May 4, 2024 - From 75cl, DIAM10 closure, opened but not decanted 30 minutes, first sip was the best, deteriorated thereafter. Pineapple, papaya and a sneaky ester-like volatile glue-sniffing something in the background. Bright acidity and 14,5% alc fight it out on the mid-palate, releasing some retronasal hints of—no it can't possibly be—smoke? Oh dear. I enjoyed this a lot on 28.02.2020 and 07.04.2023, but this bottle was only just holding it all together this evening. 88P(?)
April 7, 2023 - From 75cl, DIAM10 closure, opened 1 hour, longer would have been better. Butterscotch, pineapple and a hint of papaya; bright acidity; lovely mid-palate harmony; resonant finish. An outstanding RRV Chardonnay now entering maturity but with several years to go. 92–93P
May 18, 2022 - Butter, lemon, marmalade; in between Russian River Valley and Woolsey in profile; crisp high acidity; not developing quite as nicely as I might have liked; tasted at winery
January 13, 2021 - Pleasant aromas of tangerine, white peach, almond, and flint, balanced nicely with vanilla and brioche oak notes. On the palate, the initial taste is a bit creamy before the fruit flavors, including some pineapple, kick in. Complexity was a little lacking, but overall this is a well balanced medium body Chardonnay with good acid and a pleasant long finish.
February 28, 2020 - Ramey Wine Cellars, Healdsburg CA: From 75cl, DIAM 10, poured 20 minutes before tasting. Wierdly, this smells more mature than the Woolsey Road, perhaps because the oak is more evident. But the big, buttery entry isn’t giving much away right now and were it not for the strong acidic gain through the mid-palate and some pineapple fruit piercing through the thick texture I’d have thought it pretty heavy and stodgy today. The finish has a tannic edge to it. Very promising given 5+ years, but not a lot of fun today. Still, rating this outstanding wine 80P (CT TN from rossermi on 29.12.2019) is, of course, ridiculous. $65 at cellar door. 91-93P(?)
December 29, 2019 - The smell of oak but have a has citrus and apple taste in the back. It should mellow out in the next couple of years
November 21, 2019 - "Huh, smells like a Ramey."
Yup.
Hay, light spice, pear and apple fruit turn more tropical as the wine warms up from refrigerator temperature. Mouth filling but not heavy, as the core of acidity keeps it fresh. Not so big and rich as Hyde can sometimes be, it's in the middle between Hyde and the appellation bottlings. Nice sweet spot for the wine. This was my first time ever tasting this particular cuvée, so not going to hazard an overall judgement on the "worthiness" of the wine, just say that I like it, and will happily drink my other bottle in a year or two, to see what happens.
September 26, 2019 - Nose: ripe, quite savoury profile. Melon, peach. Hint of something cake-like. Palate feels classic California. Sweet oak, ripe core of fruit, very generous. Acidity is fresh enough. Long generous finish.