Some of the most consistently brilliant wines being made in California are crafted by the team at Raen. Whilst many of the wines are really only available to their mailing list, we do get a limited allocation of the wines each year as longtime supporters of the brand. Once again this vintage the wines are outstanding! Sourced from a combination of estate owned / farmed vineyards on the west Sonoma Coast plus a neighboring grower's vineyard near Occidental. Everything about these wines is meticulously executed from regenerative farming, precision viticulture, immaculate work in the cellar to craft wines with stunning purity and sense of place. Sure, they're not cheap, but then world-class wines of this nature rarely are! If you're interested to see what all the hype and multiple 99-100 point reviews are all about, grab a bottle of this, enjoy it over the course a long, leisurely dinner, let the magic flow from your glass. On first impressions the wine is quite tightly wound, crunchy red fruits, dried leaves, floral notes, and whiffs of exotic spices. As the wine circles your glass, more effusive aromas emerge, forest berries, of alpine herbs, woodsy spices, bramble and nettles like an English hedgerow. There's a core and rocky, iron tinged minerals too. More and more layers emerge with time, the last glass is the best and makes you wish you had given it more time in the decanter to begin with...ah well...I know now for the next bottle! Serious stuff for collectors (and drinkers) of great Pinot Noir.

I tried this wine months ago and I enjoyed this wine so much that it really stocked in my mind. This wine has such of a big energy. I don’t think I never tried something similar before. The Mondavi family members Carlo and Dante Mondavi produce this stunning pure Pinot Noir from Sonoma's rugged coast in one of the most breathtaking sites located only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean where it receives foggy mornings and marine breezes and rocky marine soils to produce grapes with remarkable tension. The cuvée bears the name of their grandfather as a tribute to him while establishing itself as the standard for California Pinot Noir produced in cool climates. The wine shines in the nose with scents of wild strawberry and crushed cranberry and rose petals, followed by salinity, orange peel and earthy notes of forest and dried herbs. It has a Nebbiolo vibe to it that I never found in another pinot noir. RAEN (Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally) has quickly established itself as a reference point for new-wave Pinot in California and you can tell why; I’m looking forward to seeing where this project goes. Impressive.

There is a reason why Raen has an almost cult-like reputation, and this release reminds us why. Medium-bodied and chewy with tart tannins, it also has deep red fruits and black cherries. These combine with black raspberry fruit, savory spice, earth and grilling scents. More than pretty great. Really great!