Red Blend, 2017. Raymond

Few names in the wine business are as endearing to us as Raymond. Roy Raymond, Sr. moved to the Napa Valley in 1933 and began working at the historic Beringer Winery. He met, fell in love with, and married Martha Beringer whose great uncle founded the winery in 1876.

The winery was sold in 1976 so Roy decided to buy land and produce his own wines. With the help of his sons, Roy Jr. and Walt, they established one of the great wineries in California and even now, under the ownership of the French powerhouse of Boisset, it continues to impress.

Under Jean-Charles Boisset's leadership, they now have embraced organic and biodynamic farming as well as sustainable practices that are becoming the norm in California as they have in France. What impresses us so much is that Raymond was and still is, one of the most undervalued wines in Napa. Their innovation hasn't skipped a beat as they hired one of the first female winemakers in Napa, Stephanie Putnam. Stephanie had worked at Hess as well as wineries in South America controlled by the Boisset enterprise.

Our selection is pure Raymond. The blend is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot. It spent 24 months in French oak barrels of which 24% were new. The power and glory is all there. The nearly opaque color signals the weight and depth of the wine. Powerful dark cherry and chocolate emanate from the glass and thrill the senses. The palate concedes and only asks for prime rib au jus.

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