Winemaker Notes
Burgundian-style wine without the tropical fruit tones of some California Chardonnays. Hyde Vineyard wines often seem charming and feminine, with high natural acidity playing a prominent role.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This producer's blocks were planted in 1991 and 1997 to field selections of both Wente and Robert Young clones. Juicy, tight and tension-filled, it is both complex and high-toned in approach, with looming acidity that freshens in tart lemon-peel, grapefruit and tangerine flavors—a classic and elegant wine.
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Wine Spectator
Precise and powerfully structured, with intense Asian pear, apple and ripe citrus flavors that feature rich, savory notes. Displays concentrated minerality on the spicy and textured finish. Should blossom in the cellar. Best from 2021 through 2025.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a vineyard in Carneros, the 2016 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard excels on its purity and finesse. Notes of white flowers, lemon zest, and tart pineapple all flow to a medium to full-bodied Chardonnay that’s classic Ramey with its bright, crisp acidity, good concentration, and balanced style. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard comes from blocks of the Hyde vineyard planted in 1991 and 1997. Grapes are fermented in barrel with bâtonnage, then aged in 22% new French oak for 20 months. It has a wonderfully mineral-driven nose of pulverized stone with notions of Greek yogurt, lime peel and spring blossoms plus a soft peachy undertone and toasty suggestion. The palate is medium to full-bodied with flavor layers flooding the mouth: ripe citrus, cream and roasted almonds, finishing long, lively and minerally with great juicy acidity. 1,256 cases produced, to be released in June 2019.
Rating: 93+
David Ramey is among a distinguished group of pioneering American vintners who revolutionized modern-day winemaking and elevated California to the forefront of the international wine community. Hailed as “Professor Chardonnay” by Wine Spectator, David's groundbreaking work with indigenous yeasts, sur lies aging and malolactic and barrel fermentation yielded a new California Chardonnay style that was richer, more lush and silky smooth. Ramey Wine Cellars crafts exceptional expressions of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Pinot Noir from top vineyards in Sonoma and Napa.
After earning a graduate degree at UC Davis, with his thesis on how aromas evolve in wine, David Ramey pursued a hands-on education in Old World winemaking traditions. He worked at Chateau Pétrus and would later apply these time-honored methods to California’s premier vineyards. In California, David led winemaking for Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate and Rudd Estate. In 1996, David and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars with the vision of crafting classically styled, elegant and balanced wines that age beautifully.
Still exclusively owned by the Rameys, the next generation, Claire and Alan Ramey, became co-presidents of the winery in 2021. Claire and Alan began working at the winery in 2013 and have been cross-trained in all aspects of winery operations. Decanter greeted the news of Ramey’s status as a multigenerational winery by saying: "its reputation as a touchstone for world-class Chardonnay remains firmly in place… The Ramey family is expected to go from strength to strength." The vision is unwavering: to make classic wines from Sonoma and Napa that belong amongst the world's best. Tastings are offered by appointment in Healdsburg.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.