Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Deliciously complex and full-bodied, this is layered with flavors, showing citrus and tropical fruit, with hints of anise and buttery oak, yet the acidity keeps the flavors tangy and vibrant.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Seemingly the deepest and most energetically balanced of the exceptional Ramey trio, this wine is a touch simpler in its central character and a bit sweeter in its fruit. It is going to have great appeal for uses with the less briny, small oysters and with fish like Dover sole than it will with more savory foods, but it is a lso likely to find greater range over time, and may turn out to be the longest lived of the Ramey trio.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More lemon oil, hazelnut, and smoke are present in the 2006 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. Full-bodied, fresh, and lively, it is an outstanding effort. These three single vineyard efforts are very successful Chardonnays for this vintage. While not at the quality level of the 2005s, 2004s, and perhaps the 2007s, they are noteworthy successes in this challenging year.
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.