RAEN Lady Marjorie Chardonnay 2022
(Sonoma Coast, California) - [JS 99] [DM 96] [WA 94]

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.

About the Vineyard:
Born from the remote, rugged landscape of the Sonoma Coast, our second vintage release of our Lady Marjorie Chardonnay hails from the rocky soils of Fort-Ross Seaview, resulting in a wine of incredible depth and vibrancy.

About the Wine:

This bottling is dedicated to our grandmother Marjorie, who will always be a bright light of inspiration for us. An incredible woman, her hard work and steadfast determination led us to where we are today.

Tasting Notes:
White peach, crunchy nectarine, crushed wet gravel and white spring flowers jump from the glass. On the palate, these aromas are spliced with zesty lime blossom, stone fruits and fresh apricot, which integrates seamlessly with a backbone of mineral-laced acidity and subtle notes of salinity that all lead to a long, bright finish.

Ratings & Reviews:

99 Points - James Suckling:
Pears, peaches and hints of honeysuckle. So perfumed with rocky undertones and notes of bananas and flint. Full-bodied with a freshness and depth that is impressive and extremely long and persistent. Flint and lime at the end. Salty and intense. Love to drink it now but needs a few years of bottle age.

96 Points - Decanter:
"Lady Marjorie is a whole bunch pressed with a reductive character, creating a smoky marshmallow note on the nose. This vineyard is an own-rooted site which has been hit with phylloxera. The aromas show ample minerality, flinty grilled lime and white flowers. The palate is a marriage of honeyed apricot richness with great notes of briny seafoam, crushed slate and hints of bright lemon zest and white pepper. They Pick early (and to pH) to capture freshness, using no battonage. This Chardonnay was a whole cluster pressed and fermented in a concrete egg. This wine is dedicated to Dante and Carlo's grandmother, the family matriarch who never received the credit she deserved." (Tasted from bottle 06205.) (Drink between 2024-2036)

94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Grapes for the 2022 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie were harvested on September 7 and September 8. It’s open on the nose with arresting scents of peach, honey, elderflower and lemongrass. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive, its generous flavors enlivened by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, layered finish. 800 cases produced.