The Lady Marjorie Cuvée is the second vintage of RAEN’s Chardonnay programme, dedicated to Carlo and Dante Mondavi’s grandmother Marjorie, a woman described by the family as “a guiding light and inspiration.” Beginning with the 2024 vintage, the label was adorned with a bee, reflecting the estate’s commitment to pollinator health and regenerative farming as central principles of the RAEN philosophy. The wine is produced from Fort Ross-Seaview vineyards, including portions of the Charles Ranch, on terrain that represents some of the oldest Chardonnay plantings on the Sonoma Coast.

Fort Ross-Seaview is arguably California’s most dramatic and demanding Chardonnay appellation, a ridgeline AVA of ancient soils and coastal extremes where rocky, shallow substrates force vine roots to penetrate deep for nutrition and the ever-present Pacific influence moderates temperatures to levels rarely achieved in the warmer Russian River Valley below. Antonio Galloni of Vinous described the 2024 RAEN lineup as “some of the finest wines I have tasted from RAEN,” with “extraordinary balance” marking the vintage as a particular success. The Lady Marjorie was produced using whole-cluster pressing, native yeast fermentation in barrel, and was bottled without fining.

The Lady Marjorie Chardonnay was introduced with the 2022 vintage and immediately attracted 99 points from James Suckling. The 2023 received a further 99 from James Suckling and 94 from Decanter. These extraordinary scores from only its second and third commercial vintages confirm the Fort Ross-Seaview terroir and RAEN’s approach to white winemaking as a serious force in the California Chardonnay conversation. Antonio Galloni has described the 2024 Lady Marjorie as “elegant, delicate and wonderfully nuanced,” noting its lemon oil, crushed rocks, mint, slate and sage character within a pure and crystalline frame.

Pale gold with a delicate and vivid nose of white peach, crunchy nectarine, crushed wet gravel and white spring flowers, with a characteristic coastal saline edge. Zesty lime blossom and stone fruits on the palate integrate seamlessly with mineral-laced acidity and subtle salinity, leading to a long, bright, refreshing finish. Drink from 2026 through 2033.