Scents of black cherries, baker’s chocolate, and baked blueberries entice the nose.  The mid-palate consists of juicy blackberries, toast, licorice and pressed roses. This wine has plenty of structure but with restraint. The velvety smooth finish with its fine, elegant tannins and refreshing acidity seems to go on and on.

WINE INFORMATION

Ramey Wine Cellars was founded in 1996 by David Ramey and his wife Carla. After sixteen years making wine in Sonoma County, and firmly establishing Matanzas Creek and Chalk Hill, David crossed the Mayacamas to spend six years in the Napa Valley--first as winemaker for Dominus Estate and project manager for the construction of their new winery; then helping Leslie Rudd reshape the Girard Winery into Rudd Oakville. David Ramey is widely acknowledged to be among the wine pioneers whose efforts helped raise the bar for all American winemakers and brought California to the forefront of the international wine world. David’s groundbreaking work with indigenous yeasts and malolactic and barrel fermentation yielded a new California style that was richer, more lush and silky smooth than previously known. As a result, he created a benchmark style now emulated by many.

Grapes for this wine are soured from Napa Valley (89%), Russian River Valley (10%), and 1% combined from Sonoma County, North Coast and Mendocino. It is made with the Brodeaux style: fermentation in barrel followed by assemblage of the blend that is then aged on the lees for 12 months in a combination of French and American barrels (only 13% new). The wine was lightly fined and bottled unfiltered in February 2018.

TASTING NOTES

Scents of black cherries, baker’s chocolate, and baked blueberries entice the nose.  The mid-palate consists of juicy blackberries, earth and clove.  The velvety smooth finish with its fine, elegant tannins seems to go on and on.

FOOD PAIRING

This big bold wine would go nicely with filet mignon drizzled with a black peppercorn and red wine sauce or leg of roasted lamb.  It also could be enjoyed with beef stew, duck confit or wild game birds, a hearty minestrone, or venison. 

Duck, Hearty stew, Lamb, Red Meat, Wild Game