96 Points Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is one of the stars in this range from Ramey. Creamy and layered, with superb persistence, the 2023 is a real standout. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint, white pepper and tangerine peel soar across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. What a stunner.
96 Points James Suckling
A very pretty, fruity wine at first whiff, then it gets more concentrated, structured and tense on the palate. Medium-bodied and well braced by citrus acidity, with green apples, golden apples, baking spices and Bosc pears in a rich but lively texture. From a Martinelli family vineyard. Drink now or hold.
95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is exotic and perfumed! Peach, lime custard, lemongrass, pie crust and roasted almond aromas pour from the glass. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and sapid with youthfully flinty flavors. Racy acidity adds tension, and it has a very long finish.
Winemaker Notes and History
Woolsey Road Vineyard Chardonnay is exclusive to Ramey; you will not find this pedigreed wine anywhere else. Woolsey ties its lineage to two greats in the Chardonnay world: it originates from the Hyde family’s cuttings of the Old Wente clone and the vineyard is farmed by the Martinellis, who have over 135 years of experience as grape growers in Sonoma.
This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to our specifications in 2007. It lies directly south of their winery on Woolsey Road. Vines are spaced one meter by two meters on a northeast-facing slope. Rootstock is 420A, known for low vigor, and the vines are cane pruned. This cool site was planted with Old Wente cuttings taken from Chardonnay we planted at Platt Vineyard, which had been sourced from the Hyde Vineyard. We press whole clusters for phenolic delicacy. Native yeast and full native malolactic fermentations take place in barrel, with sur lies bâtonnage. After 20 months in 20% new French oak barrels, the Chardonnay was traditionally fined for clarity and texture and bottled without filtration in June 2025.
