WINE REVIEW: An insider look at winemaker David Ramey,
While much has been written about wines and wineries, there are few portraits about the icons behind the labels, individuals who have gone beyond conventional roles to forge a new movement.
To say David Ramey is a pioneer, innovator and ingenious technician may be a gross understatement. Congenial, humble and unassuming is not what you would expect from an accomplished winemaker with Ramey’s credentials. For nearly four decades, he has gone beyond traditional norms, expanding our understanding of how wine should be made while establishing prominence for wineries along the way.
He mastered Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, California, and defined Chardonnay from Sonoma, California. “Chardonnay is the red of whites,” he professed. Eventually, he would settle in Sonoma County, developing his own brand and winery.
Raised in what would later become the Silicon Valley, Ramey’s parents worked for NASA. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California-Santa Cruz and early on realized his calling was not American literature. Traveling between Baja, California, and Mexico, Ramey had an epiphany about a career path. Shortly after, he enrolled at University of California-Davis, receiving a master’s degree in oenology.
He was exposed to French culture and winemaking techniques during his first internship at Jean-Pierre Moueix of Chateau Petrus fame in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux, France. Afterward, he journeyed to the industrial, high-volume Lindeman’s Winery in Australia.
Arriving back from Australia in 1980, Ramey served as the assistant winemaker to female pioneer Zelma Long at Simi Winery. After five years, he transitioned to winemaker for Matanzas Creek Winery. Later, he would establish the credentials for Chalk Hill Chardonnay as their winemaker.
He then reconnected with Christian Moueix, becoming vice president and winemaker of Dominus and overseeing the winery’s creation. Ramey would then help Leslie Rudd turn Girard Winery into Rudd Estate.
By 1996, David and his wife, Carla, had established Ramey Cellars in Healdsburg, California. Using grapes from renowned Hyde Vineyards in Carneros, David crafted a token amount of his own Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay. He further expanded his horizons, introducing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir along with single-vineyard Chardonnays.
Ramey’s most recent fun project is the Sidebar label. It introduces the public to non-traditional grapes using the Ramey craftsmanship at a more affordable price. This is just another addition to his epithet.
2014 Ramey “Annum” Cabernet Sauvignon
A selection from well-known vineyards in Napa, this red is richly weighted with 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 25 percent Cabernet Franc. It is obviously handcrafted, which is noticeable in the wine’s complex textural quality. Annum is dense and unctuous with an essence of blackberry liqueur, yet it is not overdone.
2015 Ramey “Westside Farms” Chardonnay
Low-yielding vineyards along the banks of the Russian River produce this Chardonnay that fills the mouth with pear and apple compote drizzled with caramel. This delicious bottling is expansive and compelling.
2015 Ramey “Hyde Vineyard” Chardonnay
One of the prized properties within the cool maritime region of Carneros, this Chardonnay has a youthful soul and is focused with sturdy yellow stone fruits and minerality that seem sophisticated. It will gracefully evolve in the bottle.
2015 Ramey Sonoma Coast Syrah
This red is 94 percent Syrah with 6 percent co-fermented Viognier. It reveals a medium ruby color that opens to spicy notes of black plums and chocolate cherries. In the classic Ramey style, the tannins are well managed.
2017 Sidebar Kerner
Grown in Lodi, California, this varietal is a cross between Riesling and Trollinger. This wine is floral with a graceful entry, silky white peach skins and orange peel.