Raeburn Winery

Our Wines

Chardonnay

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2019 Vintage Awards

94 Points

The Tasting Panel

Gold Medal, 91 Points

USA Wine Ratings 2021

2018 Vintage Awards

95 Points

SOMM Journal

90 Points

Wine Enthusiast

Raeburn is a nod to classic California Chardonnay — elegant and expressive with intense fruit character, creaminess and toasty vanilla.

Appellation

Russian River Valley

Variety

100% Chardonnay

Taste

Raeburn is a nod to classic California Chardonnay — elegant and expressive with intense fruit character, creaminess and toasty vanilla.

Download tasting notes:

Chardonnay 2019

Chardonnay 2018

Chardonnay 2017

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Pinot Noir

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2019 Vintage Awards

92 Points

The Tasting Panel

2018 Vintage Awards

95 Points

SOMM Journal

Raeburn Pinot Noir delivers bright, focused-fruit aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries and red cherries capped with notes of spicy oak. The palate is ripe, rich and velvety balanced by bright acidity.

Appellation

Russian River Valley

Variety

100% Pinot Noir

Taste

Raeburn Pinot Noir delivers bright, focused-fruit aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries and red cherries capped with notes of spicy oak. The palate is ripe, rich and velvety balanced by bright acidity.

Download tasting notes:

Pinot Noir 2019

Pinot Noir 2018

Pinot Noir 2017

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Rosé

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2020 Vintage Awards

93 Points

The Tasting Panel

2019 Vintage Awards

93 Points

SOMM Journal

91 Points

BevX

90 Points

Wine Enthusiast

90 Points

Blue Lifestyle

Pale rose in color, Raeburn Russian River Valley Rosé begins with delicate floral and raspberry aromas. The palate is marked with lush flavors of strawberry and guava followed by a luxurious yet light finish.

Appellation

Russian River Valley

Variety

74% Pinot Noir, 22% Zinfandel, 4% Grenache.

Taste

Pale rose in color, Raeburn Russian River Valley Rosé begins with delicate floral and raspberry aromas. The palate is marked with lush flavors of strawberry and guava followed by a luxurious yet light finish.

Download tasting notes:

Rosé 2020

Rosé 2019

Rosé 2018

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Our Crew

Proprietor

Derek Benham

Derek was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley. Derek spent his childhood summers working in the fields pulling weeds, harvesting potatoes, and trellising grapes, and he frequented the Sierras with his mother Phyllis, an ardent environmentalist and bird watcher. She was fearless, spending days in the mountains on her own with a young child and a notebook to record her wildlife and bird observations — all of which shaped Derek for the road ahead.

Joe Tapparo

Raeburn Winemaker Joe Tapparo was raised in Sonoma County, surrounded by vineyards and wineries. As a young man, he helped his godfather plant a Pinot Noir vineyard in the Russian River Valley, his first exposure to this world-class winegrowing region. As he worked amongst the young vines, Joe daydreamed about the day that he would make his own wine.

Our Land

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The Land

The Russian River Valley opens to the Pacific Ocean allowing cool fog and breezes to flow directly into the vineyards. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes benefit greatly from this maritime influence which fosters a longer more temperate growing season and yields full flavored, complex wines with well-balanced acidity.

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The River

Raeburn is an Olde English term which means "the river where one goes to drink." So, it's fitting that Raeburn's expressive, beautifully balanced wines begin in the heart of the Russian River Valley where some of the world's finest Burgundy grapes are grown.

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The Winery

Raeburn Winery is located on Olivet Road, a quiet country lane in the heart of Sonoma Country's famed Russian River Valley. Originally built in as an egg storage facility, Olivet was converted to a small production winery by iconic Sonoma County vintner, Cecil DeLoach, in 2000. The winery was then purchased by wine and spirits innovator, Derek Benham, in January, 2005 and has since become Raeburn's home.

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Russian River Valley

The Russian River Valley appellation lies at the geographical heart of Sonoma County. This is where some of wine country’s best known and most beloved varietals really earned their reputation. This is the appellation that set the standard for California, and perhaps New World, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while remaining home to sought-after old vine Zinfandel.

Sustainability

Respect and Responsibility

Raeburn Winery Founder, Derek Benham, was born to consummate birdwatcher and passionate naturalist, Phyllis Benham, who instilled within him a deep respect for nature.

Derek founded Raeburn Winery in Phyllis’ honor in 2012, with a mission to protect the thriving and diverse watersheds of the Russian River Valley she so loved and provide a safe habitat for grapes and creatures alike. As a further nod to Phyllis and our mission, we honor the graceful egret on our label, a common sight along local waterways.

Raeburn is made in a Certified California Sustainable Winery. Our system and set of beliefs reflect the best practices of sustainable production including mindful winemaking and low impact farming.

We run one of the most eco-friendly, water-efficient facilities in the industry. A canopy over the winery diverts rainwater (up to one million gallons annually) into Atascadero Creek, a federally protected salmon-spawning habitat. We collaborated with Tesla Energy to install Powerpack commercial batteries at the winery. In addition, we recycle 90% of all winery packaging materials.