RAEN Fort Ross-Seaview Pacific Rock Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024
(Sonoma Coast, California) - [JS 100] [DM 98] [VM 95]

About the Winery:
RAEN Winery was founded in 2013 by Carlo & Dante Mondavi, the two sons of Tim Mondavi. After working with their father in building Continuum, they decided to go off on their own and venture out to the West Sonoma Coast to make cool climate Pinot Noir that can stand on its own on the world stage.

RAEN is a Pinot Noir domaine focused on yielding aromatic, lifted wines of finesse and elegance from what we consider to be three “grand cru” vineyards capable of sitting among the worlds finest. 

About the Vineyard:
The 2024 vintage will forever hold a special place in our story, marking the release of our Pacific Rock Vineyard Pinot Noir. A site we consider a true California Grand Cru, it is the culmination of more than a decade of farming and exploration along the far Sonoma Coast. 

ELEVATION: 940 - 1,000 feet

ACREAGE: 7.8

SOIL: Laughlin series

EXPOSURE: South to South West

CLONE: 114, 115

Ratings & Reviews

100 Points - James Suckling:
"An incredible debut wine, showing beautiful aromas of strawberries, cantaloupe, flint and dried seaweed, as well as iodine and dried flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with Musigny-like power, a magical flex of tannins and closed, poised fruit. Endless. Nothing like this in California pinot noir. Drinkable now, but wait five years if you have the patience." (Feb 2026)

98 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Pacific Rock is Raen's newest single-vineyard wine, with 2024 marking its inaugural vintage – the very first vintage made from this site, previously known as McDougall Ranch. The vineyard sits exposed to the coast's wind and sun, so the vines respond with thicker trunks, gnarled canopies, and thick-skinned grapes, giving the wine a clear intensity of flavour and aroma. An inviting mix of dried flowers and savoury, umami notes opens in the glass. It tastes complex, with a mix of tart, dark berries showing real richness of fruit but no sense of weight, carried by fine-grained tannin and a sense of minerality and freshness in the finish. A touch tight right now; made with 100% whole-cluster fermentation, it will certainly evolve in interesting ways over the next few years. A lovely addition to Raen's portfolio." - Ana Carolina Quintela (Apr 2026)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"A new wine in this range, the 2024 Pinot Noir Pacific Rock emerges from McDougall, a well-known site in Fort Ross-Seaview. Bold and explosive, the 2024 possesses tremendous textural depth and intensity. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, cedar, cloves, menthol and licorice fill out the layers. This imposing, broad-scaled Pinot has a lot to offer. There’s a bit of toughness in the tannin that needs to be addressed, but this is nevertheless a very fine debut. I expect the Pacific Rock will continue to improve now that the vineyard is being transitioned to organic farming, a process that takes 7-10 years to show full results." – Antonio Galloni (Jan 2026)