John Legend and Raymond Vineyards Unveil LVE

Photo Credit: Raymond Vineyards

For John Legend, being a Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar-winning singer, songwriter, humanitarian and philanthropist wasn’t enough. Add winemaker to his list of titles. The multi-talented artist teamed up with Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena to launch LVE: Legend Vineyard Exclusive, a collection of limited-edition Napa Valley wines created in collaboration with Raymond Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset and Winemaker Stephanie Putnam. Winemaking is, after all, a form of art. It was Scottish poet Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote of the Napa Valley “… and the wine is bottled poetry…”

Legend’s passion for inspiring memorable moments led him to his latest form of art. LVE wines are a unique collection of rich, soulful and complex wines that embody romance, style, elegance and sophistication. The LVE collection features a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with a suggested retail price of $85, and a Napa Valley Chardonnay, retailing for $45. LVE wines are available for purchase through LVEwines.com, and can be tasted and purchased at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena, California (849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574). The wines will be available in select fine wine retailers and restaurants in late 2015 and early 2016.

Commenting on the release of LVE, Legend says, “Legend Vineyard Exclusive was a dream long in the making. As with my music, I searched for the right collaborator, a vineyard whose pursuit of the perfect blend and standards of excellence equaled my own. With roots deep in the Napa Valley and award-winning wines known for beautiful balance, finesse and power, working with Jean-Charles and Raymond Vineyards was the perfect union. Together we created LVE to be seductive, rich and complex.”

The Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised primarily of Cabernet from Raymond’s Rutherford and St. Helena estate vineyards, as well as 15% Petite Verdot. Powerful and opulent, it offers a distinct complement to the elegance, finesse and balance presented by Raymond’s well-known Generations and District Collection Cabernets. The LVE Napa Valley Chardonnay offers a luscious and voluptuous style of Chardonnay with a pronounced fruit expression and creamy, full mouthfeel; it was barrel-fermented, underwent full malolactic fermentation, and was aged in 60% new French oak barrels.

Boisset added, “We are ecstatic to partner with our friend John on these beautiful wines. We are inspired by his passion, his love, his emotion and his commitment to Napa Valley and the wine world. Wine and music are the ultimate artistic expressions of who we are, and now to have an opportunity to taste John’s LVE Wines while listening to his music… there is no better pairing! There is so much emotion in John’s music and the LVE wines!”

In June of this year, Raymond and Legend surprised the Napa Valley community with unannounced live performance of Legend’s hit song, “All of Me” at Auction Napa Valley, which earned $850,000 for local charities, making it among the highest earning auction lots. The lot included a private performance by Legend for 30 people at the home of Boisset as well as dinner by Raymond Chef Michel Cornu and limited-edition etched bottles of LVE: Legend Vineyard Exclusive wines.

And now, you can have your own bottles of LVE. Visit www.LVEwines.com and www.raymondvineyards.com for more information.

Photos courtesy Raymond Vineyards