Ramey Wine Cellars Ramey Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2023 750ml

A vivid, fresh, almost chewy wine that's vibrant in crisp apple and tangy lime flavors on the signature creamy texture of Ramey. Flavors emerge on the palate, including minerals, chalk and touches of flint and lemon zest. The grapes come from the Charles Ranch from vines planted in 1982. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.

The 2022 Chardonnay Fort Ross-Seaview reveals more flint, as well as notes of lime zest, green apples, toasty incense, and saline. Medium bodied, it retains good freshness and has a savory feel on the finish. It reveals a light herbal note, but it’s going to drink well over the next 10 years.

There's impressive precision and focus to the flavors in this white, with pure Meyer lemon, pomelo, yuzu and fresh ginger accents, plus a crunchy sea salt detail. Honeycrisp apple, lemon verbena and lemon blossom notes emerge on the finish, where the vibrant acidity gives this a firm backbone. Drink now through 2037. 3,429 cases made.

The 2023 Chardonnay Fort Ross-Seaview comes from Martinelli’s Charles Ranch Vineyard. Originally planted in 1981 to Clone 4 and Old Wente, it’s located just three miles from the Pacific Ocean at 1,115 feet in elevation, and vines are planted in Goldridge and Josephine soils. The grapes were harvested October 18-21, and the wine was barrel-fermented. It matured for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels and was bottled in January of 2025. It’s surprisingly open on the nose, with aromas of red apple, apricot, panna cotta, graham cracker and citrus blossom perfume. The medium-bodied palate is silky and vibrant, with pure, concentrated, saline-laced flavors and a very long, taut finish.

Flavors of key limes and lemon curd burst from this well-balanced, tangy, acid-driven wine as it lights up the palate. Despite a full body, it shows freshness, vibrancy and concentration, with hints of oak spices, vanilla bean and custard that echo on the finish. Drink or hold.