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The Wine Advocate, December 2007, Issue 174, pages 50-51

One of Northern California’s most successful winemakers/consultants, David Ramey’s personal winery continues to go from strength to strength. Ramey has had the best of both worlds, working in Bordeaux for the Moueix family, and in California at Dominus, Chalk Hill, and Rudd Estate. Ramey has two hierarchies of Chardonnays, his generic appellations as well as his single vineyard cuvées. The depth and overall quality of the 2005 Chardonnays are remarkably impressive. The 2005 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast (91) reveals aromas of lemon custard and orange blossoms presented in a medium to full-bodied, elegant, pure style with excellent underlying acidity. Delicious, opulent, tropical fruit, buttered citrus, and background spicy oak are found in the crisp, fresh, medium to full-bodied 2005 Chardonnay Russian River (92). It should drink nicely for 2-3 years. The 2005 Chardonnay Los Carneros (91) exhibits scents of lemon and lime oil intermixed with orange blossom, quince, and white currant-like notes. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity providing freshness and vibrancy, it will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 2-3 years.

A stunning effort, the 2005 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard (95) boasts great intensity along with huge tropical fruit notes interwoven with notions of spring flowers, orange marmalade, white peaches, and steely minerals. Its abundant fruit conceals any evidence of wood. Well-delineated, with outstanding acidity as well as a layered, sumptuous finish, it should age nicely for 4-5 years, possibly longer. Offering copious amounts of orange marmalade, smoky hazelnuts, and tropical fruits, the full-bodied, rich 2005 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard (94) is on a faster evolutionary track than the Hyde Vineyard. Drink the Hudson cuvée over the next 2-3 years. The 2005 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard (95) shows crushed rock, white currant, citrus oil, pineapple, peach, and apricot characteristics. Long, rich, and deep with strong acidity, it should be consumed over the next 4-5 years.

It’s sad to see that many of the stunning Syrah’s being made in California are being overlooked in favor of the far too many thin, washed-out “Sideways” Pinot Noirs emerging from that state. That should soon change as smart consumers cannot continue to ignore the quality of the Syrahs versus the overall mediocrity of so many over-priced, insipid Pinots. Ramey’s top-notch Syrahs include the deep purple-hued 2005 Syrah Sonoma Coast (93), which offers notes of camphor, tapenade, blackberries, and currants. Medium to full-bodied with an incredibly long finish, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 7-10 years The 2005 Syrah Rodger’s Creek Vineyard (94) boasts a black/purple color as well as abundant notes of crushed pepper, incense, Chinese black tea, plums, tapenade, and blackberries. It reminds me of a 2003 Clape Cornas from the Rhone Valley. Huge, tannic, and promising, it will drink well for 8-12 years.

The 2006 Syrahs are more fruit-forward. The 2006 Syrah Sonoma Coast (90-92) exhibits sumptuous blackberry fruit intermixed with olive, pepper, acacia flower, and roasted meat notes. Dense, opulent, and deep, this amazing effort should drink well for 8-10 years. The 2006 Syrah Rodger’s Creek Vineyard (90-93) possesses terrific charcoal, scorched earth, blackberry, and cassis characteristics interwoven with notions of creosote, violets, and pepper. From pure schist soils, it possesses crisp underlying acidity as well as firm tannins, but the dominating characteristic is the amazing fruit and definition.

Fashioned from lots culled out from all of David Ramey’s Cabernet projects, the 2005 Claret (88) is a stylish, delicious red that is meant to be consumed during its first 7-8 years of life. It offers up aromas of cherries, underbrush, black currants, and cedar. Evolved and medium-bodied with a silky finish, it will drink well for 5-7 years. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (91) exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as sweet, tarry, black currant, chocolate, cedar, and wood smoke-like flavors, and decent acidity. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead Vineyard (91) (1,360 cases produced from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 9% Merlot) possesses abundant amounts of crème de cassis, graphite, cedar, roasted herbs, and spice. This is an attractive Cabernet that should drink well for 15-20 years. The final vintage for this cuvee, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Jericho Canyon (95) offers a Graves-like personality of scorched earth, chocolate, charcoal, and black currants as well as a sumptuous, full-bodied palate, and a layered, multi-dimensional finish. Drink this remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon over the next two decades. Readers looking for a Screaming Eagle look-alike should check out David Ramey’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal (96) (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot), a wine that has put on amazing richness and intensity since last year. Beautifully pure crème de cassis fruit interwoven with notions of spring flowers, espresso roast, and truffles jump from the glass of this wine. Wonderfully sweet, expansive fruit flavors, a massive, full-bodied palate, and superb elegance as well as purity suggest this stunner should drink well for 20-25+ years.

The 2006 Claret (89-91) may turn out to be one of Ramey’s finest efforts. Licorice, cedar, spice box, and earth aromas are followed by a wine with exceptional richness and purity in addition to a silky texture. This opulent red appears to be Ramey’s version of a California Cabernet with a Pomerol-like personality. Drink it over the next decade. There are 11,000 cases of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (91-94), an excellent effort that reveals broad notes of black currants, cedar, licorice, and underbrush. Its Bordeaux-like aromatic profile is accompanied by medium to full-bodied, lush flavors, and well-integrated acidity and tannin. It is a terrific Cabernet Sauvignon that should retail for under $50 a bottle. Moreover, it will age well for 10-15+ years. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead Vineyard (92-94) offers a beautiful perfume of charcoal, black currants, licorice, and subtle pain grille. Medium to full-bodied and opulent with admirable density and long, heady fruit flavors, it should drink nicely for 15 or more years. A new offering with enormous potential is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain (92-95). It exhibits a smoky, barbecue meatiness, scorched earth, and crème de cassis personality reminiscent of certain Cabernets from volcanic soils. With full-bodied power, a voluptuous mid-palate, and superb length as well as purity, this big, chewy, mountain Cabernet will easily keep for two decades. A potentially perfect wine in the making, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal (96-100) is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%) and Petit Verdot (12%). It boasts an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a gorgeous bouquet of black truffles, graphite, blackberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and hints of bay leaves, new saddle leather, and roasted meats. Sensationally concentrated, with a skyscraper-like intensity and a soaring flavor profile, this is a prodigious effort that should hit its apogee in 5-7 years and last for 25 or more.

The Wine Advocate, 12-22-06, Issue 168, pages 31-32

David Ramey is building a substantial operation with his bevy of wines. Production seems to be growing to keep up with the enormous demand. To date he has been able to maintain an impeccable record of high quality despite adding more wines to the portfolio. Trained in France, he spent a stint with Christian Moueix both in Bordeaux and then later at Dominus, followed by time at Chalk Hill and Rudd. His impressive classical training in winemaking certainly shows, as his wines seem to represent an intelligent compromise between European terroir-based, more austere styles, and the opulent ripe fruit of California.

Ramey has three general appellations of Chardonnay ? Carneros, Sonoma Coast, and Russian River. These are all top-notch wines that are not as impressive as the single vineyard cuvees but delicious in their own right. The 2004 Chardonnay Carneros (89) shows crisp, elegant lemon oil notes with zesty underlying acidity, a hint of tropical fruit, and subtle wood. It is a pretty, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay to drink over the next 2-3 years. The 2004 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast (90) shows more tropical fruit, a greener hue to its color, and terrific acidity, with hints of white popcorn, brioche, and crushed rocks. As usual, my favorite is the 2004 Chardonnay Russian River (91) , which at first shows more toasty oak, but with air sweet orange, nectarine, quince, and white currant notes emerge. It is a beautiful wine, intense, rich, and classically Californian. It should drink well for 2-3 years as well.

The single vineyard wines, which were made in more limited quantities, from 680 cases of the Ritchie to nearly 1,800 cases of the Hyde Vineyard, are all impressive wines aged in 100% French oak, of which two-thirds is new. The 2004 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard (91) seems to be on a faster evolutionary track than the other wines. Light gold in color with notes of marmalade, smoky hazelnuts, and tropical fruit, and a lusty, rich, full-bodied palate that offers delicious drinking now, it should age well for several more years. There is a greenish hue to the light gold color of the 2004 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard (94) . Always my favorite, this wine has extraordinary intensity, with wonderful tropical fruit interwoven with orange blossom, white peach, and some mixed tropical fruits, even a hint of litchi. The undeniable minerality and floral notes add to the complexity of this stunningly full-bodied, opulent, but well-delineated wine. It should drink well for 5-8 years, possibly longer. The 2004 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard (93) exhibits wonderfully sweet brioche, bee’s wax, honeyed pineapple, and some hazelnut notes. It has crisp acidity, a rich, long, full-bodied finish, and a style that seems to beautifully transpose a European allegiance to elegance with a California predilection for ripeness. That is what is so admirable about not only the Chardonnays from Ramey but the red wines as well.

David Ramey has started to make some very impressive Syrahs although admittedly they are very limited in production. There are less than 200 cases of the 2004 Syrah (90) , which is showing better than last year. Meaty, blackberry, and cassis notes interwoven with some smoke and underbrush arise from this inky purple-colored wine. It is peppery, full-bodied, with hints of tapenade and spice. It is very French, but the ripeness is clearly Californian. This wine should drink well for 7-8 years. Even better is the spectacular 2005 Syrah (93-95) which, like its predecessor, was co-fermented with 5% Viognier. The good news is that there are 540 cases. Ramey used around 20% whole stems in the winemaking, and aged it in one-year-old François Frères barrels except for a small percentage that were new. This black wine shows notes of tapenade, acacia flowers, wonderful, sweet, rich blackberry fruit, and a super finish. It is concentrated and has obvious but sweet tannins. This is a stunner that should drink well for a decade or more. A new cuvee, the 2005 Syrah Rodger’s Creek (92-95) is another Sonoma Coast bottling of 340 cases. This is also co-fermented with 3% Viognier, but no stems were utilized. The wine is peppery in addition to notes of black olives, blackberry, chocolate, and pepper. Smoked meat notes are also present in this wine, which give it that undeniable animalistic Syrah appeal. This wine should drink well for a decade or more.

Claret is something that David Ramey stated making to offer an easier drinking style. It is a blend of the major Bordeaux varieties, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but also a good portion of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and small proportions of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and occasionally Syrah (up to 4%). The 2004 Claret (89) shows soft, seductive notes of black fruits intermixed with bay leaf, white chocolate, and sweet, subtle wood. It is soft, round, generous, and best drunk over the next 5-8 years, although I suspect it will keep longer. The 2005 Claret (88-90) has dark ruby/purple color and notes of charcoal, smoked herbs, cedar, black cherries, and currants. It is another winner, but with slightly more acidity and restraint. The single vineyard wines are spectacular, and all of them are Cabernet Sauvignon-based. A vineyard that I have raved about as somewhat under the radar is the Larkmead Vineyard just north of St. Helena. This is the equivalent of Napa’s Pauillac, and Ramey has clearly captured this wine in a brilliant manner. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead (95) (1,300 cases from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 9% Merlot) has that gorgeously pure crème de cassis that I notice consistently in Screaming Eagle. The wine is full-bodied, elegant, sexy, and rich, and should easily last and evolve for 10-15 or more years. In fact, I would give it 2-3 years of bottle age. This is a phenomenal wine and one of the finest 2004 Cabernet Sauvignons. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead Vineyard (90-92) (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 8% Merlot) is very Bordeaux-like, with more elegance, not quite the weight, power, or richness of the 2004, but it is no wimpy wine. Deep ruby/purple, with notes of charcoal, black currants, white chocolate, and mineral, this is a beauty that should drink well for 10-15 years. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Jericho Canyon Vineyard (94) (a 1,730-case cuvee of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc) has an inky dark ruby/purple color, a wonderfully sweet nose of espresso roast, fudge, blackberry, and cassis with a hint of incense and smoke. The wine is full-bodied, broadly flavored, opulent, and voluptuous, and that in itself seems to give the wine its current appeal, although I think this is a candidate for at least two decades of cellaring. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Jericho Canyon Vineyard (92-95) is another sensational wine with the complexity of a Bordeaux and the sensational ripeness of a Napa Cabernet. There were 1,280 cases made from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot. Opaque purple-colored with notes of scorched earth, blackberry, licorice, incense, and plenty of sweet fruit, this full-bodied wine has more structure and slightly more vibrant acidity than the 2004, giving it more definition and, while probably every bit as big as its predecessor, there is a sense of more lightness and freshness on the palate. This is a beauty that should age for 20-25 years.

Another killer wine from David Ramey comes from the Pedregal Vineyard. This is one of my favorite sites for Cabernet Sauvignon in all of Napa, right on the Oakville crossroads on the eastern side of the valley, just adjacent to Rudd and slightly down the hill from Dalla Valle and the Phelps Backus vineyard. Rocky, iron-rich, red soils seem to produce terrific Cabernet Sauvignon, and certainly this is a knock-out. Sadly, there are only 325 cases of the 2004 Pedregal (95+), a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Petit Verdot. Dense purple with notes of crème de cassis, cedar, truffle, and crushed rocks interwoven with extravagant levels of graphite, black currants, and scorched earth, this dense, powerful, rich wine is a real connoisseur’s selection as it will need 3-4 years of bottle age and should keep for 20-30+ years. There are 850 cases of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal (91-93) , which is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. This is very Bordeaux-like, with high levels of tannin, a dense purple color, and notes of blackberry, crushed rock, licorice, underbrush, and bay leaf and incense. Terrific stuff, super-concentrated, very pure, with a bit more structure and acidity, I suspect this wine will require patience on the part of its buyer. Anticipated maturity 2012-2025+.