2022 RAEN Lady Marjorie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

99-point wines for under $100 are tough to find. Even tougher if they're made by some of California's original wine monarchs, the Mondavis. We only have 3 cases of this wine (36 bottles) to sell, and since you probably found this on wine-searcher as the lowest price in California, I'd move quick if I were you. ARE WE PSYCHICS? No, lol, but wouldn't you be impressed if that's how you found this?

If you want a California Chardonnay that upends the “buttery oak bomb” stereotype and instead offers sleek precision, electric acidity and unmistakable sense of place — the 2022 RAEN “Lady Marjorie” Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast belongs in your lineup.

This cuvée is a tribute to the Mondavi brothers’ grandmother, Marjorie, and every sip reflects grand-mat energy: resilient, unpretentious, quietly brilliant. The fruit comes from the western edge of the Sonoma Coast AVA (Fort Ross-Seaview and adjacent rocky parcels), where winds off the Pacific and deeply weathered soils impose extreme conditions. The result? Grapes that ripen slowly, concentrate naturally, but retain crisp acidity and minerality that many Chardonnay lovers chase in Burgundy—only here in California.

Winemaking here is purposeful. Whole-cluster pressing, native-yeast fermentation, a light touch of oak (or often neutral vessels) and minimal fining/filtration preserve the vineyard’s voice. The 2022 vintage is the second iteration of Lady Marjorie, and RAEN’s team captured a beautiful combination of expressive fruit and structure. Harvested off early-adjacent coastal hills, the wine shows bright white-peach, nectarine and floral notes backed by crushed gravel/rock and a backbone of saline minerality.

In the glass: pale gold with subtle green highlights. Aromatics open with white peach, crunchy nectarine, honeysuckle and a hint of wet gravel. On the palate you’ll feel the tension: lively lime-blossom acidity, succulent stone-fruit carry, and a stony, saline finish that lingers. It’s full-bodied yet lithe; generous without heaviness. Critical praise backs this up: “White peach, crunchy nectarine, crushed wet gravel and white spring flowers jump from the glass… backbone of mineral-laced acidity and subtle notes of salinity that all lead to a long, bright finish.”

Why should you care? Because this isn’t just “a nice Chardonnay” — it’s a statement of what California coastal whites can be when created with site, restraint and clarity in mind. It’s for the drinker who wants elegance over excess, minerality over butter. It has enough freshness to shine now, and enough backbone to evolve over 5-8 years (or more) — watch for layers of hazelnut, warm stone, subtle reduction and cellar-enhanced complexity.

With limited production and mounting critical acclaim, the 2022 “Lady Marjorie” is not just a smart buy — it’s a collector’s white. If you want something that stands out on a dinner list, slots into a fine wine cellar or simply joins your table with distinction, this bottle fits the bill.