| What an opportunity from a private customer that bit off a little more than they could consume. Sometimes folks ‘buy hard’ on certain wine since certain vintages that they adore, then, after a year or so, thin to themselves, “Uhh, wow, I bought too much.” Sometimes we get the call to help them out with their perfectly-cellared wares…and it’s a great call, since we get to kind of determine the price based on their need to move on…
If there were ever a wine that proved great things really do come in small packages, this is it. The 2022 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay (375ml, half bottle) is pure, unapologetic Ramey brilliance, now conveniently sized for a “just one glass…okay maybe two” kind of night.
Let’s start with the headline: 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points Wine Spectator and the #10 WOTY (wine of the year) for 2024. That’s elite-company territory for Chardonnay anywhere in the world, let alone California. And if you know Ramey, you know this score isn’t about flash, it’s about precision, pedigree, and restraint.
David Ramey has long been one of the architects of modern California Chardonnay, blending Old World sensibility with New World fruit. The Russian River Valley is his sweet spot: cool mornings, fog-laced afternoons, and just enough sunshine to build richness without losing tension. The 2022 vintage delivers that balance in spades. | | | | Coming from special vineyard sites, the climate is cool and the soil vigor low, producing graceful yet vibrant wines. The 2022 vintage comes from 44% Lafranchi, 18% Martinelli Laughlin Rd, 14% Kilcullen, 12% Dutton Sebastopol, 12% Westside Farms. Once picked, the fruit goes into the press whole cluster for phenolic delicacy. Native-yeast and full native malolactic fermentation take place in barrel, with sur lies bâtonnage. After aging 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels (François Frères), the Chardonnay was traditionally fined for clarity during the following harvest and bottled without filtration in December 2023.
In the glass, the wine opens with classic Russian River aromatics with ripe pear, crisp apple, lemon curd, and white peach layered with hints of toasted hazelnut, baking spice, and subtle vanilla from impeccably judged oak. On the palate, it’s creamy yet vibrant, with bright acidity cutting through the richness and carrying the wine to a long, polished finish. Nothing heavy, nothing clumsy, just seamless Chardonnay done right.
And then there’s the half bottle factor. The 375ml format makes this a secret weapon, perfect for weeknight indulgence, a refined lunch pairing, or when you want top-tier white Burgundy vibes without committing to a full bottle. Same serious wine. Same serious score. Zero pressure.
Jeb Dunnuck writes: The 2022 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is also a bright silver straw color and has a slightly deeper tone. Revealing notes of smoky wet stones, lemon balm, green apples, and fresh flowers, it has a bit more medium-bodied richness. with a lovely. light-on-its-feet feel in this vintage. It’s just a joy to drink now or over the next 10-12 years. 95-Points!
The Wine Spectator writes: David Ramey is a legend in California Chardonnay. His children Alan and Claire now run the family winery and continue the tradition of their father’s terrific single-vineyard expressions and regional blends. This wine is a mix of five vineyards: Lafranchi, Martinelli Laughlin Road, Kilcullen, Dutton Sebastopol and the family’s estate, Westside Farms. Their preference is for cool sites with low-vigor soils, and these vineyards were all planted between 1978 and 2006. The grapes are pressed as whole cluster and fermented with ambient yeast. Malolactic is 100 percent, and the Chardonnays are fined but not filtered. 94-Points and Wine Spectator’s #10 Wine of the Year for 2024!
Bottom line? This is benchmark California Chardonnay in a perfectly scaled-down format. If you love world-class white wine, trust your palate and trust Ramey. This little bottle absolutely overdelivers and at $19.98 (usual retail $30), this half bottle stops being a “splurge” and starts being a no-brainer. Grab a few, I know I am… you’ll thank yourself later. Not a lot of cases available BTW, this guy bought a lot, but he didn’t buy that much….LOL. |
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