2007 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(15.5% alcohol): Bright healthy yellow. Very sexy, Burgundian aromas of fresh stone fruits and musky toffee and butterscotch. Fat, sweet, glyceral and concentrated but still rather reticent. This very rich, ripe, slightly warm wine began a bit low-toned but showed more fruit and spice character and a higher pitch with aeration. Very pure.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Greenish yellow. Vibrant aromas of lime, lemongrass, powdered stone and anise. At once supple and energetic in the mouth, with impressive precision to the peach, citrus and smoky mineral flavors. Tightly wound and taut but not austere, showing a distinct spiciness on the back half. Lively citrus and mineral flavors carry through a rising, spicy finish. These grapes are sourced from four different blocks, all of them planted to the Wente clone, according to Ramey.
My favorite of the generic series is the 2007 Chardonnay Carneros. Vibrant acidity and minerality (characteristics of this vintage) are present in this beautifully fruity effort, as well as notes of smoky hazelnuts, buttered citrus, and loads of freshness and definition. It should drink nicely for three years. A multi-tasker, David Ramey’s Healdsburg operation garnered lavish reviews for his Cabernet Sauvignons in issue #186. He also demonstrates a Midas touch with Chardonnay, while continuing to fine tune his Syrah portfolio. In addition, Ramey’s consulting business appears to be growing by leaps and bounds, and he has been a major factor in turning around the quality of a number of wineries. The 2007 Ramey Chardonnays are all strong efforts, including the three generic offerings from the Sonoma Coast, Russian River, and Carneros, and his single vineyard efforts from the Hudson, Hyde, and Ritchie vineyards. The 2008 barrel samples I saw were slightly more down-sized than the 2007s, which is not unexpected. These potentially outstanding wines were displaying fewer differences in style than I might expect. Tel. (707) 433-0870; Fax (707) 433-0871
Pale straw. Clean, putty nose with real interest. Some Chardonnay richness. Carefully constructed? A bit of a committee wine, or least several lots put together? But lots of pleasure here. (JR)