RAEN LADY MARJORIE CHARDONNAY CUVEE 2021

What’s interesting about these brothers, however, is the path they’ve chosen for themselves within the industry that their family helped build, both pre-and post-Prohibition. Much of California wine lore is defined by Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly those best-in-class examples from Napa Valley that their grandfather, Robert Mondavi was so legendary at producing. And yet, Carlo and Dante have swung their ambitions west to the Sonoma Coast and to a style of wine that is decidedly more Burgundian than the Bordeaux-like wines of Napa Valley.

Even the brothers’ father, Tim, established his winery, Continuum Estate, within Napa Valley, where the Mondavi family has historically owned and operated a series of vineyards and wineries since the early 1900s. It’s admirable that these Mondavi scions wanted to create their own brand, in a wholly different style and in an entirely different location than their parents and grandparents, rather than resting on the laurels of legacy and trading on the name recognition that the Mondavi name has with regards to Napa Valley wine.

Joining the Family Business

Carlo and Dante had something of a rarified introduction to learning the ropes within the wine industry and understanding the ins and outs of cellar management and winemaking techniques. Their grandfather’s partial ownership of Opus One, one of California’s most respected wine brands, gave them the opportunity to observe and learn from some of the world’s top wine professionals (including their grandfather).

In addition to that invaluable experience, Carlo and Dante also spent time working for Tim at the Robert Mondavi Winery, where he oversaw winemaking.

In 2004, the family sold Robert Mondavi Winery to Constellation Brands. Still, just a year later, they continued building on their family legacy by creating Continuum Estate, which, like the other Mondavi brands, became well-known for its cabernets and Bordeaux blends.

By 2013, Carlo and Dante felt they were ready to establish their own brand, built around their own vision for the future. With RAEN, which is an acronym for Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally, they set their sights on Sonoma County.

Thus far, their RAEN wines have received a generous reception from the wine community, with Wine Spectator naming one of their pinot noirs as a Best Wine of 2022.

RAEN currently produces three limited-production Sonoma Coast pinot noirs and two chardonnays.

The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA

Grapes used in the RAEN Lady Marjorie Chardonnay Cuvee are sourced from Sonoma County’s Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, which is part of the larger Sonoma Coast AVA. This coastal wine-growing region is prized for its moderately cool temperatures that do wonders to preserve acidity in grapes like pinot noir and chardonnay. The grapes in the Fort-Ross-Seaview AVA ripen slowly and are helped along by sunny days, fog-heavy evenings and cool Pacific Ocean winds.

Only 500 acres of vineyards are nestled here, but this relatively small region punches well above its weight when it comes to California pinot noir and chardonnay. 

RAEN is in good company by sourcing grapes from Fort Ross-Seaview. Other notable wineries that have vineyard holdings here include Marcassin, Peay, and Williams Selyem.

The winery also owns two other Sonoma Coast vineyards. Their Freestone-Occidental vineyard, whose lower elevation makes it the brand’s coolest site, is just a few miles from Fort Ross-Seaview, while the Sonoma Coast “Royal Saint Robert” is perched near Bodega Bay.

Monarch Challenge

Dante and Carlo Mondavi are not just winemakers; they are also grape growers. In an effort to raise awareness about the struggles that farmers face when it comes to the use of pesticides and pollinators, Carlo created the Monarch Challenge. 

To help raise funds for the project, RAEN produces a Monarch Challenge Rosé every spring from pinot grapes grown in their Sonoma Coast vineyards. Proceeds from these bottles also benefit the Xerces Society, which focuses on butterfly pollinators, and the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue.