98 Pt (JS) ‘Entrancing’ Sonoma Coast Pinot

BEST EVER SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR FROM RAEN

“2022 marked the 10th harvest for RAEN on the Sonoma Coast. RAEN is the creation of Carlo and Dante Mondavi, sons of Tim Mondavi, and grandsons of Napa icon, Robert Mondavi. The siblings grew up in a family that gave them the opportunity to taste great Pinot Noir from California and around the world at an early age, and together, Carlo and Dante had a dream to showcase the beauty of Sonoma Pinot Noir. They credit their father, Tim, and his passion for Pinot Noir as the early inspiration that got them excited at a young age. Tim was a pioneer for California Pinot Noir in the early 1970s, and he also had a high regard for the great wines of Burgundy. He was a key player in the development of the beautiful Sonoma Coast appellation that is now producing world-class Pinot Noirs.

The amazing 98 point 2022 RAEN Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Sonoma Coast, a cuvée dedicated to their grandfather Robert, is now sold out at the winery; however, we just received our allocation! Last year, the RAEN Royal St. Robert cuvée was named #4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 10 list and this year’s effort is ‘lights out’ according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, who concludes his review with ‘What a wine.’ Scroll down for their release notes; you can see their dedication to farming practices that are in harmony with Mother Nature. The result is a vibrant, aromatic wine with finesse and elegance that will pair perfectly with a festive Easter dinner. Buy a few bottles and save a few for the coming years because it has terrific aging potential! We have the best price in the country; however, the winery is sold out and yields were lower this year due to frost in May, so the supply is limited! Don’t miss out!” – Glen Knight, Wine House

We are thrilled to welcome Chantal Forthun, Director of Winemaking at Flowers Vineyards & Winery, for an in-store tasting on Wednesday, April 10, to celebrate the release of their 2023 Flowers Sonoma Coast Rosé! Chantal has led the winemaking team at Flowers since 2012, and is dedicated to crafting elegant and balanced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Their grapes are unique to the land they farm and the coastal proximity yields wines with nuance, complexity, and fresh coastal minerality. Experience Flowers’ elegant and expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines with the winemaker!

The Wine House will close at 4PM on Easter Sunday, March 31

98 Points: “This is amazing on the nose with dried strawberries, sandalwood, mahogany and tea leaf. Iron and rust underneath the fruit. Dried flowers, nutmeg and rose petals. Full-bodied yet agile and energetic with layers of fine dusty tannins. Entrancing finish. Give this four or five years in the bottle, but it’s hard not to drink.” – JamesSuckling.com (February 2024)

94 Points: “The 2022 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is striking. Vibrant and savory, the 2022 marries notable fruit intensity with strong floral, earthy and savory top notes. Bright red-toned fruit, orange peel, cinnamon, star anise and cedar lift from the glass. Deep and dense, yet also wonderfully crystalline, the 2022 is lights out. What a wine. Drinking window: 2025 – 2037” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous (January 2024)

FROM THE WINERY

2022 VINTAGE
Our Royal St. Robert bottling is dedicated to our grandfather Robert, who has been our greatest teacher in our journey in wine. This special cuvée is a selection from our coastal vineyards, giving a window into the rugged hills of the westerly Sonoma Coast.

Captivating aromas of crushed blackberries, just-ripe plum and sour black cherries fill the bowl. More floral notes of fresh roses and black tea with bergamot follow, giving way to wet gravel and warm, sun-dried forest floor. The powerful red and black fruit core is delicately interlaced with these floral tea notes and it couples with exotic spice box, which seamlessly comes together in a persistently long, bright finish.

Our coastal cuvées capture the vibrant voice and personality of the true Sonoma Coast, characterized by the vines’ proximity to the cool Pacific Ocean, coastal breezes and summertime fog, with a great diversity of soil and elevation.

The core of our Royal St. Robert cuvée hails from a block located just above our Bodega vineyard in Freestone Occidental, considered RAEN’s home estate. Coastal components round out the blend, including selections from our Bodega and Sea Field Pinot Noir blocks, offering a window to the westerly Sonoma Coast.

ELEVATION: 600 - 1,000 feet

ACREAGE: 10 acres

SOIL: Goldridge Sandy Loam, Iron rich Franciscan, Boomer Loam, Hugo Atwell Complex

CLONE: 115, 777, 667, swan, calera
80% Whole cluster - Natively fermented - 10 acres - 13% alc

2022 VINTAGE RELEASE NOTE
As brothers, we are incredibly honored to announce our annual RAEN release of the 2022 vintage, marking the milestone of our 10th harvest on the Sonoma Coast.

With what seems like the blink of an eye, a decade has flown by us. In 2013, we set out on our dream to farm California sites of grand cru quality along the rugged Sonoma Coast. We have since devoted ourselves as farmers to capturing the voices of these prized vineyards through our small production bottlings of pinot noir, and soon to follow, chardonnay. Neither of us could have imagined the beautiful, challenging and fulfilling road that has led us to where we are today.

A decade into this journey, our coastal roots have grown deeper as we continue to commit ourselves to our vision of farming with the utmost respect for Mother Nature, her bountiful soils, abundant biodiversity, clean air and pure water. We have learned so much through our dedication to permaculture, biodynamic and organic practices and we continue to learn more each year. With these lessons, one thing has not wavered - our deep belief that these grand cru sites paired with our farming practices lend us the incredible opportunity to produce world-class wines.

We are encouraged to see that this sacred way to farming is becoming more and more practiced in farms near and far. This approach to farming is not new, in fact these methods tie us back to our ancestral roots going back to the way generations before us farmed. With each vintage, we become more in tune with our farms and vines, and in the cellar, our native, whole cluster fermentations followed by gentle oak aging, allow us to capture the vibrant voice of our farms. With each harvest and bottling, we are honored to see Mother Nature’s beauty turn into wine.

We are grateful to have celebrated this 10-year milestone with the 2022 vintage, a growing season that allowed for wines with an incredible depth of flavors. The 2022 vintage wines are lifted, expressive and elegant, and will age beautifully for decades to come.

Carlo and Dante Mondavi