Raymond Vineyards Chardonnay (4)

Raymond Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 4-Pack
Sold by: Boisset Collection - Buena Vista Winery
$64.99 $136.00 52% off List Price
2014 Raymond Vineyards Reserve Selection Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Lost?

will be posting debater notes later this morning!

[grape]

My Grape Debater notes. Shared with SWMBO. As always, We never look up winery, specs, or price to keep our impressions real!

2014 Raymond Chardonnay Napa Valley

Disclaimer: I don’t usually drink Chardonnay but when I do it is unoaked. Approached this with an open mind.

Case production: 1080 on the front label

Label design: classy but not memorable. Somewhat generic.

Color: Me- golden translucent color. Bright yellow with go laden hue

Nose: me: slight butterscotch, apricot, bright, crisp, wet rocks
Her: mango purée, butterscotch

Taste: well balanced, nice acidity, not brooding, somewhat lacking fruit, watery (not in a bad way), medium long finish, I am guessing combination new and neutral oak
Her: not overly sweet, creamy, long finish, viscous, nice

Alcohol guess: 13.9% wife says not overly alcoholic

Overall impression: I would say closer to Old World than New World in style. Not your typical in your face, oak bomb Chardonnay. Dare I say made in a Chablis style? medium legs, well balanced, paired well with salad and lime chicken burgers.
Her: she likes it, chard friends would like it, no bitterness, smooth after taste

Winery price: me- $28
Her- $36

Woot deal: $16-$18 delivered…
Her: $14 delivered

golden?

It’s difficult to add useful notes while also generalizing, and most of my experience with Raymond has been with their reserve cabs that are solid but not outstanding, but I did have a bottle of this from the '09 vintage I snagged from Costco for ~$15.
Your notes seem reasonably consistent with my impressions of the '09 consumed in '12; oak and fruit, but neither rising to ‘CA bomb’ levels, a bit thin but with some sweetness from either fruit or RS and enough acid to keep it from being flabby. A good production CA Chard widely available for ~$16 + ship if you can’t find locally.

Binny’s, regular price 18.99, on sale for 16.99

I haven’t had this, and the ownership has changed since the Raymond family owned the winery, but, I just thought I’d share that one of the most memorable Napa Chardonnays I’ve had was the 1979 Raymond. 1979 and 1980 were spectacular vintages in California for Chardonnay: 1979 was better in Napa, and 1980 was better in Sonoma. (In fact, in my taste memory, I don’t think any Sonoma vintage was better for Chardonnay.) The '79 Raymond was also a long-lived wine, in good condition for at least 15 years past vintage.

This is an important offer. I hope the chard buyers step up. Bodes well for future offers from Boisset.

Even though Ohio isn’t on the available list…any way around that?

Yes, golden!
I really enjoyed it the more I think about it. Went well with food and on its own and was bright and fresh. Agree, a bit one-dimensional but a step above supermarket whites at this price point. Nice QPR imo.

Curious if this is this a biodynamic wine. I really dig the practice and, unlike some, believe it makes a difference in what I am drinking.

No CT either…

Thanks for the notes Lost.

This isn’t a deal. I can buy it cheaper at the wine shop 5 minutes from my house, and they also offer online purchases and shipping:

https://www.garyswine.com/wines/Raymond-Vineyard-And-Winery-Raymond-Chardonnay-Napa-Valley-Reserve-2014-w7253238lg

Don’t forget not everyone lives next to Gary’s Wine, Wine Exchange, or K&L. I wish I did! So for me, if the current offering is similar in cost to a wine store far from me then it is a good deal. I hate dealing with driving, gas, traffic, etc. I find it better delivered with shipping included.

  1. I mentioned the price at my local wine shop more so to suggest there isn’t a heavy discount on the wine, since it is found cheaper elsewhere. Especially since you see the woot deal as 52% off, when it is really around the same price as a commercial/competitive liquor store.

  2. Gary’s has free shipping deals on purchases of certain quantities 6 bottles or more, etc, depending on the wine and particular deal. Obviously contingent on whether it can be shipped to that state. Plus everything is negotiable, so you could probably call the shop and work something out depending on how much and what you are buying.

Hope that helps!

Stopped at the local Binny’s and picked up a bottle. My lovely wife enjoys chardonnay so why not. I had a glass and sipped on it for maybe 45 minutes, starting with right out of the fridge temp.

Not a Rombauer chard or what I perceive one to be as the last one I had was many years ago. And not the acid bomb that many consider to be “in” these days.

This fits somewhere in the middle. A touch of everything but not too much of anything. I actually enjoyed it on the colder side, as it warmed up it took on a fatter/rounder mouthfeel. And a touch of earth??Nice finish that is on the mild toasty side. Pair with food as it won’t get in the way of anything really or drink on it’s own. User friendly so to speak. Probably not a screaming deal as in discount but worth the asking price.