Ramey Wine Cellars

California

Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Sonoma Coast

$ USD

Release Price

Drink Window

14.5%

ABV

pH

TA

RS

Growing Conditions

Our Sonoma Coast bottling reflects its region and so is a bit crisper and leaner than our Russian River. The 2010 Sonoma Coast comes from 61% Martinelli Charles Ranch, 19% Rodgers Creek, 15% Platt, and 5% Ritchie. These vineyards are cool sites, with low vigor soil, which may be planted to a larger-clustered clone—typically, UC Davis clone 4—or they might be a younger planting of a Wente or Dijon selection.

The 2010 vintage was quite cool, and these grapes started coming in the last days of September, with the Charles Ranch finishing on October 22. Thus, our trademark bright acidity and freshness are particularly apparent this year.

Bottling

After spending the following vintage in tank, the 2010’s were bottled without filtration in December 2011.

Winemaking

This includes whole-cluster pressing for delicacy, native-yeast barrel fermentation, aging sur lies with bâtonnage, and full native malolactic fermentation.

Aging

Our appellation Chardonnays are given less new oak—twenty to twenty-five percent—and spend less time in barrel—twelve months—than the single-vineyard wines, but otherwise are made identically to them.

More from this Producer

Ramey Wine CellarsChardonnay, Platt Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

The Platt Vineyard is our coolest site, producing wine that is more focused and mineral driven than fruit driven. Located five miles from the Pacific off Bodega Highway, midway between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay, the vineyard sits at 800' on a south-facing slope overlooking the Estero Americano (which funnels cooling marine weather to the Sacramento delta via the Petaluma Gap). Platt was planted in 2003 Wente selection Chardonnay collected from one of our Hyde Vineyard blocks, the rows are densely planted (3' and 4' by 6') on low-vigor rootstock (420A). In 2010, we removed the Chardonnay trunks from three acres of our 16 acre block and grafted Pommard and 828 Dijon Pinot Noir clones to the rootstock. Located five miles from the Pacific off Bodega Highway, midway between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay, the vineyard sits at 800' on a south-facing slope overlooking the Estero Americano (which funnels cooling marine weather to the Sacramento delta via the Petaluma Gap). Soil is Goldridge Loam uplifted from ancient ocean floor. Planted on low-vigor rootstock (420A) to the Wente selection chosen from one of our Hyde Vineyard blocks. The rows were densely planted (3' and 4' by 6') in 2003.

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Ramey Wine CellarsCabernet Sauvignon, Pedregal Vineyard, Oakville

Site: “Pedregal” means a rocky place in Spanish, and that is certainly a distinguishing feature of the site. This is a small, hillside vineyard on the lower slopes of eastern Oakville that is planted to 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. In 2008, we agreed to a long-term lease of this vineyard giving us complete control even through change in ownership. Soil: Iron-rich red soil, 85% basalt rock Clonal Selection: The Cabernet Sauvignon is Clone 7. The Petit Verdot is Sterling selection. Planted: The Cabernet Sauvignon was planted on St. George and 110R rootstock with 4'x8' spacing in 1990. The Petit Verdot was planted on 110R rootstock with 4'x6' spacing in 1993.