Raymond Vineyards Reviews

This concentrated wine is firm in structure and not too full bodied, deep in black cherries, cranberries and black currants. It's an old school, agile Cabernet that needs time to be fully enjoyable with a lamb chop or skirt steak. Best from 2027. - Jim Gordon

This is a flavorful, substantive wine. Fully ripe berries and cherries fill up the aroma before a full body, dark chocolate and black cherries take over the palate, backed by moderate tannins.

This ripe, inviting and full-bodied wine blends red and black cherries, cocoa and cinnamon on a full body wrapped in velvety tannins. Enjoyable now for its richness and warm, mouthfilling texture, it can also age. Best 2026–2036

Rich oak char, chocolate and tobacco flavors slather this wine with an earthy, spicy character that is backed by bold black cherries and blackberries. While good and tannic, the wine’s texture is fine-grained and velvety. Best 2025–2032. —J.G.

This deep and full-bodied blend offers plenty of chocolate, dried plum and blackberry flavors backed by moderate tannins that grab a little traction on the palate.

Deep, dark chocolate is the hallmark of this wine all the way from the first whiff through a dark chocolate palate and to a cocoa finish. Rich, ripe blueberries, black cherries and a touch of wood smoke all play their part, but the wine’s roasted cacao character dominates, as lavish tannins and a full body expand the mouthfeel.

Oak spices and deep black-fruits make a great combination in this fullbodied, gently tannic wine. Dark plums, dark chocolate, mint, sweet cinnamon and blueberries spread across the palate.

This is a sleek, concentrated and quietly powerful wine. Subtle, complex fruit, spice and savory components meld beautifully from the first sniff to the flavors and the lingering finish. Black cherries, black olives, a sprig of rosemary and a dash of dark chocolate are a winning recipe. Best from 2025–2035.

Packed with dark chocolate, graphite and black currants, this intense and layered wine should age well for a long time, letting the firm tannins resolve and more tertiary flavors develop. Full bodied and grippy in mouthfeel, it is also broad and ripe-tasting, finishing with black fruits and mint. Best from 2028– 2040. Cellar Selection.

A deep well of dark-fruit flavors grounds this big but well-balanced wine as it laces fine-grained tannins between gorgeous black cherries, black currants and hints of mint and cedar. Smooth on the palate but firm enough to age, this beauty should drink best from 2026.

Luxurious, saturated fruit aromas lead to a palate full of cooked blueberries, dark chocolate and mint in this mouthfilling and concentrated wine. Rich, fine-grained tannins give a velvety mouthfeel while the opulent black fruits keep echoing on the finish.

Juicy and youthfully coiled up, with layers of plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that will unwind in time, carried by iron and sweet bay leaf notes that add energy through the sleek finish. Best from 2023 through 2034. 567 cases made.

Lively, with a chaparral streak running through a mix of steeped plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit. Light alder and anise accents hang in the background. Juicy and open through the finish, too. Drink now through 2030. 194 cases made.

Lovely aromas of dark fruit and berries, roses, black cherries, moss and crushed sage. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Nicely transparent, with currant and blackberry character. Sturdy and steady. Drink or hold.

Aromas of crushed plums, sliced red cherries and fresh herbs. Full-bodied with velvety tannins. Very bright and fresh. A bit of coconut comes through the red fruit. Complex and intriguing. Best after 2025.

This aged, small-production wine blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 21% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Together, they offer waxy cherry and plum notes within a reductive environment of herbes de Provence, tar, and iron. The weight of the wine is thick and concentrated. -Virginie Boone

In February 2019, winemaker Stephanie Putnam and proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset hosted the ninth annual blending session with 13 sommeliers to create this on-premise only offering. It is a blend of 53% Lake County, 30% Napa County and 17% Sonoma County fruit. Medium garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant red and black currant scents, followed by hints of dark chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry coulis, bouquet garni and pencil shavings with a waft of rose hip tea. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft, juicy and refreshing, adding loads of savory sparks to the suggestions on the nose, finishing long and mineral laced. It is a very different, accessible, savory-led expression of Northern California Cabernet and I love it! -Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Best of Class Of Varietal

Crisp and high in acidity, this wine mixes cinnamon, vanilla and pear flavors, accented by a note of exotic orange blossom on the nose. With a low presence of oak and medium body, it remains fresh and vibrant in the glass, offering a hit of toast and vanilla on the finish. —V.B. 

Fleshy and dry, this voluptuous wine has an abundance of creamy weight on the palate, but it never veers too far, remaining balanced and ultimately elegant. Stone fruit and quince vie for attention, with a salty undertow of lemongrass and ginger.

  — V.B.