2007 Carneros District

This year’s blend comes 37% from the Sangiacomo Tallgrass vineyard; 33% from Sangiacomo Green Acres, a young Wente selection (both in Sonoma); and 30% from Larry Hyde’s own Bayview Vineyard (this is his personal vineyard and not the Hyde Vineyard, but also in Napa). The heavier, clay-based soils of Carneros produce wines with a broad, full mouthfeel.

Highlighted Reviews: 2007 Vintage

91 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 08
Bright yellow. Smoky, leesy, mineral-driven aromas of orange, buttery brioche and iodine. Deep and chewy, with concentrated citrus and orchard fruit flavors braced by chalky minerals. Gains weight and a buttery, nutty quality on the long, sappy finish. This could pass for a suave Meursault.

View all reviews of this wine

2006 Carneros District

This year’s blend comes 37% from the Sangiacomo Tallgrass vineyard; 27% from Sangiacomo Green Acres, a young Wente selection (both in Sonoma); 23% from Larry Hyde’s own Bayview Vineyard (this is his personal vineyard and not the Hyde Vineyard, but also in Napa); and 13% from Wells Wagner’s twenty-five-year-old Wente vineyard in Bennett Valley, north of Carneros. The heavier, clay-based soils of Carneros produce wines with a broad, full mouthfeel.

Highlighted Reviews: 2006 Vintage

88 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate December 2008
The crisp, elegant, medium-bodied 2006 Chardonnay Carneros reveals hazelnut and tropical fruit characteristics.

90 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 08
Light gold. Zesty citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by white flowers and dusty minerals. Cool and bright, with energetic Meyer lemon and pear flavors, picking up pleasant bitterness with air. A distinctly brisk, focused wine, with admirable finishing cut.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, Aug. 2008
The least open of the Ramey bunch in this Issue may, over time, rate with its mates, but for the moment, it is a touch tighter and relies on a mix of minerally and citrus notes for its central focus. Nominally as ripe as the wine above, this one is leaner in palate impression, but the admirable length of its bright, brisk flavors makes it one to think of with white fishes and shellfish now and over the next few years.

Four Stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 125 & 126
The Carneros is supple and full bodied; a moderately rich Chardonnay, with a very long finish, tasting of roasted nut, apple, toast, lime, and spicy oak. [2008-2009]

Highlighted Reviews: 2005 Vintage

91 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, December 2007, Issue 174
The 2005 Chardonnay Los Carneros 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.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine October 2007
Yet another deep and generously filled working with a fine fit of keenly defined fruit and sweet barrel-spice, this layered and well-balanced wine again exhibits plenty of substance without being the least bit beholden to ripeness. Its integral acids lend a note of verve and tension to its rich and long-lasting finish, and, while we would not argue against enjoying a glass or two now with lightly sauced lobster or salmon, it promises to expand and improve over time.

Four Stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 119 & 120
The Carneros is round, full bodied, and medium rich; a Chardonnay with good flavor and depth, and a long finish. It tastes of apple, toast, roasted nut, and lemon peel. [2008-2009]

90 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 08
Light gold. Zesty citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by white flowers and dusty minerals. Cool and bright, with energetic Meyer lemon and pear flavors, picking up pleasant bitterness with air. A distinctly brisk, focused wine, with admirable finishing cut.