Raymond Chardonnay

THIS PAST FALL, I had the privilege of tasting a whole vertical gambit of Raymond Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons with their stylistic progenitor, Walt Raymond, the fourth-generation wine maker of this historic Napa Valley family.

“We always try,” he told me, “to develop wines of subtle elegance, a kind of ‘Raymond’ style, if you will. The whites are fermented at a cooler temperature to retain the essence of the fruit. Our Cabernet is blended with Merlot for softness and depth. Both are structured to be drinkable upon release, with ample fruit and tannin to assure longevity.”

A few years ago, I realized just how good Raymond Chardonnays are. In a conversation with a Manhattan Beach wine merchant at his store, I examined dozens of Chardonnays in his inventory and paused to pick up a bottle of Morgan Chardonnay. I gave the merchant a questioning look, referring to the new vintage.

“Yes,” he said, “it’s good. But if I could have only one Chardonnay in this store, it would be Raymond.”

In aging, both the wood of the barrel and acidity in the wine are constants. The fruit predominates over wood in young wines but diminishes with bottle aging. After several years, a once-fruity Chardonnay will become much richer, as the flavonoid components bring about atransformation to an almost piney, glycerol complexity of magnificent enrichment. Wineries cannot afford to hold Chardonnays for this long maturation miracle; that is up to the consumer. The moral? Select a well-made Chardonnay, such as Raymond; lay the case away in a cool, dark place, and let it age. Sample it now and then.

Raymond Napa Valley 1987 Chardonnay ($14) is in current release. It already has a wonderful buttery finish with hints of woody incense from its time in French oak. The 1986 Private Reserve Chardonnay ($20) has a deeper, golden hue from having spent nine months in French oak barrels before bottling, with arresting finesse from the wood and overriding lemony tastes from the fine harvest of fully ripe grapes. Both of these wines are for present enjoyment, but would be even better with aging.