2023 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 750 ml

The 2023 Martin Ray Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir took the Wine Access tasting table by storm. Bold and luscious, it boasts the kind of excellence that’s rare in Pinots at this price.

Martin Ray has become a staple for our members because they deliver nearly unbeatable value—and that’s even more true in a year like 2023, which was a dream vintage across Sonoma.

This kind of quality and consistency is something the namesake founder, Martin Ray, would have loved to see. 

A pioneer of California viticulture alongside legends like Don Chappellet and Robert Mondavi, Ray was motivated by a desire to craft Burgundy-style wines that would rival the best of Europe—at a time when most would have found that notion laughable. His mission continues today at the winery, which leverages long-term relationships to keep costs at record lows, and keep bottles like this one in the hands of savvy Pinot lovers.

Ray boosted quality by cutting yields and refusing to irrigate in the vineyard. He was even stricter in the cellar, sometimes holding wines back a decade until he felt they were ready to go to market. That dedication to quality landed Martin Ray wines in the White House under both the Johnson and Nixon administrations, and started a legacy that continues with 93-point gems like this one.

Those making Sonoma Pinot pilgrimages would find a visit to Martin Ray’s vineyard sites enlightening, not just thirst-inducing. You can feel the moisture in the air, with the brisk marine influence sweeping up from the south through the Petaluma Gap. A blanket of fog hugs the ground in the mornings even in the summer, contributing to a diurnal temperature variation of around 35 degrees. That translates into long hang-times and full rich flavors.

All balance and elegance, this textbook Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir wowed us at the tasting table, and it’ll wow you too.