Earlier this month was the well anticipated release of RAEN's 2022 Vintage, marking their 10th vintage release! True to form, these wines are already generating outstanding press and reviews:

“This is a superb set of 2022s from brothers Carlo and Dante Mondavi." — Antonio Galloni 

"Great examples are the recent releases from Carlo and Dante Mondavi at their winery, RAEN. James was impressed, to say the least, with the wines." - JamesSuckling.com

2022 Freestone Occidental Bodega Vineyard Pinot Noir - 99pts JS, 96pts Vinous 

2022 Fort Ross-Seaview Sea Field Vineyard Pinot Noir - 98pts JS, 96pts Vinous

2022 Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Pinot Noir - 98pts JS, 94pts Vinous

2022 Fort Ross-Seaview Charles Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay - 99pts JS, 96pts Vinous

2022 Sonoma Coast Lady Marjorie Chardonnay - 99pts JS, 91pts Vinous 

Vintage 2021

2021 vintage on the northern side of Mount Etna can be defined

as "bizarre".

Between November and December 2020 we had some rains,

even copious in some moments, which brought a discreet water

reserve to the plants, especially in the vineyards facing east. This

was great for the new vineyard in Contrada Montedolce planted

during 2020 Spring.

Starting into the new year, there was a thermic swing between

early January and mid-February with rains and even some snow

that barely reached the highest vineyards (800/1000 m.) and

then an odd heat until the end of February and the beginning of

March.

Spring surprises us with low temperatures until the end of May,

making me "dream" of the seasonal regularity of past years.

But it's only a dream!

Suddenly, with the arrival of June, Summer arrives.

The vines, that were a bit late, explode now filling the valley and

its splendid terraces with emerald green, going with rhythm

towards flowering and fruit set. What a joy!!

Heat, heat and more heat lead us to manage the foliage like

haute couture and to support the plants with generous irrigation

at night. We don't need to water the old and centuries-old

Nerello Mascalese vines that are able to draw lifeblood from

their complex and deep root system.

Fiery sunrises and sunsets follow one another, catching the

winegrower’s attention! Suddenly, the Chardonnay grapes were

ready to be harvested after August 15th, we promptly started

bringing to the cellar perfect and fragrant grapes, these grapes

will produce a more intense and fragrant wine.

We were waiting for the temperature drop and the moderate

rains at the beginning of September and they finally arrived,

allowing us to start red grapes harvest just before mid-October.

Days of blue skies, cool and crystalline nights help us to carry out

the several harvests of the red grape varieties with our usual

style, thus creating red wines of perfect ripeness and good

balance.

Vincenzo Lo Mauro

The short winter, which lasted just one January and ended with the

copious snowfall in February, made us nervous reappearing during Spring

and bringing in a cold draft of air from the east that paralyzed every crop.

The plants of the plain had just begun their journey towards the 2021

harvest, at least 15 days earlier than usual due to the high temperatures in

March, when the whole peninsula was overwhelmed by a current of cold

air from 7th to 9th April. We use 4000 anti-frost candles in the vineyards,

creating an unfortunately necessary evocative show.

In the following months, the plants are hit by record hot temperatures and

without any rain they try to source from the deepest layers of the root

system.

We irrigate, but that's not enough. We start green harvesting to relieve the

vines and allow them to complete the ripening of the few bunches left

using the low water resources of the vintage, with leaves and branches

protecting the bunches from sunburn. Summer goes by without rain, until

the end of August.

A very hot September starts, the bunches find some relief only at night,

when fresh air descending from Mount Amiata crosses the valley. On

September 9th we harvest our half hectare of Semillon which has now

reached ripeness.

We taste the Merlot looking for ripeness but the result is just sugar with no

flavours. On September 17th the long-awaited rain arrives and revitalizes

everything, lowers the temperatures and makes the Merlot explode in fruit

and flavours, so we take advantage of the cooler days to harvest from

September 21st until the 24th. Sparse and light grapes with fiery red

stems, earlier than usual.

With the Merlot fermenting in the cellar we wait for the Cabernet Franc

and Sauvignon, while temperatures rise again in a never ending summer.

The ripeness is still far away, Autumn starts with heavy rains between

October 4th and 7th, at night temperatures are below zero. We collect the

Franc on October 12th,14th and 16th, small bunches with thick skin and

generous pulp.

Suddenly we have a winter climate and we run to get jackets. Finally, on

October 16th and 21st we harvest the late Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit

Verdot in a very cold climate.

The result is wines with more firm tannins marked by drought and by the

different ripening times, but with a nose and a body strongly influenced by

the cold that has arrived, vivid nose and dense but energetic and fresh

bodies.

We let the 45 parcels age in barriques until the new year when we will

decide the blends of the 2021 vintage.

Lorenzo Fornaini

Adaptation by Odette Estate has been a staple in the PlumpJack Collection's portfolio for over a decade, and in 2021, it got a new look. Though the name was chosen pre-2020, the timing of Adaptation’s latest debut felt especially poignant after a year where we learned to adapt in ways few of us would have thought possible. Sourced from renowned vineyards spanning the region, including Howell Mountain, Pope Valley, Oak Knoll, Stags Leap District, and Carneros, this complex yet elegant wine is the culmination of decades-long friendships with Napa Valley growers. These relationships enable us to capture the essence of the current moment in the industry, making Adaptation a poten- tial hidden gem among Napa Valley wines.

Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, is opaque purple, with notes of wild blackberries, luxardo cherries, plums, crème de cassis with hints of fresh spring flowers. Full bodied and beauti- fully ripe, but elegant, with very fine, well integrated tannins and a gorgeous silky texture that gives this wine upfront appeal with long-term potential. Whether you’re taking it along on a camping adventure and enjoying it with your cast-iron steak over an open flame or pairing it with your Michelin-starred meal, this is a wine that relates to both the everyday and discerning wine drinker.

"The 2019 Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a superb vintage. Revealing blackberries, black currants, crème de cassis, with hints of espresso, cocoa powder, and fine gravely undertones, this seamless full-bod- ied wine carries remarkable fresh- ness and purity, delivering up front appeal with long-term potential.”

Blend

80% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Merlot
2% Petite Sirah