2017 Sidebar Cellars by David Ramey Sauvignon Blanc Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley 750 ml

The easy, breezy style of Sauvignon Blanc familiar to most drinkers doesn’t even hint at the greatness the grape can achieve when grown in the right places, put in the right hands, and rested the perfect amount of time.

The 2017 Sidebar Cellars by David Ramey Sauvignon Blanc Ritchie Vineyard Russian displays all that. Sourced from what Jeb Dunnuck calls “one of the Grand Cru sites in the Russian River Valley,” it’s a “rocking little gem” (Dunnuck again) that walks the tightrope between New World opulence and Old World purity—and also shows off exactly how beautifully Sauvignon Blanc can age.

One of a distinguished group of American vintners who revolutionized modern-day winemaking and elevated California to global renown, David Ramey is best known as one of the godfathers of Golden State Chardonnay. But his 40-year career also includes a bevy of pioneering Sauvignon Blancs made for an array of blue-chip clients, including Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, and Dominus.

For the Sidebar Sauvignon Blanc, Ramey tapped the Ritchie Vineyard, one of his go-to sites for Chardonnay. Sitting on Sonoma’s famous Sandy Goldridge Loam soils, smack in the center of the Russian River appellation, Ritchie is ground zero for some of California’s best white grapes.

Produced under the banner of his Sidebar label—an experimental micro-project focusing on varieties outside the usual Ramey box—the 2017 Ritchie Vineyard clearly bears the mark of a master. Concentrated notes of passionfruit, green apple, and smoky minerality give way to the deeper, more nuanced flavors and textures that only develop with extended time in bottle. It’s a bottle that shows all the complexity of top-tier Sauvignon Blanc.