2021 Raen Chardonnay Lady Marjorie Sonoma Coast

The 2021 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie is laced with brilliant mineral and savory notes. Dried pear, lemon peel, chamomile, dried flowers and spice are front and center. This tightly wound Chardonnay is full of intensity, in a style that is more about energy than fruit. The 2021 needs time, as it is incredibly closed today.

Medium gold-colored, the 2021 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie is fresh and layered with Meyer lemon curd, ripe golden apple, and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fresh mineral texture with saline earth and a balance of savory flowers of chamomile, rocky earth, and salted pineapple. It’s long on the palate with a good balance of richness and driving mineral tension. Drink 2024-2034. Carlo and Dante Mondavi founded RAEN in the West Sonoma Coast AVA with the goal of seeking California Grand Cru-equivalent sites in the Freestone-Occidental area, and this year saw the promotion of Melanie McIntre from associate winemaker to winemaker. Less than two miles from the ocean, their wines are vibrant expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the vineyard, they practice no-till farming. The 2021 vintage introduces the first vintage of the Chardonnay Lady Marjorie, an homage to their grandmother and intended to be the counterpoint to the Royal St. Robert tribute of Pinot Noir. Seafield is a roughly 4-acre vineyard and is the rockiest site, with an eastern exposure at 1500 feet of elevation. Bodega is surrounded by redwood forest and is the smallest vineyard at just under two acres. Though the Chardonnays are certainly high quality, the Pinot Noirs capture another level of personality and energy that I find quite compelling.