There are so many changes in the wine world with older wineries being bought and sold on an almost weekly basis, it is good to have some consistency from one vintage of wine to the next. For the past year, we have really enjoyed the 2003 "R" Collection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and I am pleased to announce that the 2004 Raymond "R" Collection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has just arrived and is also a terrific bottle of Cabernet.

Raymond Vineyards was founded in 1971 by Roy Raymond Sr. and his two sons, and the sons are still running the winery today. This latest edition of "R" Collection Napa Cabernet received a double gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and USA Today had this to say: "Add to the collection...it's a solid performer that gives us what we ask of Napa Cabs."

The bouquet is still a little closed in, as the wine is still fairly young. Let it breathe for thirty minutes and it will open up significantly. It has the aromas of cherries and chocolate, and the taste is definitely black cherry with a little currant and blackberry toward the finish. The wine is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot. It is 13.9 % alcohol and has a mild tannin finish, which belies the fact that the wine is still quite young. My score would be 91.

It is perfect for steak or grilled lamb and I enjoyed it so much that we decided to make it our wine of the month for February.

World Beverage
6190 Highway 400
Cumming, GA 30040
(678) 513-6284