2016 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

WINEMAKER: David Ramey
REGION: California, USA
VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon
VITICULTURE: Organic

Our twelfth vintage of this appellation Cabernet is blended from a combination of hillside and valley floor vineyards. Our style combines the harmony produced by traditional Bordelaise winemaking techniques with the voluptuousness gained from California’s weather, especially in this perfect vintage. Three weeks of cool weather in August and September relaxed the pace of harvest, allowing for methodical picking decisions and perfectly developed fruit. Yields were relatively average – down from 2014 and up from 2015.

After making wine at Château Pétrus, Dominus, Chalk Hill and Rudd Estate, David Ramey settled into his own brand in 1996 and focused on Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and Chardonnay from Sonoma. The wines, as he says, are "bold, but in check." They’re intense, vibrant and refined.

Over the years, David has helped pioneer traditional, artisan winemaking techniques in California during a period when making wine by the University book was the norm. His efforts have helped shape the way many wines in the United States are made today, including the elimination of skin contact for most white grapes; the use of oxidised juice in making white wine; sur lie ageing of white wines in barrel; malolactic fermentation of Chardonnay; native yeast fermentation; harvesting fully mature fruit; eliminating acidification of red wines, and bottling without filtration.