August 2009

91 Ramey 2006 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
A beautifully rich and balanced wine that unfolds on the palate after stimulating the senses with a sumptuous nose of bright hazelnut and lemon oil. Shows a beautifully balanced lanolin-smooth palate with tastes of ripe melon, pear, toasted nuts and hints of coconut and nutmeg. Evocative of old vines with gnarly trunks. Beautifully balanced, elegant and refined.

93 Ramey 2006 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros
Our favorite of the Ramey single vineyard Chardonnays, the 2006 Hyde Vineyard shows beautiful depth and purity of flavor accentuated by lively acidity. Shows a floral bouquet of honeysuckle and lemon zest with a hint of fresh garden herbs. Reveals a marriage of stone fruit and slightly smoky oak on a complex and harmonious palate and finishes with just a touch of sweet marzipan. The evolution of aromas and flavors in the glass only adds to the incredible pleasure of this wine.

91 Ramey 2006 Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros
An expansive wine with hints of tropical fruit, coconut and caramel. A mélange of ripe fruit, herbs, roasted grain and smoke on the nose introduce a suave, fruit-rich palate with lovely dulce de leche notes on the finish.

93 Ramey 2006 Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
A beautiful, aromatic and fleshy Cabernet that is richly flavored and can be drunk now but will improve with more time in bottle. The bouquet is absolutely gorgeous with scents of cassis, blackberry and cedar, and the attack is round and soft with superbly concentrated dark fruit. Finishes quite dry with tannic grip along with persistent fruit and licorice flavors.

94 Ramey 2006 Annum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
A first growth California Cabernet Sauvignon. Incredible purity of fruit on an expansive ripe palate. Shows a nose of cassis and blackberry with a touch of Asian spice. There’s a sweet, rich attack and a massive, beautifully flavored palate with a hint of fine herbs. Finishes spicy and almost unctuous. We enjoyed short ribs of beef with this delicious wine.

95 Ramey 2006 Pedregal Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
A wine of real finesse that truly belongs among the elite of the elite California Cabernets. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%) and Petit Verdot (12%), this dark ruby wine offers exotic aromas of ripe dark red fruit, roasted meat, and California underbrush. The palate shows sweet and delicious cassis and dark berry fruit perfectly integrated with honeyed, toasted oak. This is a truly exceptional wine that can only continue to improve over time.

94 Ramey 2006 Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast
A Syrah that is reminiscent of the Northern Rhone, the deep dark ruby 2006 Rodgers Creek offers pure fruit, complex flavors, and an impressively fat palate. Dark red fruit, spicy herbs, and cola scents serve to introduce a soft, lush palate that’s rich in dark red fruit with roasted meat and black olive notes. Finishes long and flavorful.

94 Ramey 2006 Syrah Shanel Vineyard Sonoma Coast
A wine that is among the crème de la crème of New World Syrah, the 2006 Shanel Vineyard Syrah offers great purity and density of fruit. Showing concentrated blackberry fruit with notes of violets and smoked meat on the nose, the palate is even more impressive with deliciously pure dark red fruit accented by pepper spice and vanilla oak notes. The challenge will be finding dishes that can hold up to the rich, bold flavors of the wine. We like lamb shanks with this wine.

October 2008

91 Ramey Wine Cellars 2006 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Bright deep lemon gold. Lemon curd and tropical fruit aromas erupt from this bright, deep lemon gold Sonoma Chardonnay. There’s a soft, lush attack, a velvety mouth-feel, and highly focused purity of flavor on the palate. Finishes with light oak and fruit flavors and good grip.

92 Ramey Wine Cellars 2006 Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Yellow gold. Mellow nose of expensive oak, melon and stone fruit with hint of crème caramel. Beautifully balanced with a seamless texture and multiple layers on the palate that fold together into a harmonious whole. Absolutely sumptuous!

90 Ramey Wine Cellars 2006 Chardonnay Carneros District
Lemon gold. Rich, complex nose of roasted nuts, ripe melon and pear fruit. Very flavorful, somewhat lean attack of integrated fruit and oak. Finishes medium long with very good acidity that makes this a superb food wine. Try with roasted garlic chicken.

95 Ramey Wine Cellars 2005 Jericho Canyon Vineyard Napa Valley
Opaque ruby to the rim. This is the final Ramey vintage from this vineyard, whose owners will now make their own. An 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot blend that erupts with an awesome bouquet of extracted black fruit, coffee liqueur, and charred oak. There’s a soft, velvety attack of concentrated black fruit with a voluptuous palate of coconut, blackberry liqueur, and dark chocolate truffle. Incredible complexity throughout finishing very long with silky round tannins. A celebratory wine.

94 Ramey Wine Cellars 2005 Pedregal Vineyard Oakville
Opaque ruby to the rim. This Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot blend shows a tight bouquet of ripe cassis, minerals, and leather with a note of sweet, unctuous Pedro Ximenez. Beautiful, soft, attack of dense black fruit, tar, charred oak, and cola. An approachable yet muscular wine with lovely balance.

93 Ramey Wine Cellars 2005 Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Opaque ruby. There’s more than a touch of the Northern Rhone in this beautiful Syrah, which is co-fermented with 3 % Viognier. Offers intriguing aromas of minerals, smoky blackberry fruit, and savory herbs. On the beautifully balanced palate, there are opulent flavors of high-toned black fruit, espresso, and a touch of hickory smoked bacon. The finish is excellent, long, and persistent.

June 2008

94  Ramey Wine Cellars 2005 Syrah Sonoma Coast
While perhaps more widely recognized for his outstanding Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, David Ramey also produces first-class Syrah. His 2005 Sonoma Coast boasts an opaque purple ruby color and Rhone-like scents of red and black fruit, licorice and black/white pepper. On the palate, the wine is beautifully sculpted and balanced with flavors of mulberry, blackberry and chocolate, ripe round tannins and a long lasting finish. An exciting wine.

93  Ramey Wine Cellars 2005 Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast
The opaque ruby 2005 Rodgers Creek offers scents and flavors of blackberry liqueur fruit with herbs and black pepper. It is smooth and soft on the attack revealing lush dense fruit, well proportioned ripe tannins and a long finish.