2008-06-20
RAYMOND VINEYARDS
by Michelle J. Baker
Wine tasters, me included, sometimes get in a rut. Between visiting all the new places and then the same old places, we forget about our early favorites.
That’s what I was thinking on the way over to Raymond Vineyards, as I reminisced about socking away some Raymond Cabs years ago, hoping for the willpower to let them be. Of course my willpower failed and those wines are long gone, but as I was reminded on my stop at Raymond, at great wineries one great vintage is almost always replaced with another great vintage. And another, and another…
And there have been lots of great vintages at Raymond. The Raymonds aren’t kidding with their motto, “Deep Roots, Powerful Wines.” Raymond Vineyards is still a family-run winery whose president, Walter Raymond, and Executive Advisor, Roy Raymond, Jr., are fourth generation Napa Valley vintners and the great-grandsons of Jacob Beringer, who along with his brother Frederic founded Beringer Brothers Winery in 1876.
It was the Raymond brothers’ father, Roy Sr., who was instrumental in helping re-establish the Beringer winery after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. The Raymonds worked for the “family business” until 1970, when Beringer was purchased by Nestle. Then the Raymonds decided to set out to make wine under their own label. They purchased a 90-acre property in the heart of Napa Valley on Zinfandel Lane, planted vines and produced their first vintage under the Raymond label in 1974.
These days the fifth generation of Raymonds has taken on major responsibilities at Raymond, including Walter’s daughter, Krisi, who is involved in sales, marketing and winemaking, and Roy Jr.’s son Craig, who is Vineyard Manager. And Walter thinks the sixth generation is heading toward a future with the winery: two harvests ago his then three-year-old grandson stopped to taste grapes off the vine and proclaimed, “They taste good but they’re not ready!”
Approaching their 35th harvest this fall, Raymond Vineyards has consistently produced distinctive and elegant wines. The Raymonds have always made wine with food pairing in mind, and as Walter Raymond says, “Our wines are balanced and approachable so they’ll go well with food.”
Raymond Vineyards recently introduced a line of “Small Lot” Napa Valley wines produced in quantities from 50 to 500 cases and available only at the winery. The winery faithful will be delighted to see the likes of Petite Sirah and barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc on the small lot list, as well as a red Meritage, a barrel-fermented Chardonnay, a Rosé of Merlot and another red blend. The Small Lot wines provide a chance for the winemaking team at Raymond to display their cellar skills with different varietals and different winemaking techniques.
The winery is also just releasing the 2004 vintage of its “District” Cabernet Sauvignons, one from St. Helena and the other from Rutherford (see tasting notes). This makes for a fascinating study in terroir, as the fruit from each district is essentially treated the same in the winery (both aged 100% new French oak for 19 months). At only $50 per bottle, this is a great opportunity to understand the difference “place” makes: pick up a case of each and watch them evolve over time, side by side.
Then if you want to see the difference winemaking makes, try the 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 “Small Lot” Napa Valley White Wine next to each other. Both are 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon, but while the Sauvignon Blanc is made in stainless steel, the “Small Lot” white spent time in oak to soften the wine and at the same time add richness.
The folks at Raymond have been busy remodeling their visitor center. The main tasting room just received a facelift, and there’s a new space for wine tasting in the cellar so visitors can get up close with the sights, scents and sounds of the winery at work.
Check out all that’s new at Raymond Vineyards on June 21, when the winery will hold a Summer Solstice party from 4:30 to 7 p.m. You’ll have an opportunity to see the revamped tasting room, sample the new Small Lot wines and St. Helena and Rutherford Cabs paired with delicious epicurean bites.
Raymond Vineyards is located at 849 Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena. The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, call (707) 963-3141.
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