Raen Freestone Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega, Sonoma Coast, USA 2023

In a remote, raw territory where the forest and meadows meet the Pacific Ocean is where the story of RAEN begins. These hills of the Sonoma Coast provide a diversity of soil, elevation and climate that allow for wines of incredible expression, elegance and length

RAEN is a Pinot Noir domaine focused on yielding aromatic, lifted wines of finesse and elegance from what we consider to be California “grand cru” vineyards capable of sitting among the world's finest.

Steep, raw and powerful, this hillside monopole vineyard sits mere miles from the Pacific Ocean and represents our coolest and most exotic terroir. Facing Bodega Bay in between the coastal villages of Freestone and Occidental, the fog from the Pacific engulfs our vineyard each morning. This 1.8-acre site is the oldest meter-by-meter planting of pinot noir on the Sonoma Coast and, due to both its high density and steep slope, is farmed 100% by hand.

Morning mist, rose petals, ripe red cherries, and muddled blackberries fill the bowl. This is followed by notes of black tea, thyme, coastal fern and forest floor that transport us to the redwoods surrounding this site. On the palate, there is a beautiful ballet between wild blackberries, bramble, and wild thyme that is seamlessly intertwined with warm exotic spice box, zesty orange pith and crushed gravel, all giving way to a seemingly everlasting finish.