<< Back to All Reviews

2009 Vintage

91-93  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2011
Inky ruby. Cassis, licorice and pungent herbs on the nose. Supple, sweet and lush but surprisingly lively, offering deep red- and blackcurrant flavors and a touch of bitter cherry. This is showing more richness than I usually find in this bottling. Finishes broad and sweet, with suave tannins and a late note of licorice.

2008 Vintage

91  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2011
Deep, bright ruby. Cherry-vanilla, cassis, anise and fruitcake on the nose, with suave floral lift. Shows good juicy cut and energy to its flavors of dark berries, bitter cherry and mocha. Round and seamles wine, with very good finishing breadth and a persistent note of candied dark fruits. This is already delicious.

90  Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate December 2010
The 2008 Claret continues the fruit-driven, soft, velvety textured, plush style of previous vintages. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based effort is an attractive, consumer-friendly wine to enjoy over the next decade.

92  Wine Spectator October 31, 2011
Pure, rich, structured and full-bodied, with an expansive core of ripe plum, currant, tobacco, sage and cedar flavors, tilting toward tar on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2019.

90  California Grapevine. Vol. 37, No. 6, December 2011-January 2012
Medium-dark ruby; attractive, earthy, black cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of cassis, tar, and graphite; full body; rich, fleshy, supple, cassis and dark berry fruit flavors with cedary notes and a bit coarse on the finish; medium-full to full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Approachable now though best to age for another year or two. Very highly recommended.

2007 Vintage

91  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 10
Deep ruby. Aromas of blackcurrant, cherry, herbs and tobacco, complicated by a subtle smoky quality. Sweet, smooth and fairly full on the palate, showing ripe red- and blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors. Elegant in a Bordeaux style, with chewy tannins and good mineral lift. Finishes with a strong echo of red fruits and a suave floral note. This wine saw no new oak.

91  Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate December 2010
The 2007 Claret, which is Ramey’s easiest to drink and appreciate wine, is a seductive blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec included. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by a velvety textured, plush, round, generous wine with lots of texture and fruit. This high quality effort should be drunk over the next decade.

93  Wine Spectator October 15, 2010
Bordeaux-like in its subtlety and restraint, yet rich, flavorful, full-bodied and expansive, with a mix of cedar, currant, cigar box, tar and mineral. Firm and focused, its elegance and refinement are impressive. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2018.

89  California Grapevine. Vol. 36, No. 6, December 2010-January 2011
Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive; forward, toasty, cassis and dark cherry fruit aroma with hints of anise, graphite, and saddle leather; full body; big, textured, cedary, tarrish, blackberry fruit flavors with hints of black olive and overtones of charred oak; full tannin; a bit rough with a hard edge on the finish that should round out with some bottle aging; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended

2006 Vintage

90  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 09
Ruby-red. Spicy red- and blackcurrant aromas are complemented by cocoa and smoky minerals. Medium-weight red fruit flavors show good concentration, with velvety tannins framing the wine. The spicy note repeats on the suave, seamless finish. Ramey calls this his roasted chicken wine.

88  Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate December 2008, Issue 180
The 2006 Claret has turned out to be less impressive than I initially believed. Made in an up-front, fruity style, it possesses a dark ruby/purple color, notes of licorice, spice box, roasted herbs, and red as well as black currants. This soft red is good to excellent, but not as stunning as I had hoped.

87 (one puff) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, December 2009
Ripeness and blatant oak are the two legs upon which this obvious and outgoing wine is balanced, and there is little in the way of refinement or polish to be found. That said, it makes up in richness for what it may lack in finesse, and it will drink nicely with rustic meat dishes after a few years of rest.

91  Wine Spectator November 15, 2009
Top Value. Offers aromas of ripe plum and berry, with spice and sage. Though firm and full-bodied, this reveals a sense of elegance and finesse, ending with integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2010 through 2016.

Four stars  Wine Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine Issue 133 & 134, Jan/Feb & Mar/Apr, 2010
Top Value. The Claret is luscious and ripe in style; a full bodied wine with medium richness, good balance, and a long finish, tasting of blackberry, caramel, toast, spicy oak, and berry jam.

2005 Vintage

89  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 08
Inky ruby. Finely etched cassis, blackberry, cherry and tobacco aromas are complicated by dried rose and white pepper. Bright red and dark berry flavors are crisp and unadorned (this saw no new barrels), with gentle tannins adding grip to the finish. Ramey told me that this is made from his cabernet press wines and that it's "for roast chicken, not steak."

88  Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate December 2007, Issue 174
Fashioned from lots culled out from all of David Ramey’s Cabernet projects, the 2005 Claret 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.

Three+ stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine Issue 124 Vol. 20, No. 3 March/April 2008
A supple, well balanced blend, that is full bodied, velvety in texture, and long on the finish, tasting of cherry, toast, roasted nut, pepper, and spicy oak. 54% CS, 25% ME, 12% CF, 7% SY, 1% MB, 1% PV. 6,100 cases [2009-2011]

2004 Vintage

88-91  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2006
Good full ruby. Blackberry, licorice and menthol on the nose. Sweet, dense and rich, with a silkier texture than the 2003 and strong chocolatey fruit. Finishes with plenty of tannins, but has the fruit to support them.

89  Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate 12-22-06
The 2004 Claret 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.

89  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 07
Deep ruby. Suave redcurrant and cherry aromas are open-knit and ripe. Supple and sweet, with pliant tannins supporting ripe cherry and dark berry flavors. Not at all heavy, this shows good freshness on the finish.

2003 Vintage

87 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate 12-26-05
Ramey's Claret is essentially a blend of leftovers culled out from his two or three top cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a bistro-styled wine meant for easy and early drinking. The 2003 Claret offers aromas and flavors of smoke, herbs, cedar, red and black currants, and spice. Drink it over the next couple of years.

85 Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, Dec. 2005, p. 25
55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 28% Merlot; 16% Cabernet Franc; 1% Petit Verdot. Subtle suggestions of curranty fruit sit to the side of dark chocolate, loam and oak in the nose here, and the wine's similarly composed, not-quite-fruity flavors are presently blunted by forceful tannins. Muscle and mass more than beauty are the messages here, and four or five years of forbearance are recommended.

88 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2006
(A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot) Good red-ruby. Cherry syrup, menthol and cedar on the nose. Supple and chocolatey in the mouth, with light tarry and porty elements. Finishes with mouthdusting tannins.

89-91 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2005
Deep red-ruby. Black fruits and menthol on the nose. Sweet, lush and oaky, with very broad flavors of blueberry, violet and tar. Today this comes across as a bit more minerally and long than the 2002, and finishes with broader tannins.

87-88 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate 2-28-05
The plum/purple-colored 2003 Claret offers up aromas of cedar, smoke, licorice, tobacco, and black currants. It does not display the depth, concentration, or weight of its two siblings.

2002 Vintage

89-92 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate 12-23-03
The seductive, dark plum/purple-colored 2002 Claret reveals a voluptuous texture along with wonderfully sweet notes of cedar, chocolate, black currants, raspberries, and roasted coffee in a succulent, opulent full-bodied style that is hard to resist.  Even the barrel sample could have been drunk with great pleasure. 

89-92 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2004
Deep ruby-red. Currant, black raspberry and graphite on the nose, along with a note of cough syrup. Sweet, superripe and concentrated but somehow lively despite its rather soft texture. Slightly medicinal flavors of currant and licorice. Ramey notes that this wine just went into the tank and that its big tannins will be refined by a light egg white fining.

87 Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, December 2004, p. 28
Marked by plenty of winemaking polish and filling the niche of a well-mannered middleweight, this appropriately titled effort eschews mass, muscle and tannins in favor of clarity and clear-cut fruit. It finds finesse in spite of its evident ripeness, and, if hardly a wine with the strength for a decade of age, it will stand up well for several years yet.

2001 Vintage

89 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, 12-23-03, p. 38-39
His 2001 Claret, which is composed of declassified lots that would have gone into the Jericho Canyon or Diamond Mountain cuvées, is a tasty blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Merlot.  Melted fudge, intermixed with cedar, mocha, and jammy black fruit aromas jump from the glass of this seductive, lush, Pomerol-inspired offering. Round, generous, and easy to drink, this substantial red should be drunk over the next 7-10 years.

89 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 2004
Red-ruby. Smoky aromas of blackcurrant, roasted meat, tobacco and hot stones. Supple and rich but dry, with flavors of black raspberry, cassis and dark chocolate. Ultimately shows a rather lush mouth feel and a round finish, with slightly drying tannins.

88 (one puff) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, December 2003, p. 26
Yet another solid and substantial wine from Ramey, this one is awash in rich oak and just a touch short of conveying the kind of fruity depth and range shown by its pricier partners. It gets a little dry at the finish despite the fact that its tannins are held in check, and, if moderately fruity throughout, it is anything but moderate in its scene-stealing oak.

87 California Grapevine, Vol. 30, No. 1, February-March 2004, p. 5
Medium-dark ruby; pleasant, herbal, floral, spicy, cherry and red currant aroma with hints of cranberry and green olive; medium-full to full body; moderately rich, plush, textured, cedary, ripe blackberry fruit flavors; medium-full to full tannin; tight, lean finish; lingering aftertaste.  Deserves several more years of bottle aging. Highly recommended.