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Ramey Wine Cellars Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2012
Ramey's Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay is consistently one of California's finest Chardonnays. Second-tier doesn't cut it for Ramey fruit sources. Sonoma's Ritchie Vineyard may just be the best Chardonnay Vineyard in North Americ producing top wines for Aubert, Paul Hobbs and Ramey.97 Points Wine Enthusiast: "This wine is deliciously elegant yet decadently rich in all the right ways, from a prime, longtime vineyard source planted to vines over 40 years old. Honeyed apple comes to the fore amid lush, formidable layers of complexity and high-minded pursuit, never getting bogged down, the minerality perfectly pitched and the oak fully integrated."94 Points Antonio Galloni: "The 2012 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is the most opulent and also the most nuanced of these wines. Almonds, matchstick, hazelnuts, tangerine peel, savory herbs and mint are all super-expressive in the glass. Hints of tropical fruit develop in the glass, adding to the wine's sense of exoticism as the flavors build to a finish imbued with a Chassagne-like oiliness and sense of viscosity...The 2012 Chardonnays are beautiful, expressive and ready to go." ...David Ramey, who is one of the veterans of high-quality winemaking on California’s North Coast, worked in France and at some of the top Napa wineries (Rudd and Dominus) before settling in Healdsburg in Sonoma Valley. He continues to make Chardonnay in a Burgundian style with full malolactic fermentation, and now produces four single-vineyard Chardonnays as well as two generic efforts from the Russian River and Sonoma Coast."
Ratings on Delectable
Ramey Wine Cellars
"2010 Chardonnay, Ritchie Vineyard shows an ethereal nose that is light and refreshing with crisp lemon, sea salt and grain along with pineapple and verbena. The palate offers exceptional depth and texture with butterscotch, lemon, and toast with gorgeous balance. This will help you rediscover Chardonnay, without a doubt." - Doug Wilder, Purely Domestic Wine Report, December 2013 All of our Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed and fermented in Burgundian barrels with native yeast. Due to their great density and structure, vineyard-designate wines are able to absorb more oak without being overwhelmed, and see approximately 45% new French barrels. In addition, these wines spend more time in barrel (for Ritchie, 21 months), completely sur lies, before being bottled without filtration.
"2010 Chardonnay, Ritchie Vineyard shows an ethereal nose that is light and refreshing with crisp lemon, sea salt and grain along with pineapple and verbena. The palate offers exceptional depth and texture with butterscotch, lemon, and toast with gorgeous balance. This will help you rediscover Chardonnay, without a doubt." - Doug Wilder, Purely Domestic Wine Report, December 2013 All of our Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed and fermented in Burgundian barrels with native yeast. Due to their great density and structure, vineyard-designate wines are able to absorb more oak without being overwhelmed, and see approximately 45% new French barrels. In addition, these wines spend more time in barrel (for Ritchie, 21 months), completely sur lies, before being bottled without filtration.
10
Gregory Fulchiero 
This bottle reignited my faith in Cali chard - acidic backbone, balance of Malo and oak. Single vineyard Ramey is worth the 30% price hike compared to their regional blends. Bravo
This bottle reignited my faith in Cali chard - acidic backbone, balance of Malo and oak. Single vineyard Ramey is worth the 30% price hike compared to their regional blends. Bravo
9.6GodoftheGrapes
Going down well with the Alaskan king crab with nice balance of power and acid. Found out the hard way that I have developed an allergy to crab and my body proceeded to turn itself inside out. Rough finish to 2015. I have to say I remember these wines being bigger? But up in Canada we don't see em often so it's been a while.
Going down well with the Alaskan king crab with nice balance of power and acid. Found out the hard way that I have developed an allergy to crab and my body proceeded to turn itself inside out. Rough finish to 2015. I have to say I remember these wines being bigger? But up in Canada we don't see em often so it's been a while.
9.0
Tim Gatto
Domesticated paradise
Domesticated paradise
9.5
Joe Kaiser
Ramey Chard never disappoints! Our new guest who likes white, leans towards the tropical, citrus chards, so pulled this 12 @RameyWineCellar Ritchie Vineyard and english lemon curd, giving away to a nice minerality / salinity, on the palate the tropical fruit, of hints of tahitian vanilla, pineapple. Drinks like a $150 Mersault
Ramey Chard never disappoints! Our new guest who likes white, leans towards the tropical, citrus chards, so pulled this 12 @RameyWineCellar Ritchie Vineyard and english lemon curd, giving away to a nice minerality / salinity, on the palate the tropical fruit, of hints of tahitian vanilla, pineapple. Drinks like a $150 Mersault
9.1Neil Cornish
Burgundian in style. Racy and elegant. Great nose.
Burgundian in style. Racy and elegant. Great nose.
9.2
John Van Trijp
4th of July tasting
4th of July tasting
9.4
Fred Calatayud
Superb Chardonnay - very rich and flavorful. A notch above the standard Ramey, which is a great bellwether to measure any Chardonnay by!! Thanks for sharing, Frank!
Superb Chardonnay - very rich and flavorful. A notch above the standard Ramey, which is a great bellwether to measure any Chardonnay by!! Thanks for sharing, Frank!
9.4
Elizabeth McGee
Smooth, buttery and delicious!
Smooth, buttery and delicious!
9.3Jason Gaffner
Wow. Next level stuff
Wow. Next level stuff
9.8
See all reviews and ratings on Delectable WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.