RAEN Charles Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay 2016
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James Suckling
A gorgeous wine now with white-peach, ripe green-apple, honeysuckle, crushed-stone and other mineral aromas that follow through to a full body with bright acidity and a lightly phenolic texture that spreads across the palate. Just coming into its own.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Charles Ranch simply sings of pink grapefruit, green guava and underripe pineapple with hints of apricot tart, beeswax, acacia honey, baking bread, toasted almonds and allspice. Medium-bodied, elegant and finely crafted, it has layer upon layer of savory flavors complemented by a satiny texture, finishing long and yeasty/savory.
As winemakers and farmers, Carlo and Dante attribute a great deal of what they have learned to their grandfather Robert and father Tim, both whom influenced them from a young age.
Carlo and Dante’s father Tim was a pioneer for California Pinot Noir in the early 1970s and has always had a tremendous regard for the great wines of Burgundy. To this day his Pinot Noirs from the 1970s are showing incredibly well. Carlo and Dante credit their father’s passion for Pinot Noir as the early inspiration that got them excited at a young age.
Dante studied abroad in Switzerland at the Webster University in Genève as well at UC Davis in California. Carlo studied in France at the University of Aix-en-Provence and in Italy at the University of Milan. After their formal studies were complete Carlo and Dante continued their educational work with the winemaking team lead by their father Tim Mondavi at Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One.
When Robert Mondavi Winery was sold in 2004, the brothers joined their father Tim, Aunt-Marcia and grandfather Robert as they founded Continuum in 2005.
In 2013 Carlo and Dante founded RAEN winery with the goal to produce world class Pinot Noir on the western hills of the Sonoma Coast. RAEN currently focuses on making three Pinot Noirs, from three unique sites on the Sonoma Coast.