RAEN’s 2024 “Lady Marjorie” Chardonnay is the winery’s sole Chardonnay, a small-production Sonoma Coast bottling sourced from two high-elevation sites on the far West Sonoma Coast in and around Fort Ross–Seaview. The project, led by brothers Carlo and Dante Mondavi, is rooted in practicing-organic farming and a low-intervention cellar approach. The wine is 100% Chardonnay, whole-cluster pressed and fermented with native yeasts in barrel, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Alcohol is notably modest at 12.5%, underscoring the cool, maritime conditions that shape the fruit.
Critics largely converge on a style defined by clarity, coastal energy, and mineral drive rather than overt richness. James Suckling delivers an excellent 97-point review, calling it “very complex,” moving from “nougat, dried apples and flint” to “lilacs and honeysuckle with a hint of smoke,” and praising a “creamy yet refined palate” with a “steely mineral aftertaste.” He sums up the balance as “vibrant and featherlight yet concentrated,” adding, “So excellent to drink now.”
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) awards 94 points and emphasizes precision and transparency, describing “lemon oil, crushed rocks, mint, slate and sage… finely delineated in a transparent, crystalline Chardonnay.” He also notes it as “a blend of sites in the Sonoma Coast,” and repeatedly returns to its “pure, nuanced” character.
At JebDunnuck.com, Audrey Frick also scores it 94, focusing on its early accessibility and tension: “bright green apples and refreshment,” plus “flinty reduction that never overwhelms the fruit.” She highlights “lively acidity,” a “chalky structure,” and a “refreshing, clean finish with saline lift,” recommending consumers “drink over the next 8–10 years.”
Taken together, Lady Marjorie 2024 reads as a cool-climate, mineral-forward California Chardonnay built on restraint, texture, and persistent, salty length.
