Raen Offer Live - 2020 Pinot

I have not tried anything from this winery. Tasting notes and scores for the 2019’s are from Suckles, so I’m a little hesitant. Any feedback about these wines would be appreciated. Cheers!

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I have been drinking the 17s. I really like Raen, but you have to be into the whole cluster style. I think they’re also good people.

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The label design puts me off. I tried a few because my local guy offered them. I put them into the cocktail pinot category. Ripe, sweet wines you’d drink by themselves mostly as they just shout loudly over flavors you pair with. You could use them with grilled stuff, I suppose. Other cocktail pinots I have in small quantities (due to my tastes/preferences) include Occidental (and formerly Kistler), Kosta-Browne, and Rochioli. Some folks don’t lump Rochioli in this camp, but I have never had one that didn’t feel overdone in some way. If I were comparing Raen to those, I’d say it is not as extracted as the Occidental, and seems higher pH/lower acid. I would not expect them to be long-term cellar candidates, but I’ve been surprised by some old-school pinots from Napa stalwarts.

Cheers,
fred

Well I am confused…

Whole cluster style does not usually equate to cocktail wines in my world…how does that work?

I could not disagree with Fred more, and could not have a more opposite experience with these wines. This note is so far off from how I’d describe RAEN that I wonder if we can possibly be talking about the same wines. I’ve had cases of the Royal St. Robert, and have had a few bottles of different vintages of the Occidental and Seaview offerings.

First, these are almost exclusively high elevation, cool climate, Sonoma Coast whole cluster pinots. They are quite intentionally low in alcohol and light in color and extract. They are fragrant, bright pinot noirs, and have nothing in common with “Napa stalwarts”. They are not sweet wines. They are not cocktail Russian River or Napa pinot noirs. I am a very big fan of the Royal St. Robert. It is affirmatively Burgundian and is a meaty, savory, bright, complex pinot noir in almost every vintage. These are balanced and tend to have very good acid levels.

The idea that these were similar to cocktail pinots like the old Kosta Browne or Kistler style is an absolute joke. Those are 14.4-15.5% pinots with high extract and lots of new oak. These are low abv, high acid, majority whole cluster aged in neutral oak.

Hate to bust your balls, Fred, but I disagree with literally everything you said.

These have been raved about by Galloni, Erin Brooks, Lisa Perotti Brown, and most notes are along the lines of this Galloni note:

A wine of total allure, the 2015 Home Field (Fort Ross Seaview) is also the brightest of the three Pinots in the range. Sweet red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, blood orange and chalk are some of the many notes that run through the 2015. Bright, tense and salivating, the 2015 possesses terrific energy, with beams of underpinning salinity that drive the wine forward. This is another captivating wine from Raen.

So if you want tension, raspberry, blood orange, and energy, you’re in for a treat. That’s a 95 point review from AG.

Here’s one for the 2017 Royal St. Robert, which, thankfully, I have 11 left. Maybe 10 after tonight. It’s very complex at a pleasantly low ABV of 12.5%, shockingly low for a cocktail wine:

The 2017 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is absolutely gorgeous. A wild array of floral and savory notes make a strong opening statement. Expressive and multi-faceted, the Royal St. Robert is positively dazzling from the very first taste. The interplay of fruit, whole cluster savoriness and structure results in a captivating Pinot that has more than enough pedigree to reward a number of years of cellaring. This is a brilliant showing. Wow!

Jancis Robinson raved about the wine as well:

Bright garnet. Very pure and complex nose with savoury notes. Finely knit ingredients that are still youthful. The most complex of the three Raen 2017 Pinots reviewed. Really pretty snazzy. Do they discard lots of fruit to achieve these flavours? Not skinny. Rewarding.

And so did Advocate:

The 2017 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert was made with 100% whole cluster. Pale to medium ruby-purple, the nose offers boysenberry, blackberries, crushed red cherries, smoky charcuterie notes and spicy cranberry sauce scents plus touches of forest floor and moss coming through with time in the glass. It’s light to medium-bodied with concentrated, spicy fruits with well-woven tannins and juicy acidity to refresh the finish. (EB)

Lisa Perotti Brown on the 16 Raen RSR:

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert struts a super savory nose of chargrilled meats, yeast extract, wood smoke and forest floor with a core of wild strawberries, raspberry tart and cranberries plus touches of dried Provence herbs and truffles. The medium-bodied palate reveals a chewy frame with seamless acid supporting a great core of expressive, earthy layers culminating in a long, mineral-laced finish

Here’s a note on the 17 Occidental:

The 2017 Pinot Noir Freestone Occidental Bodega, made with 100% whole cluster, has a pale to medium ruby color and opens very spicy with amaro, forest floor, bergamot and exotic spices with a streak of stone and saline and a core of Bing cherries, rhubarb, blackberries and cranberries. It’s light to medium-bodied and delightfully loaded with savory, spiced fruits. It has a sturdy frame and well-woven freshness, finishing long and layered.

As you can see, many critics have reviewed these wines and there is an obviously consistent set of comments: light to medium bodied, bright red fruit, savory complexity, great acidity and freshness, very expressive noses.

These are like California’s anti-cocktail pinots.

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It doesn’t.

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Just to pile on this also differs so wildly from everything else I’ve heard about RAEN. I will be tasting through their wines in 3 weeks in Napa and if this thread is active then I will report back. But listening to the numerous reviews on here and elsewhere I’m confident that this description is not reflective of what most people would get out of these wines. Carlo did a podcast episode and a 30+min piece with SOMMTV which also really describes how their philosophy, growing and winemaking which is also a stark contrast to the way they are described above.

Maybe Fred is thinking of Boen Pinot Noir (Chucky’s project)??

This is my guess, too. I was offered some 2017 Boen recently and quickly switched back to water. I couldn’t get past the sweetness.

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My local Costco has them-

Hey KJJ, if you want some I’ll fetch ‘em and meet you at Grailey’s.

Not a fan of the pinots…but have purchased the chardonnay for three vintages.

Perhaps so. It does have a hideous label, and RAEN does not.

Let’s set a date to meet at Grailey’s, but my dealer/enabler has already hooked me up fat. The 17 is slamming. Grab some! That’s a good price!

While I’m not as big a fan as others here of Raen’s lineup, I have to agree with JJKs overall assessment of the style. They are well balanced, aromatic, classy Sonoma coast wines. Definitely not in the extreme AFWE camp though - these have good texture and density without being heavy. I like Littorai, Occidental, Rivers Marie Pinots quite a bit more though. With the Mondavi brothers’ experience they definitely know what they are trying to do.

$50 is a good price though!

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Maybe I need to join Costco. I’d pick up six if I could get the 2017 RSR for $49.

I’ve cursorily tasted a handful of Raens and they’ve never impressed me. I like extreme Sonoma Coast Pinots, but I found the Raens I’ve tried to be a bit sharply fruited or disjointed and so have never pursued them further.

I’d love to be wrong here. I should have a bottle or two remaining from my sample purchase and I’ll put it into the weekend somewhere. I am not confused about the label/winery. Too many different fancy fonts on that label. It just doesn’t appeal to me. I didn’t call it hideous.

Cheers,
fred

Here’s the update after successfully locating the wine and enjoying it…

The wine was 2016 Raen Royal St. Robert Sonoma Coast
No real sediment to speak of. Pours pale brick red with medium to full transparency. Aromas of spice, smoke, raspberry, and strawberry. On the palate, this is very pretty with cinnamon and licorice spice notes framing a cranberry, strawberry fruit core that shows black tea elements that carry into a medium long finish. Some rhubarb character shows up with some time in the glass. This was delicious and not at all a cocktail-grade pinot. I’d buy again and get over my issues with the font festival on the label. I will hypothesize that my initial impression was either simply poor recollection or baby fat in the wine, as I did sample it immediately upon pick from my local shop when I purchased it.

Cheers,
fred

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Side note… Occidental Cellars picks between 21.5-22.5 brix, uses no stems and is not more than 13.5% alcohol with 1/3 new oak only.

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Do you know what their skin contact regimen is, Roy? They seem darker than this Raen was.

fred