Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard 2005 Front Bottle Shot
Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard 2005 Front Bottle Shot Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard 2005 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

This is a 40-acre vineyard at the base of Mt. St. Helena, northeast of Calistoga. Very steeply terraced, it was planted in 1990 and 1993. The soil is a shallow clay-loam atop white volcanic ash, which provides excellent drainage and limits yields to between 1.4 and 2.7 tons per acre. This is our final vintage from this vineyard, having made all the wine from it since 1998—the first three vintages for Rudd. Encouraged by our success with their grapes, the owners have built a winery and jumped into the wine business feet first, and we wish them luck. At some 1250 cases, this is our smallest blend yet, a function of the decline of the Cabernet Franc and Merlot portions of the vineyard to leaf roll virus. That is also the reason that the blend became, in 2004, a Cabernet Sauvignon, which it remains for 2005 at 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot.

"Inky violet. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas become spicier with air, taking on black pepper and musky underbrush character. Deep and chewy, with ripe dark berry liqueur flavors and a lightly singed quality arriving on the close. Powerful stuff, with deep, admirably sweet fruit, chewy texture and a long, velvety finish. I'd give this big boy some serious cellar time."
International Wine Cellar 94+

"The final vintage for this cuvee, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Jericho Canyon offers a Graves-like personality of scorched earth, chocolate, charcoal, and black currants as well as a sumptuous, full-bodied palate, and a layered, multi-dimensional finish. Drink this remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon over the next two decades."
Wine Advocate

Professional Ratings

    Ramey

    Ramey

    View all products
    Image for  content section
    View all products
    Image for Napa Valley Red Wine content section
    View all products

    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.

    DDE98296_2005 Item# 98296