RAEN Winery

Sonoma Coast AVA


Wines that are made as purely and site-driven as possible, resulting in some of the best Pinot Noirs in the region.

In the remote, raw territory of the extreme Sonoma Coast, fourth-generation winegrowers Carlo and Dante Mondavi are embarking on an intimate passion project: crafting elegant, site-expressive Pinot Noir as naturally as humanly possible. Grandsons of the legendary Robert Mondavi, and sons of Tim Mondavi, Carlo and Dante are forging an entirely new path for a family so deeply rooted in Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since establishing RAEN in 2013, the brothers have made their famed family proud, releasing a small collection of simply stunning Pinot Noirs that uphold the purity and delicacy of the fruit, while expressing the cool climate of three select sites on California's Sonoma Coast.

Born and raised in Napa Valley, brothers Carlo and Dante grew up in the wine business and learned everything first hand from their grandfather Robert and father Tim, their greatest teachers. They started their winemaking careers in 1996, working at Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One, where a passion for excellence was forever instilled in them. After the sale of Robert Mondavi Winery to Constellation Brands in 2004, the brothers joined their father, aunt and grandfather in founding Continuum Estate where the Mondavis continued the family legacy producing estate Napa wines of ultra premium quality. In 2013, Carlo and Dante ventured on their own to start RAEN.

Pronounced "rain," RAEN Winery was named to honor how naturally Carlo and Dante's Pinot Noirs are made, and it reminds them that wine was rain first. It is a phrase their father has always told them, that rain becomes wine after being filtered by the rocks, then taken back up by the vines and finally sweetened by the sun. The unique spelling is also a tribute to their natural winemaking philosophy, translating to Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally.

Carlo and Dante's father Tim was a pioneer for California Pinot Noir in the early 1970's and has always had a tremendous regard for the great wines of Burgundy. They credit their father's passion for Pinot Noir as the early inspiration that got them excited at a young age.

At RAEN, Carlo and Dante Mondavi farm three distinct vineyards on the extreme Sonoma Coast and they craft just three Pinot Noirs, one from each site. The brothers take a very old-school winemaking approach to let those vineyards truly speak for themselves. These wines are produced with only native yeasts from the vineyards, with whole-cluster fermentations, and neutral oak barrels so as not to mask the flavors with any new oak. They even foot-stomp the grapes, going back in time to how the monks made wine hundreds of years ago. The idea is that the wines are made as purely and site-driven as possible. And the result? These Pinot Noirs are already rivaling the best in the region. Bravo to this new generation of Mondavis. We look forward to what the future holds for RAEN. Our Diamond PLUS! Wine Club members are in for a real delight! Cheers!

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