Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared sea scallops, roasted chicken with tarragon butter, creamy lobster risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Bevan Cellars Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay is a stunning testament to one of the Russian River Valley's most legendary heritage sites. Planted in 1972 by Kent Ritchie on a benchland overlooking the Russian River, this vineyard is celebrated for its ancient, gnarly Wente clone vines rooted in Goldridge sandy loam soils mixed with volcanic ash. Winemaker Russell Bevan coaxes incredible intensity from this fruit, utilizing native yeast fermentation and aging in select French oak barrels. The result is a Chardonnay of dramatic scale and breathtaking complexity, balancing the vineyard's signature vibrant, laser-like acidity with an opulent, multi-layered texture of lemon curd, white peach, and toasted brioche.
🍾 About the Producer
Bevan Cellars was founded in 2005 by self-taught winemaker Russell Bevan, quickly ascending to cult status within California's fine wine landscape. Celebrated for an unabashedly opulent, hedonistic, and precision-driven winemaking style, Bevan partners with premier growers across premier microclimates in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Sourcing spans esteemed terroirs such as eastern Oakville's red volcanic and alluvial soils at Tench Vineyard, the rocky slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, and cool maritime sites in the Russian River Valley and Petaluma Gap. Viticulture emphasizes meticulous canopy control and sustainable vineyard management, harvesting fruit at optimal physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Bevan employs minimal intervention, indigenous fermentations, squeaky-clean sorting regimens, and customized French oak aging. Benchmark bottlings include his single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons such as Tench Vineyard and Sugarloaf Mountain, proprietary red blends like Ontogeny and EE, alongside textural, vibrant Sonoma Coast Chardonnays and Ritchie Vineyard expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay