2008 Chardonnay Ritchie
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Tasting notes
Ramey's 2008 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is gorgeous. It has also aged impeccably. Orange confit, crème brûlée, butter, smoke and hazelnut are finely knit in a super-expressive Chardonnay that hits all the right notes. The 2008 will drink well for at least another few years. Stylistically, the 2008 Ritchie belongs to an era when Ramey favored a slightly riper and more new-oak-shaped style than he does today.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(15.4% alcohol; picked at 25.4 degrees Brix, or at least 2 degrees higher than in recent vintages; aged in 64% new oak and 36% twice-used barrels): Bright yellow; not yet gold. Aromas of pear, orange zest and mirabelle , plus a whiff of banana. A very ripe but very dry wine, with its peach, pear and smoky mineral flavors a bit dulled by alcoholic warmth; not showing the penetrating quality it displayed upon release. Today I prefer the 2008 Hyde for its saline minerality and better acidity, although I should note that both of these wines were acidified. Not my favorite vintage here: I'd drink this wine over the next few years.
Vivid gold. Ripe pear, orange zest and smoky minerality on the nose. Deeply pitched but energetic, offering bright orchard fruit flavors and a deeper note of peach pit. Then spicy, dry and penetrating on the finish, which features notes of iodine and bitter herbs. Shows an intriguing blend of richness and vivacity and should be even better with a few years of bottle age.
The medium to full-bodied 2008 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard offers scents of pineapples, pears, honeysuckle and subtle spicy oak. With good power, density and richness, it should drink nicely for 4-5 years. Owner/winemaker David Ramey produces two levels of Chardonnay – his generic appellation cuvees and his single vineyard offerings from three top sites, the Hudson, Hyde and Ritchie vineyards. Tel. (707) 433-0870; Fax (707) 433-0871