You don’t see a lot of New World Chardonnay on SommSelect because it’s not something I drink a lot of. If you’re like me, you prefer to drink white Burgundy from the classic regions of France, but hear me out on this: David Ramey is, and always has been, on another level.
Today’s wine is pure gold from the Platt Vineyard, one of the most celebrated sites on the Sonoma Coast. It drinks like great Meursault, but as my fellow Burgundy lovers know, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Meursault of this level of quality at this price. Ramey’s ’14 delivers all the hallmarks we adore in great Burgundy—creamy Meyer lemon with a sea-salty oyster shell quality balanced by perfectly mature apple and pear—it makes me appreciate what California has done with the Chardonnay variety. Only a small percentage of wines perform at this level. If you love that classic Old World style epitomized by the likes of Stony Hill, Sandhi, Littorai, and Ceritas, you’ll love this. A library release, the 2014 Ramey Platt Vineyard is classic Chardonnay, and we are honored to share a wine that represents both David’s skill and the real magic of a great New World terroir.
Whole clusters of Chardonnay grapes are fermented on native yeasts and, after pressing, aged sur lie in mostly used French oak barrels. The magic of this wine will be locked up and lost if you serve it too cold. I’d recommend serving it in Burgundy stems, close to cellar temperature, around 50-55 or even 60. The 2014 Ramey Platt is a gorgeous lemon-gold color with silver slivers, revealing energetic and lively sea-spray aromas, oyster shell, and lemon and lime blossoms that makes you think of great Premier Cru Meursault. After 7-8 minutes in the glass, you’ll notice slightly toasted hazelnut with Meyer lemon peel and pineapple core, yellow apple slightly-baked, but fresh, with incredible tension and an enveloping texture with depth of mineral. When these wines age, they develop the complexities and nuances that evoke great Old World wines as some of the fruit drops out and these savory nuances emerge. Nerve and mineral haven’t always been associated with California Chardonnay, but more and more producers are trying to do it like Ramey—who’s been doing it well for some time now. Serve it with roast chicken in a morel cream sauce with mashed potatoes, as in the attached recipe; it will be perfect with the vibrancy and richness of this wine. Enjoy!