2022 Raen Chardonnay Lady Marjorie Sonoma Coast

The 2022 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie comes from remote sites on the Sonoma Coast and takes a golden-tinged hue in the glass. It’s approachable on opening with, aromas of fresh pineapple, ripe peach, orange blossom, wet stone, and honeycomb. This carries with ease to the supple palate, where the wine leans toward full-bodied, with a delicate, soft, stony texture and a clean, tapered finish. It is a very appealing wine with a wide drinking window over the next 5-6 years. The second vintage for this cuvée, it was raised in various-sized used and new barrels and concrete eggs and was unfined and unfiltered. Carlo and Dante Mondavi founded RAEN in the West Sonoma Coast AVA with the goal of finding California Grand Cru-equivalent sites in the Freestone-Occidental area. Melanie McIntyre is leading the way as winemaker of this Pinot Noir-focused estate. The winery is located two miles from the ocean, and their wines are vibrant expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the vineyard, they practice no-till farming and work beyond the requirements of organics, working toward eliminating the use of all chemicals in the vineyards. The 2021 vintage introduced the first cuvée of the Chardonnay Lady Marjorie, an homage to their grandmother and intended as the counterpoint to the Royal St. Robert tribute of Pinot Noir. All of the Pinot Noir production in the cellar sees 100% whole clusters going into fermentation, unless there are any issues with mold or further selection is needed.