Martin Ray Pinot Noir Mardikian Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2023

If you’re a serious Pinot person, and also an impatient person, this bottle is seeking you like the ocean fog moving in on Green Valley. James Suckling awarded 95 points to this single-vineyard stunner from the sublime 2023 vintage, and said it would be "even better in a year or two." That’s NOW.

Whether the name Martin Ray means a lot to you as a California wine pioneer, or their scrolly font only rings a faint bell of delight, the excitement here is on the where and the how. This comes from the Mardikian Vineyard, which sits at the coastal edge of the Russian River Valley’s most balanced neighborhood: Green Valley! We sigh just thinking about it. This is five miles from the Pacific, where morning fog hangs on long into the day before ceding to the warm sunshine. The vines are naturally low-yielding and enjoy an extended growing season, and the grapes speak to all of this with so much flair. Savory and deeply expressive, with forest floor and wild herbs and salty sea air to brace the juicy black cherries and raspberries. Bonus: 12 months of aging in 30% new French oak – the sweet spot for not having to wait years more to open this. 

“Plenty of dark cherries, citrus peel, potpourri and umami on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins and a juicy finish. Racy and polished. Focused and tight at the end. The fine tannins give this tension. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two.”

–95 points, James Suckling, February 2025

These fine-boned, tensile layers and epic flavors do not come cheapy cheap, but remember, if you were falling in love with this in the tasting room, you’d be facing a much steeper price. And if that bewitchingly geeky yet salt-of-the-earth tasting room gal said, “Actually, you can have it for over half off… and shipping is free on six” – you’d be completing the transaction in seconds.

Martin Ray’s winemaking team is stacked with talent: director of winemaking Leslie Renaud (credits include Clos du Bois, Bonny Doon, Talley, Lincourt, and Foley), winemaker Raemy Paterson (trained in Bordeaux, Provence, and Barossa); and consulting winemaker Keith Emerson (cult Napa winery Vineyard 29). 

As Tom Hanks / David S. Pumpkins would say, any questions?