2014 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
(15.1% alcohol; 30% new oak): Pale, bright yellow. Aromas of lemon zest, wild herbs and minerals. Dense, thick and savory, showing an exotic orange blossom note and a building floral element from the small percentage of Chardonnay Musqué vines but still quite youthfully tight, with a dominant flavor of crushed rock. This baby, from what David Ramey describes as "a big crop, but nice," needs time.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is the most exuberant and layered of David Ramey's Chardonnays. It is also stylistically the wine that is closest in style to past. Rich, sumptuous and layered, the Ritchie expresses intensity in all of its dimensions. Even with all of its richness, the 2014 confers aromatic intensity and freshness. This, too, is very nicely done.
Youthfully mute at this primary stage, the 2014 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard offers suggestions of lemon curd, white peaches and white grapefruit with underlying notes of honeyed toast and butterscotch. The palate is full-on seduction with an appealingly oily texture and tons of peaches and cream flavors, finishing long with a lively lift.