Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The top wine, the Jericho Canyon Proprietary Red, emerges from a vineyard northeast of Calistoga. The inky/purple-colored 2001 Jericho Canyon Proprietary Red offers up a sumptuous perfume of licorice, espresso roast, graphite, blackberries, and currants. Unctuously-textured, with tremendous purity, high tannin, and a long finish, it reminds me of the old style vintages of Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon from the late sixties to the mid-seventies.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Deep, concentrated and conveying a fine sense of potency in its complex, richly oaked and optimally ripened black cherry and currant aromas, this big, broad-beamed opus is positively plush on the palate with a wealth of well-extracted fruit that is met step for step by lots of lovely sweet oak spice.
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James Suckling
This structured, nicely tannic, full-bodied wine made from hillside grapes is at a great point of maturity now. Leather, mint, cedar and potpourri aromas lead to full flavors or dark cherries, spearmint and dark chocolate wrapped in fine-grained tannins. Made from 44% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and “assorted whites.
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Wine Spectator
A Bordeaux grape expression from Napa, ripe, complex and concentrated, a transitional mix of youth and maturity. Firm, structured and ending with a deep, persistent finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.—2001 California Cabernet blind retrospective (June 2011). Drink now through 2016. 1,700 cases made.
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.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.