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2009 Vintage

92 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 11
Bright gold. Wilder and more pungent than the Sonoma Coast bottling, displaying scents of poached pear, porcini and white truffle, along with floral and spice nuances that pick up power with air. Deeply concentrated orchard and pit fruit flavors are energized by tangy acidity. A smoky note comes up on the finish and lingers tenaciously. This comes across like a California version of a premier cru from Chassagne-Montrachet.

2008 Vintage

91 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 10
Bright yellow. Precise, mineral-driven aromas of pear, spicecake, iodine and wet concrete, along with a sexy floral aspect. At once tactile and fine-grained, with subtle smokiness giving depth to the flavors of Meyer lemon, minerals and candied ginger. Tightens up toward the back, finishing quite suave, with strong lift and cut to its ginger-laced orchard fruit flavors.

89 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate February 2011, Issue 193
The 2008 Chardonnay Russian River has more to it, including aromas of buttered citrus and crushed rock, good acidity and a fresh, medium to full-bodied, elegant style. Drink this well-made, fairly-priced 2008 over the next 2-3 years.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, October 2010
Fresh and somewhat pulpy fruit scents favoring ripe apples and glimpses of Meyer lemons are filled out by creamy oak spice. Not at all heavy despite its full-bodied entry weight, this bright, lively energetic wine reiterates the balanced mix of richness and fruit in flavors that are long on the palate and a bit on the tight side for the moment. Set it alongside grilled salmon or chicken breasts with a lemon and capers dressing for a real treat. And put some aside for a few years.

90 Wine Spectator, June 30, 2010
Pure, ripe and vibrant, with spicy pear, melon, citrus and green apple notes that are fresh and lively, ending with zesty acidity. Drink now through 2015. 9,200 cases made.

Three+ stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 135 & 136
The RRV is full bodied, somewhat toasty in style, and ripely flavored; a very good wine, tasting of lemon peel, toast, peach, and oak.

92 California Grapevine, Vol. 36, No. 3, June-July 2010
Medium-light golden yellow color; attractive, intense, floral, spicy, baked apple aroma with a trace of light toastiness; medium-full to full body; crisp, lemony, green apple flavors with a touch of vanilla; well balanced and structured; crisp finish; lingering aftertaste. Should continue to develop with a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

2007 Vintage

91 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 09
Light gold. Powerfully scented bouquet of lemon, orange, iodine and floral honey, with a suave spicy undertone. The citrus flavors repeat on the palate, along with gingerbread and tangy mineral qualities. Very fresh and precise, with excellent finishing lift and lingering minerality. This got about 38% new oak but I'm not seeing, or feeling it.

90 Robert M. Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate February 2010, Issue 187
More tropical fruit and honeysuckle notes are found in the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River. Good underlying acidity buttresses the wine’s considerable fruit and body, resulting in a vivacious mouthfeel as well as a chalky minerality. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, January 2010
The cool climes of Russian River are reflected in the leaner and slightly angular aspects of this nervy young Chardonnay, but for all of its briskness, the wine musters a fair showing of relatively deep fruit, and, in the end, its sins seem no more than those of extreme youth. Its flashes of sweet apples and oak are under-scored by a long line of firm acid, yet its course is set first and foremost by persistent fruit, and it is all but guaranteed to gain further beauty with age.

91 California Grapevine, Vol. 35, No. 3, June-July 2009
Light gold. Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, floral, spiced apple and pear aroma with notes of citrus and minerals; medium-full to full body; lemony, green apple flavors with a creamy mouthfeel; well balanced and structured; crisp finish; lingering aftertaste. Should reward a few more years of bottle aging (as should the other Ramey Chardonnays in this tasting). Very highly recommended.

2006 Vintage

90 Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 08
Green-hued yellow. Spicy lemon and orange aromas are complicated by smoky lees and floral honey. Sharply focused and pure, with tangy citrus and green apple flavors, medium weight and good mineral lift. The leesy quality returns on the long, juicy finish of this vibrant wine.

91 (two puffs) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, Oct 2008
The leader of the Ramey bunch in this Issue features the deep, outgoing, pulpy yet still developing fruit that is so typical of the best from the winery. Clearly focused on Pippin apple's tart and juicy characteristics and enriched by hints of toast, creme brulee and a wisp of pineapple, this balanced, solidly constructed effort can be served today alongside most white-fleshed fishes now or over the next several years.

88 Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, December 2008, Issue 180
More Chablis-like with a chalky minerality and crisp white citrus and white currant aromas and flavors is the elegant, medium-bodied 2006 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

2005 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.

2004 Vintage

92 (two puffs) Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, June 2006
Ramey's superb single-vineyard offerings have always struck us having a remarkable balance of winemaking richness and high-energy fruit, and so, too, it seems do the winery's appellation bottlings. This impressively crafted effort is shot through with very deep, optimally ripened appley fruit and comes complete with a full measure of keenly fit oak. It is at once both viscous and alive on the palate, and its potent expressions of creamy oak spice, unstinting fruit and real concentration are sustained through a long, wonderfully well-focused finish.

89(+?)?   Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2006
Full medium yellow. Somewhat exotic aromas of peach, melon, nuts and sulfides; reduced in a Burgundian way. Then bright on the palate but a bit youthfully hard-edged, with lemony acidity currently dominating the fruit. This needs 6 to 12 months to come into harmony.

2003 Vintage

90  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2005
Bright green-tinged yellow. Musky aromas of citrus skin, smoke, spices, flowers and minerals. Dry, cool, dense and brisk, with sappy citrus and fresh herbal flavors. A bit youthfully austere. Offers a very refreshing sugar/acid balance and excellent length. It is no easy trick to make 2,400 cases of chardonnay at this level of quality.

2002 Vintage

91  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 2004
Bright lemon-yellow with a green tinge. Very ripe aromas of candied lemon peel, mirabelle and baking spices. At once generous and sappy, with complex flavors of yellow fruits, apple and spices. Finishes with very good grip. (A second sample came across as somewhat hard-edged owing to some unabsorbed CO2)

Four+ stars Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine Vol. 16, No. 6 Sep/Oct 2004
Excellent Chardonnay. The Russian River Valley is a bit finer; crisp, intensely flavored, and long on the palate, with a persistent finish. It tastes of lemon peel, baked apple, pineapple, vanilla, and roasted nut.

89  Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate 02-28-05, Issue 157
The 2002 Chardonnay Russian River is a medium to full-bodied, typical California Chardonnay boasting loads of tropical fruit, medium to full body, and a heady, smoky, hazelnut-filled finish. Drink it over the next 1-3 years.

89  Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine October 2004
Generous in character from its intense aromas of sweet citrus and toasty, spicy oak to its leesy, nutty overlays, this wine offers deep complex aromas that are followed in spirit if not quite in volume by its ripe fruit and highly oaked flavors. It runs into a fair bit of finishing hardness, however, and finds itself slightly held back relative to its mate above.

89  California Grapevine, Volume 30, No.5, Oct-Nov 2004
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, intense, earthy, spicy, green apple and melon aroma; medium-full body; crisp, lemony, green apple flavors with firm acidity and a very slight touch of carbon
dioxide on the palate that dissipated with airing; lingering aftertaste. Deserves another year or two of bottle aging. Highly recommended.

2001 Vintage

92 (two puffs)  Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, June 2003, p. 127
The first of a pair of handsomely crafted Chardonnays from a maker whose recognition is bound to grow and grow, these two are David Ramey’s “appellation” bottlings—as opposed to those that he designates by vineyard source. This one takes its cue from bright, sunny, sweet apple fruitiness and might seem a bit too simple were it not for the steely, French-like structure that gives an energetic boost to the endeavor while suggesting a sense of reserve and refinement.

Five stars  Ronn Wiegand’s Restaurant Wine, Issue # 95, p. 17
These are fine Chardonnays. The Carneros bottling is finely flavored, full bodied, and very well balanced; a Chardonnay with crisp acidity, pineapple, lemon peel, toast, and new oak aromas/flavors. Long finish. The RRV is even finer: supple and full bodied, a luscious wine, with complex flavors (roasted nut, lemon peel, pineapple, apple) and a long, crisp finish. Great value.

91  Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Issue 108, May/June 2003
Explosively aromatic nose of sappy yellow plum and smoky, charry, resiny oak. Very rich, generous and expansive on the palate but thoroughly dry and airy. Succulent, harmonious acidity frames the fruit. Finishes with a firmly stony note and excellent length. Richer and longer than the 2000 version of this wine.

91  California Grapevine, Vol. 29, No. 2, April-May 2003, p. 32
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, toasty, nutty apple and pear aroma with notes of vanilla; full body; big, rich intense, citrussy, pear and green apple flavors; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Distinctly varietal and has potential to develop and improve with several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

91  Robert M. Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, 12-23-03, p. 38-39
The brilliant 2001 Chardonnay Russian River is more multidimensional, exhibiting a sexy bouquet of honeysuckle, tangerine skins, citrus oils, hazelnuts, and smoky, spicy oak. Rich, full-bodied, and delicious, it should be consumed over the next several years.