89  Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine October 2004
Generous in character from its intense aromas of sweet citrus and toasty, spicy oak to its leesy, nutty overlays, this wine offers deep complex aromas that are followed in spirit if not quite in volume by its ripe fruit and highly oaked flavors. It runs into a fair bit of finishing hardness, however, and finds itself slightly held back relative to its mate above.

89  California Grapevine, Volume 30, No.5, Oct-Nov 2004
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, intense, earthy, spicy, green apple and melon aroma; medium-full body; crisp, lemony, green apple flavors with firm acidity and a very slight touch of carbon
dioxide on the palate that dissipated with airing; lingering aftertaste. Deserves another year or two of bottle aging. Highly recommended.

2001 Vintage

92 (two puffs)  Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, June 2003, p. 127
The first of a pair of handsomely crafted Chardonnays from a maker whose recognition is bound to grow and grow, these two are David Ramey’s “appellation” bottlings—as opposed to those that he designates by vineyard source. This one takes its cue from bright, sunny, sweet apple fruitiness and might seem a bit too simple were it not for the steely, French-like structure that gives an energetic boost to the endeavor while suggesting a sense of reserve and refinement.

Five stars  Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 95, p. 17
These are fine Chardonnays. The Carneros bottling is finely flavored, full bodied, and very well balanced; a Chardonnay with crisp acidity, pineapple, lemon peel, toast, and new oak aromas/flavors. Long finish. The RRV is even finer: supple and full bodied, a luscious wine, with complex flavors (roasted nut, lemon peel, pineapple, apple) and a long, crisp finish. Great value.

91  Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Issue 108, May/June 2003
Explosively aromatic nose of sappy yellow plum and smoky, charry, resiny oak. Very rich, generous and expansive on the palate but thoroughly dry and airy. Succulent, harmonious acidity frames the fruit. Finishes with a firmly stony note and excellent length. Richer and longer than the 2000 version of this wine.

91  California Grapevine, Vol. 29, No. 2, April-May 2003, p. 32
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, toasty, nutty apple and pear aroma with notes of vanilla; full body; big, rich intense, citrussy, pear and green apple flavors; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Distinctly varietal and has potential to develop and improve with several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

91  Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, 12-23-03, p. 38-39
The brilliant 2001 Chardonnay Russian River is more multidimensional, exhibiting a sexy bouquet of honeysuckle, tangerine skins, citrus oils, hazelnuts, and smoky, spicy oak. Rich, full-bodied, and delicious, it should be consumed over the next several years.