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2008 Vintage

94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2011
Light, hazy yellow. High-pitched, pure aromas of Meyer lemon, green apple and honeysuckle, complicated by intense minerality and a hint of iodine. Incisive and focused on the palate, offering tangy citrus flavors and a strong undercurrent of smoky minerals. Very young and in need of some bottle age to stretch out but there's great potential here.

93 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, February 2011
The 2008 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard exhibits honeyed citrus, smoky hazelnut and buttered brioche characteristics in a medium to full-bodied, flavorful, rich, layered format. It should drink nicely for 4-5 years.

95 (three puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, May 2011
When it is right, Chardonnay from Lee Hudson's vineyard can rank with the very best in the state, and this latest working from David Ramey is right in so many ways. It is a very full and yet very well-balanced wine whose immense fruit and flamboyant oak combine for show-stopping richness, but it is its impeccable, acid-firmed structure that separates it from a good many other very rich Chardonnays and earns it this month's top honors. Its combination of complexity, vitality and fruity depth is bound to tempt early drinking, but collectors be warned, it will only get better with age.

91 Wine Spectator, June 30, 2011
Complex aromas of hazelnut, citrus blossom, spice and lemon meringue give this a tight flavor focus. This is medium-to full-bodied, with a long, clean, lingering finish. Drink now through 2017.

92 California Grapevine, April-May 2011
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, forward, toasty, green apple aroma; full body; big, forward, plush, citrus and green apple flavors; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Shows intense fruit and complexity (as do the other two Ramey wines in this tasting). Very highly recommended.

2007 Vintage

93 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2010
Bright, green-tinged gold. Intensely perfumed bouquet of orange peel, lemon curd and a hint of toasty lees, along with a strong mineral underpinning. Opulent, palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit flavors display noteworthy power but don't come off heavy; in fact, this is pretty lithe. Finishes youthfully vibrant and long, with strong notes of pear skin, bitter orange and spices. This wine and the other vineyard-designated chardonnays spent 19 months on their lees.

94 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, February 2010
The single vineyard Chardonnays are all superb. The 2007 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard's light gold color is followed by sumptuous aromas of buttered citrus, a distinctive spicy apple note, quince, hazelnut, and subtle oak. The wine is rich and full-bodied with admirable purity and length. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, May 2010
Showing strong kinship with its partner from the Hyde Vineyard, Ramey's working of Hudson fruit is, if anything, a touch tighter and firmer yet. Its leaner stance nonetheless in no way precludes it from being wonderfully fruity, and its brisk mix of lemons, green apples and wet stones makes for a most compelling wine all the same. It too is one for setting aside as it will surely unfold over time, but, if it wants age before showing its best, it is still easy to like now especially when lightly sauced shellfish is on the menu.

92 Wine Spectator, April 12, 2010
Intense and vibrant, this shows full-bodied citrus, melon, pear and hazelnut flavors that turn subtle and offer hints of fig and tangerine, while maintaining its velocity. Drink now through 2014. -J.L.

Five stars Ronn Wiegand's Restaurant Wine Issue 133 & 134, Jan/Feb & Mar/Apr, 2010
The Hudson is fleshy and full bodied; a Chardonnay with wonderful depth and breadth on the palate. It is finely flavored (pear, honey, baked bread, lemon peel, vanilla, and oak), and very long on the finish. Can be aged a bit.

92 California Grapevine, Vol. 36, No. 2, April-May 2010
Medium-light golden yellow color; attractive, intense, complex, baked apple aroma with notes of vanilla and roasted hazelnut; full body; crisp, citrus and green apple flavors with good depth and a pleasing mouthfeel; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Should continue to improve with several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

2006 Vintage

93 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2008
Green-tinged gold. Ripe orange, pear and honeydew on the nose, with iodine and anise adding complexity. Deep and creamy, offering concentrated orchard and pit fruit flavors and bracing minerality. Becomes spicier on the long, vibrant finish. This is strikingly pure and persistent.

91 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, December 2008
The three single vineyard Chardonnays are all from top sites, the Hudson and Hyde vineyards in Carneros, and the Russian River’s Ritchie Vineyard. The 2006 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard  exhibits aromas of green apples, quince, white currants, and honeyed citrus in an impressive, medium to full-bodied style with beautiful fruit, a subtle dosage of wood, and a heady finish. Drink it over the next several years.

96 (three puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, February 2009
Clean, bright, layered and well-defined apple, sweet citrus and creme brulee scents introduce this impressive Chardonnay, yet for all of their immediacy, the aromas also still on the youthfully tight side. The wine reiterates is twin themes of still nascent fruit and deep, promising character in its flavors that are both compelling in the near term yet capable of further knitting together to deliver all of their impressive potential. A year in bottle would be useful, but three years would be even better and are certain to be rewarding.

90 Wine Spectator December 31, 2008
Zingy acidity maintains the pure fruit personality of the floral, honeysuckle and honeydew melon flavors. Full-bodied, with light cedary oak shadings. Drink now through 2012.

Four stars + Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue #128, Vol. 21, No. 1 November/December 2008
The Hudson is a ripely flavored, full bodied wine, with excellent depth, and a very long finish. It tastes of pear, lemon peel, crème caramel, vanilla, roasted nut, apple, and spicy oak.

92 California Grapevine, Vol. 34, No. 6, Dec 2008-Jan 2009
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, forward, toasty, nutty, baked apple aroma; full body; forward, intense, complex, herbal, pear and green apple flavors; well balanced and structured; crisp finish. Developed with airing in the glass and deserves several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

2005 Vintage

94 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate, December 2007, Issue 174
Offering copious amounts of orange marmalade, smoky hazelnuts, and tropical fruits, the full-bodied, rich 2005 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is on a faster evolutionary track than the Hyde Vineyard. Drink the Hudson cuvée over the next 2-3 years.

91 California Grapevine, Vol. 32, No. 6, Dec 2006-Jan 2007, p. 110
Medium-light to medium golden yellow; attractive, forward, intense, toasty, slightly tropical, baked apple aroma with hints of orange zest and butterscotch; full body; forward, rich, lemony, nutty, spicy baked apple flavors with good depth and showing some complexity; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Enjoyable to drink now though deserves several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

93 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2008
Green-tinged gold. Ripe orange, pear and honeydew on the nose, with iodine and anise adding complexity. Deep and creamy, offering concentrated orchard and pit fruit flavors and bracing minerality. Becomes spicier on the long, vibrant finish. This is strikingly pure and persistent.

2004 Vintage

91 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate 12-22-06
The 2004 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard 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.

94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 076
Bright yellow with a green hint. Powerful, deeply concentrated and smoky on the nose, with strong, iodine-accented pear, yellow apple and nectarine aromas. Incredibly concentrated pear and pit fruit flavors are complicated by a wild cured meat accent and strong mineral tones. The iodine note comes up strong on the finish, along with notes of lees, licorice and sweet butter. This has depth and persistence to burn, with a seemingly endless finish. For a wine of this quality, it's an absolute steal. Ramey advises holding it for at least ten years, noting that the 2001 is just starting to come into maturity.

91 California Grapevine, Vol. 32, No. 6, Dec 2006-Jan 2007, p. 110
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, intense, spicy, apple and pear aroma with notes of toasted hazelnut and vanilla; full body; rich, intense, spiced apple and lemon flavors; well balanced and structured; slightly tart on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Oak seemed a bit more prominent in this wine compared to their Hyde Vineyard bottling. Needs several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

2003 Vintage

92 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate 12-26-05, Issue 162
This is always the most evolved cuvee. It exhibits notes of tropical fruits lemons, oranges, and tangerines, medium to full body, and a lusty, heady, extroverted style that is unmistakably California in orientation.

94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2006
Pale yellow-green color. Wonderfully complex nose offers lime, peach, iodine, minerals, vanilla cream, truffle, smoke, hazelnut and earth. Sweet and lush yet light on its feet; this is actually the lowest in residual sugar of these vineyard-designated chardonnays, though all of them are under one gram per liter. Intriguing notes of biscuit and caramel. Saline and soil-inflected wine, with a long, chewy finish.

90 California Grapevine, Vol. 32, No. 2, April-May 2006, p. 33
Medium-light golden yellow; earthy, spicy, baked apple aroma with a note of cinnamon; tight, crisp lemony, green apple flavors with firm acidity; full body; somewhat hard and harsh on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Developed with airing in the glass though could use another year or two of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

2002 Vintage

92 (+?) Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2005
Bright yellow. Lower-toned aromas of iodine, minerals and smoke. Fat, dense and rich, but less showy today than the Hyde and not yet showing the lift of that bottling. But this layered wine is in a mute stage today.

91 California Grapevine, Vol. 30, No. 6, Dec 2004-Jan 2005, p. 114
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, intense, toasty, buttery, ripe pear aroma with notes of toasted hazelnut; full body; crisp, lemony, pear and green apple flavors with good depth; well balanced and structured; slightly harsh on the finish with a hint of bitterness; lingering aftertaste. Deserves another year or two of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

91 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate 02-28-05, Issue 157
The 2002 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard reveals beautiful fruit, an alluring minerality, crisp lemon oil, orange blossom, and honeysuckle characteristics, full body, and plenty of concentration.

Four stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Vol. 17, No. 1
One of the best Chardonnays of the vintage. The Hudson is round and full bodied; a medium intense Chardonnay, which is fleshy and long on the palate, and tastes of cherimoya, roasted nut, vanilla, oak, and pineapple.

89 (one puff) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, March 2005
This marginally lighter Chardonnay is gifted with plenty of forward apple and citrus-like fruitiness and is dressed up with a good bit of creamy oak. It is a wee bit less weighty and is brightened by lots of fruity acidity, and if a bit too rich to consider for service with simple shellfish dishes, it is sure to shine with teamed with sundry richly-sauced seafoods or paired with similarly prepared chicken entrees over the next two or three years.

2001 Vintage

95 (three puffs) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, Dec. 2003
Gorgeous oak serves as a constant counterpoint to the intense ripe apple themes that drive this captivating wine, and while quite rich in every respect, the wine is also carefully composed, neatly balanced and never close to being overblown. It tends to a bit to firmness is the latter going, but its persistent citrusy ending suggests that increased complexity and further expansion will await those whose exercise a few more years of patience before pulling its cork.

94 Stephe Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Issue 112, Jan/Feb 2004
Exotic aromas of apple, pineapple, coconut, iodine and baking spices.  Powerful and penetrating, with a dusty impression of extract; still some CO2 to be absorbed. This, too, offers superb inner-palate energy and precision and an even bigger finish than the Hyde wine, with real palate-staining persistence.

93   Robert M. Parker, Jr’s The Wine Advocate, 12-23-03, Issue 150
A blockbuster California Chardonnay in all senses of the word, the 20001 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard may have been vinified and raised like a Burgundy, but this is all-American stuff.  Loads of tropical fruit, lemon and orange liqueur characteristics, huge body, and big, yeasty brioche notes all make for a stunningly proportioned, dazzlingly example of full-flavored, pedal-to-the-metal Chardonnay.  There are 1,050 cases of this head-spinning sexpot.  Drink it over the next several years.

92 California Grapevine, Vol. 29, No. 6, Dec 2003-Jan 2004, p. 110
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, complex, spicy, tropical fruit aroma with hint of ginger; full body; forward, fresh, youthful, earthy, lemony, green apple and tropical fruit flavors; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Deserves several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Four+ stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 98, p. 18
Once again Ramey has produced two of the top Chardonnays of the vintage. The Hudson Vineyard is full bodied and firmer in style than the Hyde; a wonderful Chardonnay in its own right, tasting of citrus fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, and crème caramel.