Ram’s Gate
A few weeks back enjoyed a lively Zoom call with Ram’s Gate winemakerJoe Nielsen, who has been now at the helm for five vintages. He has been slowly creating his own program to have wines that show a more Chablisesque profile with slightly less oak influence in the wines. 2020 brought a mixed bag of wines due to the fires that occurred in early September. This was a great challenge that winemakers in Sonoma and Napa had never seen, as Nielsen mentioned “We picked a lot before the fires and were very careful about picking after the fires. We did lose a lot of stuff unfortunately. We brought in 30-40% of what I anticipated and the vintage was small as well. Some of the production numbers are tiny but quality is nice.” He continued “We are starting to have enough vintages to look at verticals. 2020 as a vintage is really pretty, contrary to the commentary that I have heard of the vintage. Grapes are concentrated, fresh and precise.”
He has been working on dialing down the oak influence in the wines, yet has been using a smilier amount of new French oak. He stated “That [process] comes across as more linear on the palate and more texture” he said.
I loved the new 2020 Ram’s Gate ‘El Diablo Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is fresh and lively with salty undertones. Just as good is the gorgeous 2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Hyde Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is deep and concentrated with some good aging potential. Learn more about this great winery at ramsgatewinery.com and here are my reviews of the new Ram’s Gate wines.
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Cellar Note’ Chardonnay- The 2020 ‘Cellar Note’ is a vintage cuvee which was made from 13 barrels. The nose shows off butterscotch, lemon oil and ripe pineapple notes with suggestions of salted cashew nut. The palate is soft and refined with a light underlying salinity that combines with the good tension. Finishing long, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2028- 91
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘El Diablo Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2020 Ram’s Gate ‘El Diablo Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from this warmer site on Eastside Road on the Russian River Valley. Utilizing Montrachet and Robert Young clinical selections, this was stored in 30% new French oak prior to bottling. The nose is gorgeous with orange blossom and lemon rind dusted brioche with shades of juicy papaya. The palate is ripe and beautifully textured, showing outstanding length and lovely fresh pastry crust, kumquat zest and stony minerals, this is drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve well for another ten years. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Hyde Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The ‘Hyde Vineyard’ is one of the most famous sites in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley and Ram’s Gate has been sourcing from this site since the 2012 vintage, as this was stored in 35% new French oak before bottling. On the nose this takes on ripe white peach and Pazzaz apple tones that combine with caramel topped brioche. Generous and layered, with a downright killer vintage, the 2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Hyde Vineyard’ Chardonnay will live on for at least another decade. Drink 2022-2032- 93
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Cellar Note’ Pinot Noir- Winemaker Joe Nielson made 15 barrels of this Pinot Noir from three different Sonoma Coast vineyards. This comes off very clean and pretty. The nose shows off cran-cola tones alongside white pepper, Mandarin orange zest and peat moss accents. The salty character really shines in this downright delicious Pinot Noir. Enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 91
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘El Diablo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Picked in early August, this is sourced from two separate clonal selections in the ‘El Diablo Vineyard.’ Stored for 16 months in 33% new French oak, the nose takes on layers of ripe red cherry with red rose petals, cinnamon sticks and suggestions of forest floor. The palate is jam-packed of tart red fruits that combine with wet stone, kumquat zest and loads of mouth-watering acidity. Broad-shouldered and generous, this is gorgeous Pinot Noir to consume now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2022-2034- 93
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Bush Crispo Vineyard’ PInot Noir- The ‘Bush Crispo Vineyard’ is a small, 4 acre vineyard entirely sourced from Ram’s Gate, located on River Road, not far from Martinelli Vineyard. The vineyard is planted to two clones (115 and Pommard) of Pinot Noir that create very small, concentered clusters. The wine is soft and round on the mouth, with a smooth texture. Very juicy red fruit flavors combine with exotic spices, blood orange zest and suggestions of wild mushroom on the palate. Drink 2022-2034- 92
2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2020 Ram’s Gate ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir comes from this windy and cooler site in the Carneros AVA. Soils here are low-vigor and vines tend to be shut down by pressure from the high winds which leads to very concentrated berries. Given 25% whole cluster fermentation the nose shows toasty oak with ripe guava and salmonberry notes alongside salted citrus rind. The palate is very fresh and focused with a smooth texture and bright acidity. Enjoy this beautiful wine over the next ten plus years. Drink 2022-2035- 93