Article: Raymond Vineyards, Chardonnay Reserve, Napa Valley, 2003, $18.(FOOD)(WINE OF THE WEEK)

Byline: Paul Lukacs, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

This Napa Valley chardonnay shows admirable restraint. While marked by ripe fruit flavors, it has a firm structure and crisp character that prevent it from seeming sappy. It's a wine that entices like cool jazz rather than just blasting away like a brassy big band.

In part because of the region's inherent heat, many California chardonnays still try to overwhelm the taster. They're big and bold, with tropical aromas and a sweet, vanilla-tinged character. Tasty enough, they can never be accused of displaying elegance or refinement.

This wine, like a small but growing number of ...

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