"Ramey's 2011 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is beautifully layered and succulent in the glass. Butter, almonds and hazelnuts all add complexity as this enveloping, resonant Chardonnay shows off its personality."

– Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2014

If the 2010 vintage was cool, the 2011 vintage was cold. We didn’t start harvesting Chardonnay until the end of September.  This vintage displays the richness of fully mature fruit coupled with crisp, refreshing acidity.

All of our Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed and go through native yeast fermentation and then delayed malolactic fermentation in Burgundian oak barrels. Due to their great density and structure, vineyard-designate wines are able to absorb more oak without being overwhelmed, and see approximately 45% new French barrels.  In addition, these wines spend more time in barrel (for this wine 21 months), completely sur lies, before being bottled without filtration in August 2013.

This year’s bottling is the fifth to come entirely from B-block, planted in 2001 to a Wente selection from the Hyde Vineyard, so the vines were eleven years old this vintage and further developing their maturity.  Hudson Vineyard wines tend to a more muscular, masculine character—broad-shouldered, if you will.