Ramey Wine Dinner at the Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons on Brickell with Special Guest George Staikos

"Woke up this morning with a wine glass in my hand,
whose wine? what wine? where the hell did I dine!"

Do You Feel Like I Do by Peter Frampton

We have a lot of dining and drinking going on all over town with several new events just added to our April calendar of events; like Dr. Revana and Thomas Arvid at the New River Art Gallery on April 27th.

Check out our calendar of events for the latest updates on all the drinking that we are doing all over in South Florida.

Today’s e-mail features and event with David Ramey’s wines and although this has been on the calendar for a few weeks- we now have the menu!

David Ramey is one of the most sought after consultants in California today, in addition to having his hands in a dozen or more wines with other people’s names on the bottle, his wines are among the best wines produced in their category every year.  After several decades of making wine David knows where the top vineyard sites are in Napa and Sonoma and through his relationships with growers has been able to secure some of the best grapes to put his label on.

Join us as we sample some of the new releases from Ramey winery with the director of sales and marketing for the winery George Staikos will be here to tell us about the wines.  Chef Aaron Brook has put together a special five course tasting menu to accompany the tasting wines.  The fee for this dinner is $85+ Tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

Ramey Dinner at The Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons on Brickell
with Special Guest George Staikos
Tuesday, April 16th
7pm

 

Reception

Florida Stone Crab Salad, Melons, Marcona Almond Vinaigrette, Tarragon

Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Russian River 2009
Price: $53.25       Sale $46.86          Case $543

Situated directly in the center of the Russian River appellation, our block of Kent Ritchie’s vineyard was planted in 1972 to the old Wente selection. Widely spaced—the fashion at the time—these old vines with their gnarly trunks produce tiny quantities of grapes per vine. The benchland soil is pure Goldridge Loam, common to great vineyards in this part of the Russian River Valley.

 

First Course

Seared Georges Bank Scallop, Celery Root Puree, Meyer Lemon Marmalade, Heirloom Radishes

Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay Carneros 2009
Price: $57.00       Sale $50.16          Case $582

Located in gently rolling terrain north of Carneros Highway, the soils are quite heavy clay. Vine selection is old Wente, Robert Young and Long Vineyards – each a Wente selection themselves – ranging in age from 11 to 30 years old. The Wente is marked by very small grape clusters, with small berries, and the so-called “hen-and-chick” -- large and small berries within the same cluster. The Wente produces a classic, Burgundian-style wine without the tropical fruit tones of some California Chardonnays. The Long Vineyards selection adds a floral note, and the Hyde Vineyard wines often seem charming and feminine. High natural acidity plays a prominent role.

 

Second Course

House Made Kielbasa, Butter Braised Cabbage, Fuji Apple, Caraway and Dill

Ramey Russian River Chardonnay 2010
Price: $30.00       Sale $26.40          Case $306

2010 was a lovely, cooler vintage which excelled in producing our style of Chardonnay—a perfect balance of old world style and new world fruit. Thirty-seven percent from six different Dutton ranches, 20% from three Martinelli vineyards, 20% King, 8% Rochioli Vineyards (with Allen), 4% from Green Pastures (a 41-year-old Wente vineyard back Felta Creek Road), and this vintage we declassified a bit of Ritchie (6%), Hyde (4%) and Hudson (1%) into the Russian River blend. A slightly warmer climate compared with our Sonoma Coast sites results in an earlier harvest from these vineyards with a somewhat richer texture and flavor than our Sonoma Coast bottling.

 

Dinner Course

Fire Roasted Lamb Loin, Eggplant, Currants, Sweet Pepper and Black Olive Ragout

Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009
Price: $58.50       Sale $51.48          Case $597

Our fifth vintage of this appellation Cabernet, which represents a blend of hillside and valley floor vineyards. This year included the J. Davies Vineyard on Diamond Mountain, 21%; the Somerston hillside vineyard, 20%; DeSantis on the valley floor just north of Zinfandel Lane, 21%; Lamoreaux in Oak Knoll, 34%; and 4% from two small parcels. Aging on the fine lees incorporates the oak so that the two years spent in two-thirds new barrels (a mixture of French and American) is barely noticeable. As with all of our wines, it was fermented with native yeasts and bacteria and bottled without filtration. This wine combines the harmony produced by traditional Bordelaise winemaking techniques with the voluptuousness of a great Napa Valley vintage. 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

 

Cheese Course

Rogue Mountain Blue 'Fondue', Brioche Toast, Potatoes, Red Grapes, Elderflower

Ramey Syrah Sonoma Coast 2009
Price: $43.25       Sale $38.06          Case $441

Our third vintage of this appellation-level Syrah, it’s a blend of 57% Shanel Vineyard, 35% Rodgers Creek Vineyard and 8% Cole Creek Vineyard. Shanel being on the eastern, warmer side of Sonoma Mountain, just at the limit of the Sonoma Coast appellation, it provides a richer, fruitier expression of Syrah, while the Rodgers Creek contributes the cool-climate, savory character that to us defines Syrah.

This blend combines for a smooth, supple elegant wine which will pair well with grilled sausages, duck breast, roast pork or chicken and any sort of lamb. Co-fermented with 7% Viognier and with 25% whole Syrah clusters, the wine rested sur lies for 24 months in 60% new barrels. Fermentation and malo were both native and the wine was bottled without filtration.

A bit about Ramey Winery:

A select group of winemakers can be credited with revolutionizing modern day winemaking in California. They are the innovators who, some 20 years ago, brought Old World traditions back to a New World that had thrown in its lot with university scientists to make squeaky clean wines largely devoid of character. The goal of these new wave winemakers was to put terroir back into the bottle and create wines of unique distinction.

David Ramey is widely acknowledged to be among the wine pioneers whose efforts helped raise the bar for all American winemakers and brought California to the forefront of the international wine world. David’s groundbreaking work with indigenous yeasts and malolactic and barrel fermentation yielded a new California style that was richer, more lush and silky smooth than previously known. As a result, he created a benchmark style now emulated by many.

At first, David followed a traditional path and received a graduate degree from the University of California at Davis, where his 1979 thesis on volatile ester hydrolysis (translation: how flavors evolve in wine) is still used today to unveil certain vinous mysteries. But shortly afterwards, a stint working for the Moueix family at the renowned Chateau Pétrus introduced David to the time-honored methods of winemaking in France. He brought his lessons home and applied them to the grapes he found growing in California’s premier wine regions.

David Ramey started his career in wine with little more than a degree in enology and a dream. Then, after nearly two decades of creating benchmark wines for such California wineries as Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus and Rudd, David Ramey and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996. “Owning one’s own winery is the dream of every winemaker,” David says, looking back on the path that led him to build his own. It took time, planning and a profound understanding of how best to bring together all the elements—from the grapes, to the winery materials, and a top-notch team of professionals—to make it all work.

Ramey Wine Cellars is located off the town square in the quaint Sonoma County town of Healdsburg. It is a sleek, efficient, no-frills work space dedicated exclusively to making the highest quality wines possible. “In our own winery, we’re not distracted, as I had been, by the ongoing and changing needs of an employer,” David notes. “At Ramey Wine Cellars, we try to foster a team environment where everybody feels empowered to contribute and make a difference in both winery operations and the wine itself. My hope is to create an atmosphere of great opportunity for all.”

The winery produces authentic, hand-crafted wines made in an Old World tradition--coupled with New World innovation and California terroir. Owned exclusively by David and his wife Carla, grapes are sourced from vineyards with which David has worked for many years.  Their next project will be to purchase land and develop their own vineyards.

Ramey Wine Cellars, which David owns with his wife, Carla, was founded in 1996. Currently, David continues to “swing for the fences,” as he likes to say. To make great wines, he takes chances, harvesting his grapes at the last possible moment and using methods in the cellar that his former college professors consider risky at best. The resulting wines are praised among colleagues, consumers and the media alike. David serves on the board of Family Winemakers of California and the executive board of Communicating for Agriculture and the Self-employed.  He lives with his family in Glen Ellen, not far from the Ramey Wine Cellars winery in Healdsburg.

 

A few more wines available from Ramey:

Ramey Rodgers Creek Syrah 2009
Price: $67.50       Sale $59.40          Case $689

This is our fifth release from this unique property, positioned 800 feet up the southwest face of Sonoma Mountain, hard by the Petaluma Gap which sweeps cool Pacific air past on its way to the Central Valley. Poor volcanic soils and the cool weather limit yields to two tons per acre or less, and it is routinely the last or among the last of our sites to be harvested. This cool climate brings out the savory characteristics of the variety, as opposed to its jammy, fruity side, and one finds here aromas and flavors of smoked meats, white pepper, green olive and grapefruit, with an almost Pinot-like texture and balance on the palate; definitely not an overblown Shiraz style.

When we planted this in 2002 we put in 8% Viognier which we harvest at the same time we like the inclusion of whole Syrah clusters in the fermentation and so add 25-30%; this seems to heighten the “Syrahness.” Other aspects of fermentation and élevage are the same as with all of our winemaking—native yeast and malolactic fermentations, aging sur lies, and bottling without filtration. This vintage rested 27 months in 91% new French barrels.

Review:

(92-94 Points) The 2009 Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard (from barrel) caresses the palate with layers of expressive, sensual fruit. The wine is understandably quite primary and young, but nevertheless impresses for its textural elegance and shape. This needs time to come together but is immensely promising, even at this early stage. Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, February 2012

Ramey Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2009
Price: $43.75       Sale $38.50          Case $467

 This is the second vintage to be dominated by the Martinelli Charles Ranch on Bohan Dillon Road. Planted in 1982, this is one of the most spectacular vineyards in Sonoma County. Our Sonoma Coast bottling reflects its region and so is a bit crisper and leaner than our Russian River. 46% Martinelli Charles Ranch, 27% Sangiacomo (Green Acres and Tall Grass), 11% Sonoma Stage, 9% Hudson F-block, and 7% Rodgers Creek.

Review:

(92 Points)  Bright gold. Complex, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh melon, tangerine, white flowers and gingerbread. Juicy and precise, offering lively citrus and spice flavors with a subtle touch of honey. Shows impressive clarity and energy on the finish, with the spice and floral notes repeating. Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/June 12

Ramey Pedregal Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009
Price: $189                          Sale $166.32       Case $1928

Our sixth vintage from this small, outstanding vineyard on the lower slopes of the eastern Oakville hills. “Pedregal” means a rocky place in Spanish, and that is certainly a distinguishing feature of the site. During 2008 we agreed to a long-term lease of this vineyard which gives us complete control even through any change in ownership, so this is the second vintage we’ve directed farming ourselves (we converted to organic). Aging the 2009 on its fine lees has coated the tannins and smoothly integrated the wood, and we left this vintage 24 months in completely new French barrels—yet it’s hard to find the oak. This year the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot were harvested four days apart in mid-October and fermented separately; at blending, Petit Verdot was included at 7%. As with all of our wines, this was fermented with native yeasts and bacteria and bottled without filtration.

Review:

(95-97 Points)  The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal Vineyard bursts onto the palate with an exciting tapestry of black cherries, plums, camphor, smoke and grilled herbs. It is a tremendously powerful, structured wine endowed with tons of richness. This dark, brooding beauty will require considerable patience, but is a stunner. Wow! The 2009 Pedregal is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot that spent 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, every bit of which is masterfully integrated. Drink: 2019-2029.  Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, February 2012

Ramey Annum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009
Price: $102                          Sale $89.76          Case $1041

The fourth vintage of this blend, which represents our version of a “winemaker’s wine.” Having spent so much time working in Bordeaux and visiting Burgundy, the Loire and the Rhone, I’m deeply steeped in French winemaking tradition, including their orientation toward the growing site or region. Thus, all our wines are either vineyard designates or regional blends. While Annum is an appellation wine, it is the one blend we make each year that allows us to select from a range of vineyards to make the best blend possible that vintage. This fourth release is composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford and Diamond Mountain along with 17% Petit Verdot from our Pedregal Vineyard in Oakville. While we try not to use too much new oak, the density of this wine allowed it to spend 24 months in all new barrels, after which it was bottled without filtration. As with all of our wines, this was fermented with native yeasts and bacteria.

Review:

(94-97 Points)  The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Annum comes across as a bit restrained next to the 2008, which is not a bad thing at all. It possesses stunning depth and volume in a dramatic style that stands far apart from the super-ripe 2008. Mint, freshly cut flowers, spices and licorice are some of the notes that add complexity to the fruit. The resonant, creamy finish leaves a lasting impression. The 2009 includes a new source of fruit, Shartsis, a vineyard near Dana Estates’s home vineyard in Rutherford that comprises 55% of the blend. J. Davies (28%) and Pedregal (17%) account for the remaining 45%. The 2009 Annum is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Petit Verdot. It is a great, great wine from David Ramey. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029.  Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, February 2012