Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From vines planted in 1972, the 2015 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is one of the gems in the lineup. Rocking notes of caramelized citrus, lemon curd, salty minerality and loads of marzipan characteristics, full body, a rich, powerful texture, and great elegance all make for a sensational Russian River Chardonnay. Like all these wines from Ramey, it has the balance and fruit to drink nicely today and the class to evolve for over a decade.
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Decanter
This lush-textured white comes from 42-year-old vines grown on the gravelly, sandy Goldridge loam common to great vineyards in Russian River. Harvest was early, but smaller grapes concentrated the flavours. Stylistically, the wine harks back to the full-on seduction of classic California Chardonnay, but it also has lift, tang and the structure to age well. The spicy, pineappley fruit marries well with 21% new oak, which lends the wine depth and complexity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a little restrained and reticent to begin, with lime leaves and lemongrass wafts over a core of white peaches, chalk dust and coriander seed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers incredible freshness and precision, with the raciness contrasted by electric intensity, finishing on a lingering mineral note. 94+
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.