Baked yellow apple, churned butter, juicy mango. Ripe cantaloupe, fresh honeysuckle, shaved orange peel. Gorgeously sweet-smelling and seductive eruptions of pineapple, ripe peach, and lemon curd radiate with marvelously expressive intensity as pronounced notes of vanilla, caramel, and crème brûlée enhance the display with charming layers of dessert-like decadence. Hints of warm brioche and half-baked dough playfully emerge to reveal infatuating bready components made all the more beguiling thanks to a dusting of cinnamon and pretty baking spices. Wafts of gardenias and fresh jasmine gently bolster aromatics with bold floral perfume that is intriguingly interlaced with suggestions of hazelnut, cashew, and a light drizzling of honey. Thoroughly forward, round, and fruit-driven on the nose while simultaneously remaining wonderfully tense and tart on the palate; exhibiting stony minerality, fresh salinity, and nice crispness within an impressively full-flavored and concentrated attack. Medium plus in body and nobly carried by a streak of bright acidity. This 2017 Fort Ross-Seaview Chardonnay by Ramey Wine Cellars is a deliciously voluptuous yet well balanced white from the Sonoma Coast.

Though they sit mere miles from the cold Pacific Ocean and its oft-accompanying dense fog, the vineyards of the Fort Ross-Seaview appellation still manage to achieve impressive ripeness due to their high elevations that often keep them just above the fog line. This bottling, crafted by Ramey Wine Cellars using Chardonnay sourced from the Charles Ranch Vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview, brilliantly captures the unique character of this picturesque and secluded coastal region. Though this wine contains an unapologetically ripe and lush fruit profile it remains extremely well balanced throughout, as its fresh acidity beautifully offsets the sheer density of its fruit. Its creamy, leesy, and nutty notes combine to further bolster its alluring nature and yet still allow for clean and mineral freshness to be palpably felt. This is truly a modern classic by one of California's most influential Chardonnay producers.