Tasting Incredible Red Wines from Robert Ramsay Cellars

On Labor Day Weekend, I was exploring the Warehouse District wineries here in Woodinville. After 3.5 years of wine blogging I’m now confident soloing tastings and I don’t feel self-conscious being by myself!

I wanted to swing by Smasne Cellars to grab a bottle of their Albarino, but they were closed on Sunday. No matter – their neighbor Robert Ramsay Cellars was open and pouring Washington wines on their outdoor patio. I hadn’t visited Robert Ramsay Cellars officially in probably a year, though I’ve opened a couple of bottles since and thoroughly enjoyed their red wines.

My tasting flight began with the 2016 Grenache from Upland Vineyard. It’s eminently drinkable right now, and I should probably buy 2-3 bottles to enjoy over the next year and one to put away for 2021 to see what happens!

My tasting continued with the 2014 Old Vine Cab(ernet). From the table nearby, I could hear a winesplainer loudly going on and on about Cabernet to his poor patient friends, often stating inaccuracies. Ha!

Next up was the incredibly good 2015 Cambio which is a blend of 75% Mourvedre and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.

We really aren’t wine reviewers here at Woodinville Wine Blog (does that surprise you? We mostly review venues and events and let you know about cool things going on in wine country!) so when I tell you I was blown away by this wine, it shouldn’t mean much, but I will tell you that anyway!

I bought a bottle for me and a bottle so Jen could try it. (She was out of town visiting Airfield Estates and other tasting rooms in Vancouver, Washington).

I was intrigued to try the Counoise. I’ve only tasted Counoise wine from Alexandria Nicole Cellars and from Michael Florentino Cellars, so I was eager to compare.

I’m not a Syrah fan but enjoyed the 2015 Phinny Hill Syrah. Still, with limited room in my home for wine, I wasn’t tempted to buy a bottle. (In my excitement, I forgot to get a picture of it).

I’m so glad I dropped in to taste here, and glad they could accomodate me without a reservation on a holiday weekend Sunday!

Here’s what the current wine tasting menu looks like at Robert Ramsay Cellars (as of early September 2020). I got a bonus pour of the 2014 “Dump Block” Cabernet and loved it, so took a bottle of that home too – I plan to drink it with my next lasagna dinner I cook for my boyfriend.

I ended up buying a Cambio and a Grenache for Jen, and took home Grenache, Cambio, Cinsaut, Counoise, and the Dump Block Cab for my house.

I really miss having wine industry tasting parties at my house – I’d love to open these up soon and taste them with our wine comrades. Especially the more unusual varietals – the Cinsaut and Counoise.

Here’s a video I did talking about my tasting experience and wine haul: