The sparkling silver envelope promised a wedding invitation. I was wrong. It was an invitation from Jean-Charles Boisset to an intimate private event at Raymond Vineyards for the unveiling of “The Crystal Cellar”. I attend my fair share of media events at wineries and intimate usually means either that the room is too small or that the PR agency is worried it won’t be able to attract enough A-list wine writers. However the Bubbles at Six followed by a dinner prepared by Food Network star Tom Pizzica had me hooked. I agreed to donate my time and endure whatever discomforts may lie in store. It can be a tough life in this business.
Jean-Charles Boisset, the Burgundian president of Boisset Family Estates, new owners of Raymond Vineyards, is the consummate host and even with 100 guests the event had an intimate atmosphere. Any group of partying Burgundians will spontaneously burst into a chorus of the Bon Bourguignon, the Burgundian national anthem accompanied by hand gestures – no not those! This was certainly a party and at least one Burgundian was present to lead the chorus causing an amusing look of confusion and flailing arms from anyone unaccustomed to Pinot Noir traditions – and this was Cabernet country but a few glasses of vintage Raymond Cabernets certainly helped with later renditions.
Raymond Vineyards have been around for a long time and although they have never had the high profile of some of their Napa Valley neighbors, I always liked their wines. Then along came Japanese ownership and the winery seemed to drop right off the radar and languish for 10 years. Their lower end wines were particularly lack-luster which cast a pall over the whole brand.
In 2009, along comes the inimitable Jean-Charles Boisset and the property is transformed into an impressive showplace, the equal of any in Napa Valley. Jean-Charles has already converted De Loach in Russian River into a power house of organic and biodynamic grape growing and he intends to do the same with Raymond. He has big dreams and has the energy to realize them.
It would be easy to dismiss Jean-Charles as the P.T.Barnum of the wine industry but don’t be fooled. He produces. In a year, he has already established Raymond as a destination winery entering into a unique partnership with Baccarat Crystal to create the dazzling Crystal Cellar. We have yet to see what winemaker Stephanie Putnam will do with Raymond wines but, with her pedigree from Far Niente, I expect great things.
But back to the event. As if enduring a 5-course dinner wasn’t enough, we had to taste through 9 vintages of Raymond Generations and Private Reserve Cabernet including a 2009 barrel sample. The 1978 to 1996 wines were everything I expected from the Raymond family and even the 2001 to 2006 wines under the Japanese regime were in general magnificent examples of Napa Valley cabs, well-balanced, elegant and perfect with food.
The last event I enjoyed as much as this was the black-tie banquet for the opening of Mondavi’s To Kalon facility with Bob Mondavi conducting the Napa Symphony Orchestra. Even without the symphony orchestra, events of this quality are all too rare but I’ll bet Jean-Charles Boisset will keep them coming.
