2012 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)

It's hard to know where to start with this lineup, as David Ramey does so many things so well. The 2012 Chardonnays are beautiful, expressive and ready to go. This year sees the addition of a new Chardonnay, from Woolsey Road, a site farmed by Martinelli that replaces the Hudson in the lineup. Ramey also seems to have gotten the best of the 2012 and 2013 vintages with his Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based reds. The 2012s will drink well early, yet have the stuffing to age, while the 2013 are prototypical vins de garde, with all of the dark fruit and structure of this great vintage. Both the Chardonnays and Cabernets reflect a very Francophile sensibility. The Syrahs are a bit different, as they are quite explosive and intense, much like the Cabernets. It's pretty hard to go wrong with anything in this superb range. Best of all, it looks like Ramey's children will soon be joining the family business, which means the future is in good hands.

Two thousand twelve marks the debut of David Ramey's first pinot noir, which came about because, as Ramey put it, "the fruit was incredible and everybody thought that I did a pinot anyway, so why not?"We discussed vintage generalizations and he mused on the fact that in the Old World such variable years are celebrated, while in California people tend to use a broader brush."Just because something isn't great doesn't mean it's bad," he said, "but that's lost on a lot of people."The 2011 vintage is a prime example, he pointed out."Are there a lot of not-so-good or just plain bad wines?Sure.Is everything bad?No way."Such vintages are the ones where experience, hard work, sacrifice and great vineyards really pay off ("you may only be able to make a little wine but make it good"), he commented, "and that's what people should focus on."