Winemaker Notes
Ritchie Vineyard is widely spaced, as was the fashion in the early ‘70s. These old, gnarly trunked vines produce small clusters with distinct “hen and chick” berry sizes.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a brilliant medium yellow color and offers Grand Cru-like depth. It’s spicy on the nose with bright flint, smoky wet rocks, deeper spice, fresh yellow apples, spicy aromatics, light honeyed citrus, and candle wax. It has a more rounded feel on the midpalate, with a crystalline glycerin feel, a full-bodied frame, and persistent length.
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James Suckling
A generous, abundant, gorgeous wine that's saturated with ripe peach, pear and floral aromas, then rich, creamy flavors that carry a floral touch. Vines used for this wine are 50 years old. A mixture of clones, including some Wente clone, some musque clone and others. Ramey has used the same 20 rows in the Ritchie Vineyard for 20 years now. Such a broad, melted mouthfeel. Drink now or hold.
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Decanter
Legendary for its old Chardonnay vines and unusual mix of disparate soils, Ritchie Vineyard is home to Ramey's 20 rows, planted in 1972. Part of this selection includes Old Wente Clone. “We have worked with the same 20 rows since 2002,” says Claire Ramey. This wine exudes a beautiful floral lift, while the palate is nothing short of a steel beam of intensity, softened by a juicy core. Layers of citrus peel, apricot, and poached pear unfold, leading to a fabulous sprinkling of crunchy sea salt on the finish. One of the most food-friendly wines in the lineup, it demands pairing with rich fish or chicken dishes. Mineral intensity lingers long on the finish, reinforcing its precision and structure.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from Old Wente and a few Musqué selection vines planted in 1972 on gravelly, sandy Goldridge loam. The grapes were harvested on August 20, before the devastating Labor Day heat wave. The wine was barrel-fermented, underwent full malolactic conversion and was matured for 20 months in 20% new French oak barrels. It has layered aromas of peach, apricot, panna cotta, matchstick and citrus blossoms. The palate features concentrated, spicy flavors matched by well-integrated new oak. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, dynamic finish.
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Wine Spectator
A complex white, with lemon tart, candied ginger and tangerine notes that are fresh and juicy, plus dried lemongrass, preserved lemon, lime zest, yuzu, pomelo and green tea accents. The mouthwatering core is generous. Long finish. Drink now through 2039.
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.
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.