RayLen Shiraz 2006 Update

On the way to Lake Norman, we stopped in at Snook's Barbeque. Naturally, we had to grab some wine to go with our 'cue, so I got a bottle of Shiraz and one of Cab Franc.

This wine, somewhat spicy and smoky, is indeed a great partner to a pulled pork sandwich. That elusive menthol note helps the wine go with food. It also helps that the sun is shining, and I'm sitting next to a lake.

Raylen Pale Red

Quite fun, and only ten bucks. It's not cloyingly sweet, but I wouldn't drink a lot of this one by itself. Strawberries and ripe watermelon are what this wine are all about. The gentleman who led the tasting was talking about someone who makes fruit smoothies with this. You could get into all sorts of trouble with this one.

RayLen Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

This wine has an inviting, plummy, meaty aroma. The palate is rich with bright berry fruit, but there is a nice underlayment of wood. I enjoyed this one. A ribeye would probably go nicely here.

RayLen Eagle's Select 2005

This Bordeaux-style blend (primarily Cabernet Sauvignon) spends 18 months in new French oak. It has a clean cherry bouquet with some wood. The palate is nicely balanced with the tannins and alcohol forming a nice structure for the cherry/blackcurrant fruit. This tastes like it would stand up well with food (perhaps lamb).

Raylen Category 5 2006

Dark purple color. It has a classic Cabernet Sauvignon nose (dried blackcurrants). It's smooth on the palate, with a richness that reminded me of butter or even bacon. The finish is lengthy. The word "noble" came to mind. I bought a bottle of this one ($18.00).

Raylen Cabernet Franc 2005

To the nose, this wine has cherries, vanilla and flowers. It's a dry, bracing wine with a dimension of oak to it. There is a tartness to it that reminds me of chianti, and it has a dry, clean finish. We bought a bottle and drank it later that day with grilled teriyaki chicken breasts, baked beans, garlic bread and corn on the cob. It worked quite well, and it definitely improved with some time to breathe. $15.00

RayLen Merlot 2005

The bouquet of this one reminded me of plums with a hint of cedar. It's a rather dry, smooth wine. Most red wine drinkers would find nothing to dislike about this one. I liked it, but I tend to gravitate toward bigger, funkier wines.

RayLen Shiraz 2006

Nose-chile peppers. Yes, that's what I smelled. It is a big, spicy, smoky wine with an aromatic, almost minty overtone. I didn't buy a bottle of this one, and now I'm not sure why. It would have been great with pork barbecue. I'm going to get some next time I visit (Shiraz/Syrah is one of my favorite grapes).

RayLen Carolinius 2004

This wine (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah) had a bold bouquet- notes of cherries, meat and cigar box. The palate, however, was not as big as the bouquet. Not a bad wine, but I wonder how it will stand up to food.

RayLen Riesling 2007

I smelled pears and honeysuckle here. It has a classic Riesling palate with a nice, rich apricot overtone. I might have to try this with a pork sandwich from Snook's, just down the road from the winery (I like to dump a lot of Texas Pete on my sandwich).

RayLen Yadkin Gold 2005

This wine is a blend of Riesling, Viognier and Chardonnay. I got such things as apricot, melon, vanilla and melon. This one has just a bit of sweet richness to it, and I agree with the RayLen website's suggestion that this is a picnic wine.

RayLen SMV Chardonnay 2006

This one was one of the highlights of my visit to this winery. The grapes come from the South Mountain Vineyard in Burke County.
The nose was bigger than the regular barrel chardonnay, with a more perfumy character. I smelled figs, butter, apricots and some subtle suggestion of meat (in a good, appetizing way). The palate is clean, with plenty of everything in the bouquet. Nice, long finish. I bought a bottle of this one($15).

RayLen Viognier 2004

The bouquet has a floral, vanilla quality. The mouthfeel is honeyish and almost oily, and there is a bit of an herbal note. I could imagine drinking this with a pile of steamed mussels.

RayLen Barrel Chardonnay 2006

This is Raylen's oaked chardonnay. The bouquet has figs, butter, vanilla and perhaps flowers. When it comes to oak vs stainless steel in chardonnay, I seem to be an oak man. This is a very satisfying wine, with a bit more complexity, depth and finish than the unoaked version.

RayLen Chardonnay 2005

This is RayLen's unoaked version of chardonnay. The nose has the classic chardonnay elements of butter and vanilla with an added hint of cedar and cinnamon. It's a nice, refreshing wine with some nice apricot/pear flavors and a bit of acidity.

RayLen Pinot Grigio 2006

Nose- melons, butter and a suggestion of spices (cinnamon?)
This was a nice, clean, white wine. It's not very complex, and the finish is brief, but that's part of the refreshing nature of this grape. It had a nice freshness to it.

RayLen Sparkling Brut

I tasted this at the winery. It was simply labeled "Sparkling Wine" on the tasting sheet, and the website refers to it as "Sparkling Brut" It is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and we were told that at least some of its vinification takes place in Asheville because RayLen lacks the equipment required for certain aspects of making sparkling wine.

It had a crisp, apply aroma with a whiff of yeast. It's quite a nice sparkler- bracing, clean and dry. Not a ton of complexity, but it's a good example of sparkling wine. I would have bought a bottle, but it's just a tad steep at $23.99.