Situated directly in the center of the Russian River appellation, our block of Kent Ritchie's vineyard was planted in 1972 to the old Wente selection. Widely spaced—the fashion at the time—these old vines with their gnarly trunks produce tiny quantities of grapes per vine. The benchland soil is pure Goldridge Loam, common to great vineyards in this part of the Russian River Valley.
In 2007, this stunning Chardonnay is our pick of the very good bunch from Ramey. It reflects much the same winemaking hand insofar as it is firm, compact and solidly-structured with nary a suggestion of fat, but it moves to the head of the clan by virtue of its extra richness and depth. While it presently hints at stony complexity and teams generous, wonderfully continuous, young fruit with very deftly fit oak, it has a good distance to go before it fully unwinds, and to drink it before it has had the chance to age for two or three years will be to miss what is sure to be a very grand wine.
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