From 75cl, perfect cork. This was more fun back in 2016. Some bright spritzy acid bounce on opening, but over 90 minutes it gradually grew flatter and less appealing. Note to self: Consume 2016 and 2017s in a similar time-frame, i.e. in the next couple of years. 89P
A very enjoyable chardonnay served with the first course of our sushi dinner. Peaches and pear dominate the palate with just the right amount of oak to hold it in balance. A nice finish of moderate length.
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Nice, but underplayed nose in the beginning. Opens after some time in the glass. Typical California chardonnay. Nice pineapple fruit and good balance with the oak. Nice acidity. 87-89P
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Does what you want when you buy it. Ripe with pineapple fruits and spicy from the new oak. Nice cleansing acidity. For my taste a little buttery and therefore unbalanced, but undoubtedly well made.
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Lovely ripeness on the nose. Lemon, tropical fruit, and jack fruit aromas show hints of gentle lees and a kiss of vanilla. mouth. Exudes buoyancy, energy, and vibrancy in the mouth. Its mid to full bodied, warm, and perfectly integrated, with gentle minerality, impeccable balance, and a long silky finish. This is pure elegance in a glass. Refreshing too.
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Loved this! I'm not normally a big fan of US Chardonnay, but this had great balance with lots of fruit with a moreish, clean and very tasty palate and nicely integrated oak. A really great example of a NW Chardonnay that I will be seeking out again.
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Yellow color with a distinctly vanilla bouquet and flavor that dominated any fruit. Very nice balance with no off notes and with a long finish. This was an interesting wine, as it appeared to be midway on the journey to the pinnacle aromas and tastes of a great Chardonnay, which combine butterscotch, buttery brioche, and creme brulee. This was the first wine of our Los Cabos adventure, served at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a beautiful resort, living up to its name (the windows of paradise), but not a paradise for the poor. The food was good, if not as exceptional as I expected, the surroundings were stunning, and the service was very good, but the wine list was disappointing in having far too many very expensive offerings and not enough cheaper but interesting wines. Even if a person has the means, ordering a very expensive wine at a high-end restaurant is something that I don't do, as it makes no sense and is plain silly.
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From 75cl, exquisite cork, P+P. As previously recorded, but this evening with an additional light caramel touch on the nose and an almost ethereal, perfect mid-palate balance between bright crystalline acidity and round RR Valley fruit, bound in by well-judged oak treatment. Super wine at peak maturity. 92P
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From 75cl, v. good cork, opened but not decanted 1 hour. This outstanding RRV Chardonnay improved over 3 hours, and the last drop was the best. Straight after opening it seemed a little sweet, but after an hour it was taut, vibrant and superbly balanced. Estragon, star anis and a hint of tropical fruit (pineapple? but really subtle...) made this the aromatic and textural equivalent of a superb poulet à l'estragon (which was, coincidently, what we ate with it). Delicious now, but no hurry (3-4 years). 91(-92?)P
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Finely crafted, with apple blossom and citrus on the nose, then flavors of lovely pure white peach and baked apple, intense and with a mineral streak leading to a good citrussy long finish. I enjoyed this on its own, but it was also great with a griddled pork chop!
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Tasted blind. Ripe, pure fruit, floral notes, slightly creamy, but very precise. Fresh and mineral, very well balanced. Nice finish. Drink or keep. 91-93
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I think this is a well-made wine. It's not inconceivable that this particular wine could have come from Burgundy or Italy, but it would be at the end of the spectrum in terms of creaminess and ripe tropical fruit. My palate prefers more austere flavors, less-ripe fruit, and less diacetyl.
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Drank with friends over appetizers, paired nicely with a baked brie. May have chilled it a bit too much as it didn't really start to express itself until it was almost gone. On the nose notes of peach, lemon and green apples. On the palate more of the same with a little spiciness, oak, and nice acidity.
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Ramey Tasting (Woodbury, MN): Light gold color. Tasting pour over 20 minutes. I missed the description of this wine, which I'm told said it wasn't buttery at all. Yikes, because this was all buttered popcorn to me on the nose and palate. I thought it settled down a tad, but very classic big styled Cali chard IMO. Borderline over the top, and I can tolerate a fair bit. Still manages to be relatively balanced, very creamy textured, with toast, smoke and subtle white peach on the nose. Round and viscous with fairly good acidity though. Medium plus body. Solid, not my favorite of their chards.
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This was simply outstanding and way above my expectations. Peach and citrus dominate the nose and carry over to the palate along with some minerality and vanilla. Nice freshness, depth and complexity. Medium bodied with a slightly creamy texture and good acidity. I did not experience much tartness although one other taster in our group thought it was too tart. I agree with jeffreylubowski that it is a nice mix of new and old world.
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Family Winemakers 25th Anniversary Tasting, I remember their first at the Hyatt Embarcadero. nose of pitted fruit, minerals, and a hint of butter, more of the same on the palate, tasty, well made, not my style, medium/long finish.
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A very nice midway point between burg and new world. It has the fruit and alcohol of new world, but the acid and minerality of old. Its smoky and there is some oak, but it's so lively. Classy is a very nice word.for this wine. And actually, for the price, it's probably the better buy than the single vineyard chards. But those are excellent as well. For $28 at safeway, this is a six pack buy.
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Bought at Costco in Issaquah for $27. Used to buy this and the Sonoma bottle by the case - but this is just OK as my bar has gotten higher for the 2012's I have tasted. Nothing wrong - but nothing to make you want to load in a case and follow over the next 3 years or so.
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Nice wine bright flavor the minimal time in oak barrels gives a nice mineral taste
From the Ramey website: "Supple and broad on the palate, offering concentrated pit and orchard fruit flavors and a jolt of smoky minerals." - Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May 2014
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shared this with pat at selkirk manor. had to try this to settle the debate re:longevity and to decide whether to buy more. not the best ramey i have ever had but well worth the asking price. offers generous nose and complexity in the mouth. i like the combination of smokiness and stone fruit. very enjoyable now but i would also be comfortable following for a year or two to see if it gets better. i am betting that i would add a few rating points down the road.
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Darn is this just really classy American Chardonnay. And open and expressive right now from a half bottle. In many ways much more open than the single vineyards. So start drinking this bad boy first.
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Very nice california chardonnay fix , which is hard to come by in Denmark. It has a lot of flavour as my wife said. some buttery creaminess, nutty, apricot. I was hoping for a cheaper kistler les noisetiers, as the store manager promised, but it is a bit lighter and more normal taste notes. Id place it between Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Chardonnay and kistler les nois.
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Light on it's feet, from the tropical fruit, apricot pit and honey on the nose to the pineapple, vanilla and almond on the palate. Crisp and clean - nothing cloying about this one! Delicious.
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Tasted at a big California tasting. Ripe notes of apricot, some nuts, popcorn, some smoke and yellow fruits. It's medium-full bodied with medium+ acidity. Good length. A pretty rich and opulent Ramey Chardonnay, but everything is very balanced.
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Wood sticks out a bit, but this is a very high quality consistently made wine. In some respects I prefer this over some of the richer single vineyard offerings.
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Light yellow, nicely aromatic and well-structured, this wine offers lemon zest, pear, vanilla and honeysuckle on both the nose and palate. With a backbone of medium acidity, seamless alcohol and well-integrated oak, it remains solid in the middle and closes with a medium-length, crisp finish. Distinctly Russian River in character, this will leave many California Chardonnay lovers with a big smile on their face. Drink now-2020.
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5/30/2020 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. This was more fun back in 2016. Some bright spritzy acid bounce on opening, but over 90 minutes it gradually grew flatter and less appealing. Note to self: Consume 2016 and 2017s in a similar time-frame, i.e. in the next couple of years. 89P
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9/30/2019 - Tauro wrote:
EOL
Nothing like the previous bottles I had.
Almost the end for this year.
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9/18/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
We drank with our appetizers. A nice chardonnay with a palate of peaches, melon and some oak. Most enjoyable.
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5/27/2019 - markcic wrote: 90 Points
A very enjoyable chardonnay served with the first course of our sushi dinner. Peaches and pear dominate the palate with just the right amount of oak to hold it in balance. A nice finish of moderate length.
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12/27/2018 - Roland67 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Quite typical California Chardonnay, but not too oaked. Nicely mature, do not hold much longer. 88-90P
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2/15/2018 - Roland67 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice, but underplayed nose in the beginning. Opens after some time in the glass. Typical California chardonnay. Nice pineapple fruit and good balance with the oak. Nice acidity. 87-89P
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11/5/2017 - Lordswood wrote: 89 Points
Does what you want when you buy it. Ripe with pineapple fruits and spicy from the new oak. Nice cleansing acidity. For my taste a little buttery and therefore unbalanced, but undoubtedly well made.
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7/15/2017 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine. Medium finish. Hints of pineapple. New world buttery forward.
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6/28/2017 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Lovely ripeness on the nose. Lemon, tropical fruit, and jack fruit aromas show hints of gentle lees and a kiss of vanilla. mouth. Exudes buoyancy, energy, and vibrancy in the mouth. Its mid to full bodied, warm, and perfectly integrated, with gentle minerality, impeccable balance, and a long silky finish. This is pure elegance in a glass. Refreshing too.
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6/9/2017 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 89 Points
P n P. Straight ahead Cali cab. Typical Cali style chard, but true to Ramey style, not over the top, well made. Soft in mouth. Med finish.
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5/8/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 88 Points
Oaky,sweet,very little variatal character,short finish, over priced.
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1/29/2017 - Nohedes wrote: 92 Points
Loved this! I'm not normally a big fan of US Chardonnay, but this had great balance with lots of fruit with a moreish, clean and very tasty palate and nicely integrated oak. A really great example of a NW Chardonnay that I will be seeking out again.
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1/15/2017 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yellow color with a distinctly vanilla bouquet and flavor that dominated any fruit. Very nice balance with no off notes and with a long finish. This was an interesting wine, as it appeared to be midway on the journey to the pinnacle aromas and tastes of a great Chardonnay, which combine butterscotch, buttery brioche, and creme brulee. This was the first wine of our Los Cabos adventure, served at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a beautiful resort, living up to its name (the windows of paradise), but not a paradise for the poor. The food was good, if not as exceptional as I expected, the surroundings were stunning, and the service was very good, but the wine list was disappointing in having far too many very expensive offerings and not enough cheaper but interesting wines. Even if a person has the means, ordering a very expensive wine at a high-end restaurant is something that I don't do, as it makes no sense and is plain silly.
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12/2/2016 - honest bob wrote: 92 Points
From 75cl, exquisite cork, P+P. As previously recorded, but this evening with an additional light caramel touch on the nose and an almost ethereal, perfect mid-palate balance between bright crystalline acidity and round RR Valley fruit, bound in by well-judged oak treatment. Super wine at peak maturity. 92P
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8/28/2016 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
From 75cl, v. good cork, opened but not decanted 1 hour. This outstanding RRV Chardonnay improved over 3 hours, and the last drop was the best. Straight after opening it seemed a little sweet, but after an hour it was taut, vibrant and superbly balanced. Estragon, star anis and a hint of tropical fruit (pineapple? but really subtle...) made this the aromatic and textural equivalent of a superb poulet à l'estragon (which was, coincidently, what we ate with it). Delicious now, but no hurry (3-4 years). 91(-92?)P
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7/2/2016 - lepetitchateau wrote: 89 Points
Nicely crisp and fruit-driven but a tad too sweet. Still, well made.
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6/27/2016 - trastevere Likes this wine: 92 Points
Finely crafted, with apple blossom and citrus on the nose, then flavors of lovely pure white peach and baked apple, intense and with a mineral streak leading to a good citrussy long finish. I enjoyed this on its own, but it was also great with a griddled pork chop!
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6/23/2016 - KSWinegeek wrote: 91 Points
Light yellow in color. Lemon on the nose. Citrus, tropical fruits and slight acidity. Not overly creamy and oak restrained.
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5/19/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Ripe, pure fruit, floral notes, slightly creamy, but very precise. Fresh and mineral, very well balanced. Nice finish. Drink or keep. 91-93
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12/25/2015 - rmalloy wrote: 89 Points
I think this is a well-made wine. It's not inconceivable that this particular wine could have come from Burgundy or Italy, but it would be at the end of the spectrum in terms of creaminess and ripe tropical fruit. My palate prefers more austere flavors, less-ripe fruit, and less diacetyl.
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12/13/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pineapple, yellow apple, pear and some vanilla shadings. Medium plus weight with a nice balance.
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11/23/2015 - tzelmer wrote: 90 Points
Lovely as always. Delicious now, better in two years, could last quite a bit longer but not particularly built for long aging.
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11/10/2015 - Villa D Likes this wine: 91 Points
I believe this 2012 Russian River product is one of the better Ramey has put out and deserves a better rating than previous vintages
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11/2/2015 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice wine. Had with grilled Brie and fig sandwiches with rosemary butter.
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10/31/2015 - slulkin wrote: 89 Points
Drank with friends over appetizers, paired nicely with a baked brie. May have chilled it a bit too much as it didn't really start to express itself until it was almost gone. On the nose notes of peach, lemon and green apples. On the palate more of the same with a little spiciness, oak, and nice acidity.
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10/10/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yellow, fresh cut apple , some peach and pear, balanced, nice acidity, not too big, not over oaked. Very nice for the price.
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10/7/2015 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
A small pour at a tasting. This chardonnay has good acidity, butter, oak, malo and lemon.
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10/6/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 89 Points
Ramey Tasting (Woodbury, MN): Light gold color. Tasting pour over 20 minutes. I missed the description of this wine, which I'm told said it wasn't buttery at all. Yikes, because this was all buttered popcorn to me on the nose and palate. I thought it settled down a tad, but very classic big styled Cali chard IMO. Borderline over the top, and I can tolerate a fair bit. Still manages to be relatively balanced, very creamy textured, with toast, smoke and subtle white peach on the nose. Round and viscous with fairly good acidity though. Medium plus body. Solid, not my favorite of their chards.
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8/21/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
This was simply outstanding and way above my expectations. Peach and citrus dominate the nose and carry over to the palate along with some minerality and vanilla. Nice freshness, depth and complexity. Medium bodied with a slightly creamy texture and good acidity. I did not experience much tartness although one other taster in our group thought it was too tart. I agree with jeffreylubowski that it is a nice mix of new and old world.
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8/16/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Family Winemakers 25th Anniversary Tasting, I remember their first at the Hyatt Embarcadero. nose of pitted fruit, minerals, and a hint of butter, more of the same on the palate, tasty, well made, not my style, medium/long finish.
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8/9/2015 - aanthony Likes this wine:
Enjoyed by K and A.
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8/6/2015 - bkmt wrote: 88 Points
Meyer lemon. Tart for my taste in Chardonnay but good with shrimp and especially a sushi in my mind. The acid would work with that well.
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7/13/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very nice midway point between burg and new world. It has the fruit and alcohol of new world, but the acid and minerality of old. Its smoky and there is some oak, but it's so lively. Classy is a very nice word.for this wine. And actually, for the price, it's probably the better buy than the single vineyard chards. But those are excellent as well. For $28 at safeway, this is a six pack buy.
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7/4/2015 - enjoywine wrote: 88 Points
Bought at Costco in Issaquah for $27. Used to buy this and the Sonoma bottle by the case - but this is just OK as my bar has gotten higher for the 2012's I have tasted. Nothing wrong - but nothing to make you want to load in a case and follow over the next 3 years or so.
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6/25/2015 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 89 Points
High acid and a bit tart, Meyers lemon?
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6/4/2015 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine bright flavor the minimal time in oak barrels gives a nice mineral taste
From the Ramey website:
"Supple and broad on the palate, offering concentrated pit and orchard fruit flavors and a jolt of smoky minerals." - Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May 2014
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5/31/2015 - bacchus wrote: 90 Points
shared this with pat at selkirk manor. had to try this to settle the debate re:longevity and to decide whether to buy more. not the best ramey i have ever had but well worth the asking price. offers generous nose and complexity in the mouth. i like the combination of smokiness and stone fruit. very enjoyable now but i would also be comfortable following for a year or two to see if it gets better. i am betting that i would add a few rating points down the road.
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4/27/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Darn is this just really classy American Chardonnay. And open and expressive right now from a half bottle. In many ways much more open than the single vineyards. So start drinking this bad boy first.
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4/25/2015 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 89 Points
very French in style.
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4/20/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Forward, fresh, fruity and fun to drink young, there is a bright, vanilla tinged, sweet citrus note that is easy to like in this wine.
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4/3/2015 - sequoiagrove Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice california chardonnay fix , which is hard to come by in Denmark. It has a lot of flavour as my wife said. some buttery creaminess, nutty, apricot. I was hoping for a cheaper kistler les noisetiers, as the store manager promised, but it is a bit lighter and more normal taste notes. Id place it between Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Chardonnay and kistler les nois.
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3/22/2015 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light on it's feet, from the tropical fruit, apricot pit and honey on the nose to the pineapple, vanilla and almond on the palate. Crisp and clean - nothing cloying about this one! Delicious.
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3/10/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted at a big California tasting. Ripe notes of apricot, some nuts, popcorn, some smoke and yellow fruits. It's medium-full bodied with medium+ acidity. Good length. A pretty rich and opulent Ramey Chardonnay, but everything is very balanced.
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2/24/2015 - camben Likes this wine:
Wood sticks out a bit, but this is a very high quality consistently made wine. In some respects I prefer this over some of the richer single vineyard offerings.
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10/18/2014 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Light yellow, nicely aromatic and well-structured, this wine offers lemon zest, pear, vanilla and honeysuckle on both the nose and palate. With a backbone of medium acidity, seamless alcohol and well-integrated oak, it remains solid in the middle and closes with a medium-length, crisp finish. Distinctly Russian River in character, this will leave many California Chardonnay lovers with a big smile on their face. Drink now-2020.
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9/24/2014 - CJM Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Clear pale straw. Strawberry, lemon grass. No acids, no tannins. Grapefruit. Short balanced finish.
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8/26/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Robust California Chardonnay in the best possible way. Crisp acids, punchy on the palate. With almost a hint of grip.
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