Ramey Claret Wine 2006; Ramey Winery
A Napa Valley Claret Wine from the Ramey Winery
The term “Claret Wine” encompasses quite a few definitions over time. Ramey Winery calls this a Claret wine, rather than a simple Cabernet Blend. This is a worthy classification and true in the sense of traditional Claret especially if we look at the history of Claret wines.
The term Claret is commonly used to define a red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.
The five red grapes grown in Bordeaux are: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec ; hence most Bordeaux reds are a blend of those grapes
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During the years 1152 to 1453, wine trade was greatly encourage between France and England, but the standard style of Bordeaux wine has not always been deep red. The addition of the Bordeaux white wine varietals bought the color closer to a rosé, hence the French “clairet”, meaning pale. As the taste for clairet developed in England, the English translation of “claret” was adopted to describe the wines from Bordeaux.
During the late Middle Ages, the term Claret wine morphed to mean a spiced wine drink. Usually a red wine was poured over a mixed spice bag common to medieval clarets; anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel.
Jump to the 1800’s, the addition of spices is now abandoned, but the wines of Bordeaux were often blended with Syrah before the French AOC began. The blended “Claret” wines often fetched higher prices in the English market than those which had not been “improved.”
The overall meaning of “claret” has changed over time to refer to a dry, dark red Bordeaux so we go back to the traditional native to Bordeaux red varietals, but in this case, they come from Napa Valley!
Ramey Wine Cellars Claret Wine Reviewed
The Ramey Claret follows the 1800’s definition of a Claret wine based on the blended varietals. They opted for 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 4% Merlot, 3% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The Syrah, of course, being the factor that is not native to Bordeaux. As in any blended wine, the proportion of varietals give the specific characters and tastes to the final blend.
I had grabbed this bottle and a 2007 Oregon Chardonnay from Adelsheim as I ran out the door to a dinner party earlier this week. I was happy to have a red, though the winery itself calls this their “Roasted Chicken Wine”. Alas, roast chicken was not on the menu, rather the main entree served was steak and the Ramey Claret was going to be served along with it!
The color did not bespeak to the original definition of “clairet” as the color was most certainly not pale, rather a deep ruby red. Upon opening, for me, nose was filled with black cherry, plums, currents and an undercurrent of spice and some herbs.
The wine is medium bodied with rich tannins. It improved upon breathing and I might even decant it next time to help that process along. The fruit came though up-front and bold, but held together with the framework provided by the tannin structure . The Strong berry and plum continues with some richer cocoas, a hint of tobacco, but upon the finish the spice note repeats in a very pleasurable way.
Overall, it was great with a the lighter aspect of the steak with a fresh mixed green salad. It was not too heavy with a nice viscosity and an elegant finish, though if the meal was heavily sauced or spiced the wine might not have held up as nicely.
Ramey Claret Wine Values
It’s worth purchasing now while we are offering the 2006 Ramey Claret Wine on sale for $29.00 rather than the regularly priced $38.00. The Ramey Claret will also improve beyond its already impressive Wine Spectator Rating of 91 points and will be best if drunk from 2010 through 2016.
Tags: Claret Wine, Claret Wine History, napa valley, Ramey Claret Wine 2006, Ramey Winery
This entry was posted
on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews.
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