James Suckling 98Points
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.
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
The 2022 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert comes from a ten-acre vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and pours a rich ruby hue. It reveals lovely, perfumed notes of framboise, mossy earth, tea leaf, and roses that lead to a medium-bodied red that’s pure and elegant all the way through, remaining pure and complex, with fine tannins and a lovely, balanced spice through the elegant finish. It’s fantastic now but will drink well over the coming 8-10 years.
Carlo and Dante Mondavi founded RAEN in the West Sonoma Coast AVA with the goal of finding California Grand Cru-equivalent sites in the Freestone-Occidental area. Melanie McIntyre is leading the way as winemaker of this Pinot Noir-focused estate. The winery is located two miles from the ocean, and their wines are vibrant expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the vineyard, they practice no-till farming and work beyond the requirements of organics, working toward eliminating the use of all chemicals in the vineyards. The 2021 vintage introduced the first cuvée of the Chardonnay Lady Marjorie, an homage to their grandmother and intended as the counterpoint to the Royal St. Robert tribute of Pinot Noir. All of the Pinot Noir production in the cellar sees 100% whole clusters going into fermentation, unless there are any issues with mold or further selection is needed.
