The 2008 Syrah is a huge wine bursting with dark fruit, tar, licorice, black olive tapenade, savory herbs and smoke. Some of the wilder, rougher qualities of Syrah are present, but the wine nevertheless delivers tons of pleasure. Layers of fruit build towards the rich finish. Ramey co-fermented 6% Viognier with the Syrah and aged the wine for 24 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. David Ramey is one of the few California winemakers who thinks in terms of structure, not just flavor, something that sets him apart from many of his peers. All of the wines I tasted at Ramey’s cellar just outside Healdsburg were terrific. I also sampled a number of older wines, all of which have held up very well. Best of all, most of the wines remain very fairly priced considering the quality of what is in the bottle. My visit ended with the 2001 Cabernet Jericho Canyon Road, which was stunning. At age 10 it remains an infant. I only wish I owned it. The next best thing is Ramey’s new Annum bottling from 2009 forward, the vintage in which the main vineyard source switched to Shartsis, a parcel in Rutherford close to Dana Estates’s Helms vineyard. The Pedregal, from a vineyard in Oakville, is perhaps even better, but it also costs twice as much. The appellation Chardonnays spend 12 months in oak, ranging from 20-25% new, while the vineyard designates spent 18 months in oak, with a higher percentage of new barrels.Tel. (707) 433-0870, www.rameywine.com

The 2008 Syrah is a huge wine bursting with dark fruit, tar, licorice, black olive tapenade, savory herbs and smoke. Some of the wilder, rougher qualities of Syrah are present, but the wine nevertheless delivers tons of pleasure. Layers of fruit build towards the rich finish. Ramey co-fermented 6% Viognier with the Syrah and aged the wine for 24 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. David Ramey is one of the few California winemakers who thinks in terms of structure, not just flavor, something that sets him apart from many of his peers. All of the wines I tasted at Ramey’s cellar just outside Healdsburg were terrific. I also sampled a number of older wines, all of which have held up very well. Best of all, most of the wines remain very fairly priced considering the quality of what is in the bottle. My visit ended with the 2001 Cabernet Jericho Canyon Road, which was stunning. At age 10 it remains an infant. I only wish I owned it. The next best thing is Ramey’s new Annum bottling from 2009 forward, the vintage in which the main vineyard source switched to Shartsis, a parcel in Rutherford close to Dana Estates’s Helms vineyard. The Pedregal, from a vineyard in Oakville, is perhaps even better, but it also costs twice as much. The appellation Chardonnays spend 12 months in oak, ranging from 20-25% new, while the vineyard designates spent 18 months in oak, with a higher percentage of new barrels. Tel. (707) 433-0870, www.rameywine.com