*** 2002 Chez Ray Red Blend – Cabernet Sauvignon / Zinfandel / Syrah

Posted by Ben in 2002, General, Other, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfandelSep 3rd, 2010 | No Comments This is an eight-year-old blend of mostly "kit" wines, including RJ Spangols Cellar Classic "Rosso Grande", Wine Art Gold cabernet sauvignon, Brew King "Old Vines Zin" and real grape syrah from Yakima, WA.   In the glass, 2002 Chez Ray Red Blend is deep burgundy with distinct brick tones at the edges.

Aromas are sweet, deep, cherry, appearing over-aged and slightly oxidized. 

The palate is more solid.  Round, sweet and full, it is just a bit too friendly and easy, not showing vigor in tannins, acids, or finish.  Still, it is a nice, deep cherry experience.  Just touches three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale.  This wine is definitely NOT looking for any more years in the bottle. 

**** Chez Ray Pinot / Zin (Zinfandel), Valley Oaks Vineyard, Lodi, CA, 2003

Posted by Ben in 2003, General, Other, Pinot Noir, lodi, zinfandelAug 4th, 2010 | No Comments This is a combination of pinot noir and zinfandel from 2003 vintage Lodi grapes, fermented with Pasteur Red yeast and pressed at dryness.

In the glass, this is light to medium red.  Served at room temperature, aromas are a bright and blooming red raspberry fruit.

The palate is sweet, rich and layered, showing ripe, ripe red currant, elements of sweet pepper and ash, and a lively - but not overpowering - acidity.  Wonderful highs and lows, easy sweetness and still some drama. Four stars. Terrific for Lodi grapes.

Chez Ray Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, 2002, "Kit Wine"

Posted by Ben in 2002, General, Other, zinfandelJul 28th, 2010 | No Comments Tasting notes courtesy of Todd:

Chez Ray Old Vines Zinfandel 2002: Young jammy nose with evident alcohol; Fruit forward on palate with grape jam flavor & lively acidity. Bark & alcohol in medium finish.

Earlier description of this wine here.

*** Chez Ray Meritage, 2003, Cabernet/Merlot/Zinfandel/Syrah, Lodi, CA

Posted by Ben in 2003, General, Other, cabernet sauvignon, meritage, merlot, syrah, zinfandelMay 20th, 2010 | No Comments
Original Review, November, 2008: This 2003 Chez Ray Meritage is made from fresh grapes from Lodi, CA - a mix of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel and syrah. It was fermented warm with Pasteur Red yeast, pressed at dryness after about a week's fermentation. The grapes were fermented separately, then blended at bottling.

In the glass, this is medium dusty red, deepening at the center of the glass. Aromas are modest, funky, deep, round; like your nose is in the middle of an almost-overripe plum. On the palate, a middle round sweetness is the first impression, full of ripe blackberry fruit. Following that comes the impression of oak (from the French oak chips used in aging the wine), and a pleasant, even, sweet finish. Tannins have pretty well aged out of the five-year-old wine. Ready to drink now.

Three stars out of five on the Spirit of Wine scale, as I would definitely come back to this again.
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Updated review, a year and a half later, May, 2010:  Consistent color, aroma and flavors.  Holding up well.  Acids coming forward a bit.

Comparing pressed-dry with extended maceration wines

Posted by Ben in 2008, General, Other, extended maceration, merlot, pressing, zinfandelNov 8th, 2009 | No Comments For the 2008 Chez Ray vintage, I tried an experiment, separating the vintage into two batches: one batch pressed dry (ie, immediately as fermentation completed); and the second batch pressed after extended maceration.

Today, I have some recently bottled sample batches of 2008 merlot and zinfandel to compare between these two pressing techniques.

Let's start with the Chez Ray Merlot, 2008:

Pressed dry: The pressed dry merlot shows medium dusty red in the glass. Aromas are bright, bold, plumy and yeasty. A strong inky, alcoholic component. On the palate, a bright but bold mid palate impact, showing very ripe plums and some blackberry. Finishes clean.

Extended maceration: The merlot which underwent extended maceration shows similar in the glass, a touch less purple. Aromas seem to show a somewhat riper, spongy plum element. On the palate, the impact is round, full and soft and ripe in the back of the tongue. Seems more aged already, with less definitive fruit. The finish curls with a bit of acid. Slightly inferior to the pressed dry version.

Now let's try the Chez Ray Zinfandel, 2008:

Pressed dry: The pressed dry zinfandel shows medium cherry red in the glass. Upon swirling, aromas are tangy, metallic and almost citrus. On the palate, a spicy fruit touches the front of the mouth first, slowly unfolding back, sweeter and sweeter as it moves back along your tongue. The finish is moderate and clean.

Extended maceration: The zinfandel which underwent extended maceration shows a similar color - possibly just a touch more faded. Aromas show a similar note, a touch less tangy and bright. The palate is even, full and flush from the start, beginning at the middle of your tongue and spreading out. Perhaps even some chocolate elements as it spreads. Slick, clean finish. Improved over the pressed dry version.

Overall observations: My expectations were that the extended maceration might cause each of the wines to lose some "edge" and distinctiveness. It is probably true that the "edge" has been slightly muted in both. However, with the zinfandel, the extended maceration did not mute the final result. In the merlot, it caused a bit more aged "genericism" in the final product. In the zinfandel, though, it nicely knitted together some otherwise discordant elements. Perhaps that would happen with age in the pressed-dry zinfandel, perhaps not.

So my findings on extended maceration are, in the final analysis, mixed. I believe it muddied the merlot, but enhanced the zinfandel. If I was forced to operate one way or another on all my wines based on this one tasting, I would probably choose to press dry. That is because I believe the merlot was challenged more than the zinfandel was improved.

Too bad life is so complicated!

Pressing the 2009 Mendocino Zinfandel

Posted by Ben in 2009, General, Other, pressing, zinfandelNov 1st, 2009 | No Comments After three weeks of cold (approx 62 degrees F) fermentation, today I pressed the 2009 Mendocino Zinfandel which was acquired as fresh grapes.

Yield was approximately 9 gallons from four crates of grapes.

*** Chez Ray Zinfandel, 2004, Lodi, CA – Wine Review

Posted by Ben in 2004, General, Other, lodi, zinfandelOct 28th, 2009 | No Comments By way of background: The Chez Ray Zinfandel, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak.

In the glass: Medium to deep red.

On the nose: Fruity, lightly smoky, wet red cherry.

On the palate: Smooth, red fruit in the middle of your mouth. Like a gob of blackberry that has all the tartness removed. Kinda nice in that respect. Balance of the flavors include a general even sweetness, tiny bits of acids crawl up into your cheeks.

And the finish: Sweet acids slowly fade away, and with them any hints of fruit.

In summary: Pleasant, though not intense nor distinctive. Less intensity andfriendliness than I'd expect from a zinfandel. Still, three stars on the Spirit of Wine scale, as I would return to this another time. Could be a nice blender with something offering a bit more structure.

2009 Mendocino Zinfandel Arrives

Posted by Ben in 2009, General, Other, yeasts, zinfandelOct 11th, 2009 | No Comments This weekend, four crates of zinfandel grapes arrived from Lucchesi Vineyard from Potter Valley in Mendocino County, CA. They come from older vines on St. George root stock. They look to be in great shape, and are delicious fresh. They will comprise the Chez Ray Mendocino Zinfandel, 2009, vintage.


Similar to the Lanza merlot, I will ferment in separate batches with different yeast in each, accordingly:


Lalvin ICV-D254
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9A)

Lalvin ICV-D80
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9B)

Lalvin BM45
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9C)

2009 Mendocino Zinfandel Arrives

Posted by Ben in 2009, General, Other, yeasts, zinfandelOct 11th, 2009 | No Comments This weekend, four crates of zinfandel grapes arrived from Lucchesi Vineyard from Potter Valley in Mendocino County, CA. They come from older vines on St. George root stock. They look to be in great shape, and are delicious fresh. They will comprise the Chez Ray Mendocino Zinfandel, 2009, vintage.


Similar to the Lanza merlot, I will ferment in separate batches with different yeast in each, accordingly:


Lalvin ICV-D254
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9A)

Lalvin ICV-D80
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9B)

Lalvin BM45
Mendocino Zinfandel (ZM9C)

Blending the 2005′s: Tough Work but SOMEONE’S got to do it!

Posted by Ben in 2005, General, Other, Pinot Noir, blend, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandelJun 7th, 2009 | No Comments Further explore wine blending.

Start with eight or ten single varietals from a vintage that is getting ready to be drinkable, line 'em up and figure out the blends that may work. A hundred sips later, you may have a few workable blends.

Indeed, for the 2005's, I did manage a couple worth noting.

PM5 (Carneros Sonoma Pinot Noir(P5)/Carneros Napa Merlot 2005 (M'5)): First, the Sonoma Pinot Noir (P5) is still taut - but mixing with 1/2 measure of another bright varietal, the Carneros Napa Merlot (M'5) gives it just a bit of fruit and brightness. So this combo, which I'll code as PM5, is probably a good serving option for the 2005 Pinot Noir for the longer term. Corlor is deep ruby red. Aromatics are subtle, with a touch of red currant fruit. Bright palate, but spreading clean fruit in the middle. Still some tannins for age. Clean finish. I like this better than either of the components, so that makes for a successful blend.

B5 (Bordeaux blend 2005: State Lane Yountville Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (CS5)/Carneros Sonoma Merlot (M5)/Russian River Sonoma Cabernet Franc (F5)): Each of these wines had a similar style - ready to drink, silky, lightly aromatic. Together, they comprise an excellent blend. In the glass, very deep red, hints of brick. Aromas are solid, sweet and yielding, just a little bit leafy. On the palate, a lightly sweet, bold and balanced attack in the front - wonderful tannins, aromatic deep red fruits, outstanding lingering finish. One of the best ever from Chez Ray! Each of the components is an outstanding offering in its own right, but I loved the balance in the blend.

A5 (Aromatic blend 2005: Russian River Sonoma Zinfandel (Z5)/Rutherford Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (CR5)): Both of these wines were stand-outs as aromatically-rich, quite youthful, bright wines. The combo makes a uniquely potent, aromatic blend. Color is very deep red, almost opaque. Nose is rich, sweet and inky - black sweet ink that you want to guzzle from the fountain pen like it's a lick'em'aid stick. On the palate, a sweet, viscous, peppery assault runs across your mouth. The powerful tannins stick to the roof and sides of your mouth, bringing the rich, black nectar slowly down. Takes a minute or more to dislodge from the crevices. Awesomely lingering finish. Not for the faint of heart. Sweet steroids. Can mellow out for years to come.