Raymond Vineyard & Cellar

Time was, back in the 1980s, that Raymond made its bones producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons from the Napa Valley. The partial sale of the winery 20 years ago, along with the passage of time, have made Raymond almost an afterthought in the culture of “Who’s Hot, Who’s Not”; which is shameful, because the Raymond family produces some of the best-wine-for-the-buck coming out of the Napa Valley today.

This reserve is a prime example. There’s sweet blackberry aromas on a soft, round but substantial body that is balanced with beautiful fruit, minerality, and soft tannins. The wine stood well after it was first opened, withstanding the ravages of being placed outside the refrigerator without benefit of a pump-out device. After a week, with merely a cork in it, the wine remained just as fresh as it was when opened, which portends well for aging up to 10 years or so.

The grapes came primarily from Raymond’s St. Helena and Rutherford vineyards. The wine spent 18 months in 50 percent new French oak. The stated alcohol is 14.4 percent, and the pH reading is proof of that aforementioned balance, at 3.53. The better news is that there were 23,000 cases produced.

Reviewed February 20, 2008 by Alan Goldfarb.