Ramsay 'Napa' Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
The Kent Rasmussen Winery is a small, family winery with 14 acres of Pinot Noir on the property. The Rasmussen family has proudly supplied grapes to Robert Mondavi Winery for their Reserve Pinot Noir for twenty years, until 1997.
Kent Rasmussen began making wine as a home winemaker in 1979. His passion for this hobby, as well as the praise received from his wine-making neighbors in the Napa Valley, inspired Kent to pursue a degree in Enology at U.C. Davis. Kent worked as an assistant winemaker for Robert Mondavi Winery and Domaine Chandon for three years. He then went to South Africa to work one crush, though Kent confesses that the primary reason for the trip to Africa was to pursue his interest in pre-colonial African history, a discipline in which he had earned an advanced degree.
Kent opened his winery at the family vineyard in the Carneros in 1986. From his first release, Kent’s wines have been highly praised by the press, trade, wine professionals and consumers. He uses minimal amounts of SO2 and makes wines in very small, manageable lots, using techniques that yield wines of exceptional character, flavor and quality. In 1999, Kent purchased the Keller property on the Silverado Trail. Kent and Celia spent the next 7 years rebuilding the ramshackle structures, reclaiming the neglected grounds and planting a small vineyard and olive grove. They have come a long way toward making this the winery they always dreamed of.
A BIT ABOUT RAMSAY
When Kent decided that the winery needed an additional label, his wife put in a vote for her name to be on it. Celia Ramsay’s first endeavor was letterpress printing. Her work in this field naturally exposed her to the first book printed with movable type, the Gutenberg Bible. Celia learned that the paper that Gutenberg used had several different watermarks, including a few different grape clusters. One of these clusters is represented on the Kent Rasmussen label. Celia creates the original art for all of their labels from the ten tons of type and a one ton letterpress that she keeps in the barn behind the house.
The Ramsay Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Merlot are outstanding values, reflecting Kent's wine making talent and his ability to select and purchase wonderful fruit.