Review and Rating: *** Chez Ray Merlot, 2004, Lodi, CA

Review: The Chey Ray Lodi Merlot, 2004, is medium deep red in the glass. Aromas are "spongy" red fruit, saturated raspberry-ish sponges. On the palate, sweet oaken fruit is clearly the first note. The flavors resolve into brighter rich, sweet raspberry reds touched with peppery oak. Doing well with age. A bit "hot" of alcohol. Modest finish. Three stars out of five.
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After a full day in the decanter: The raspberry becomes just a bit more cherry-like, yielding a slight improvement. Other notes consistent.

Review and Rating: *** Chez Ray Luna Rossa "Kit" Wine, 2002, CT

Review: This is one of my early fermentation ventures, made from a bag of red grape juice in a kit called the Selection Luna Rossa Wine Kit.

In the glass, it is deep magenta red, moving to opaque in center. No bricking or orange at rim yet. Aroma is deep, with the distinctive "kit wine" candy sweetness.

On the palate, extremely round, full mouth, no tannins or acids to really speak of, and a remarkably fast, totally clean finish. Slightly sweet mouthfeel overall. I'll give it three stars out of five, but don't see additional potential in aging. Not that it's past its time - just that I don't see further benefit of age.

Review and Rating: **** Chez Ray Honey Mead, 2002, CT

Review: During a few vacation days this week, I've been breaking open some archival Chez Ray bottlings. With this one, I'm back to tasting my first-ever fermentation - a dry honey mead recipe begun December 25, 2002. Six pounds of clover honey was the primary ingredient, added to water, along with yeast, nutrients and citric acid. I was targeting a three-gallon yield, which was bottled around August 30, 2003.

Let's see how it has done... In the glass, it shows a light honey color - not at all surprising, given the ingredients! A tiny touch of effervescence still shows. The aroma is distinctive of this mead - I remember it from the days of bottling... it is light but insistent, sweet, just a hint earthy, more like straw than dirt, and showing a pleasant, intriguing form of yeastiness.

On the palate, the tongue is coated with a smooth richness. Flavors are very lightly sweet and honeyed. This dances gently over your tongue, then just touches the sides of your mouth with a hint of slightly salty acid. Quite gorgeous actually. Doesn't show any real indication of age other than a genteel mellowness. At this rate, it should be fine for another 5-10 years. To bad I consumed so much of it in its youth!

Such a fine concoction right from the start was beginners luck, I presume (just check out my Elderberry Wine rating below for one of my more "experienced" trials). This is a solid four stars - distinctly pleasant, with promise for the future. I'm gonna have to land me a bit more honey and resuscitate this recipe!

Review and Rating: ***+ Chez Ray Sangiovese, 2004, Lodi, CA

Review: The Chez Ray Sangiovese, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak. In the glass, it shows as a dark blood red in color.
The nose hits as a deep, funky vegetable-fruit combo.

The sip outshines the nose, however. There is a strong oaky start on the the palate, but this quickly resolves to a furry, intense cherry fruit. The "fur" is a tough tannic backbone still in place, signifying that this can sit for a few more years in bottle. Medium-length finish. Three stars out of five with a plus for intensity and promise for a longer-lived future.

Review and Rating: *** Chez Ray Syrah, 2002, Yakima, WA, from 1999 vintage grapes

Review: This is the 2002 vintage of Chez Ray Yakima Syrah, vinted from Yakima, Washington, grapes grown during the 1999 season. The grapes were harvested in 1999, frozen and provided by Brehm Vineyards in 2002. (Freezing red grapes seems to create little problem in winemaking - in fact, some folks say it softens tannins, similar to what cold maceration does.)

In the glass, the wine is medium magenta in color, showing both purple and brick highlights - seemingly poised between youth and age. Aromas are yummy - yeasty and lightly-oaked deep fruit. Touch of shoe leather. Inviting.

On the palate, a top-note of toasty oak first hits the roof of your mouth, cascading to mild fruit in the middle. Light acids move to a modest finish. Nice tone overall. Age has done it well - but a couple more years wouldn't hurt it either. Three stars out of five.

Review and Rating: **+ Chez Ray Gewurztraminer 2003, CA

Review: This Chez Ray Gewurztraminer, 2003, was prepared from Alexander's Sun Country grape concentrate (now produced by the California Concentrate Co. ). In the glass, it is a deep honeyed yellow. Aromas are a powerful, sweet, springtime bouquet of flowers touched with a hint of grass and slate. Very appealing.

The palate is somewhat more muted, moving towards dry honey tones on the mid-tongue. There is little fullness, body or finish to complement the initial flavors. The overall impression, however, is pleasant enough. On the basis of its most-becoming aromas, I'll add a plus to its two stars out of five, using the Spirit of Wine rating scheme.

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Postscript: This is one case where adding just a touch of sweetening to a wine can make a world of difference. This gewurztraminer was finished bone dry. By adding the equivalent of approximately one-half teaspoon per glass of finished wine, the flavors opened substantially, to complement the aromas wonderfully. Rating-wise, this would have moved to a three or three plus stars out of five. Remarkable improvement with the touch of sugar.