Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard 2016

WA95+; Pow! The nose of the 2016 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is gregarious with loads of melon, guava, peach and buttery touches plus lemon curd, pastry crust and caramel hints. Medium to full-bodied, it packs in a wallop of flavor layers—from luscious ripe fruits to bakery and mineral notes—framed by absolutely mouthwatering acidity and phenolic texture and finishing very long with amazing energy. Grapes for this wine come from vines planted in 1972. It fermented in barrel with bâtonnage and aged in 22% new French oak for 20 months.