Women of Wine: Martin Ray Vineyards' Leslie Mead Renaud

Few follow a linear trajectory into winemaking, and Leslie Mead Renaud – the principal winemaker at Martin Ray Vineyards in Santa Rosa, California – is certainly no exception. What is exceptional, however, is her deft touch and gentle hand with cool-climate Burgundian varietals on a relatively large scale that is singularly unique.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and growing up with a naval father stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, Leslie never has strayed far from the sea. An adventurer at heart, her teen years were spent as a diving instructor, followed by treks spent in the national forest in Oregon hooting for owls. As a lab technician at Ironstone Vineyards, Leslie discovered that the vinification process allowed her to embrace a mutual affection for art and science. Stints at Clos du Bois, Bonny Doon, Talley, Lincourt and Foley vineyards followed. Leslie assumed duties as head winemaker at Lincourt and Foley, where she was responsible for some of the premier pinots fashioned on the South Coast. Her calling cards are terroir-driven wines built on the principles of balance and freshness. She uses oak judiciously and in concert with the level of extraction in the wine. Her Sonoma Coast bottlings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir underscore these philosophies and reveal her maritime connection to coastal California writ large. When she’s not at the winery, you might find Leslie driving the narrow lanes of the Russian River Valley around her home in Windsor on her vintage motorcycle.

"I try to be as non-interventionist as possible. I try to do everything using native yeast, strictly using the strains that come in on the grapes. What I love about winemaking is that, for me, it is a perfect blend of science and artistry, if you will. I'm kind of a science nerd – love chemistry – but I'm really big on cooking and creating, so my profession feels like a synthesis of the two." — Leslie Mead Renaud

Featured Wines:

Martin Ray Chardonnay "Sonoma Coast"

A nearly immaculate presentation of affordably priced Sonoma Chardonnay, there is nothing cookie-cutter about this wine. Leslie Mead Renaud's ability to coax both richness and vitality out of her Chardonnay is truly exemplary. Taut Granny Smith apple, cool Riviera pear and pineapple notes swirl around a solid core of acidity with a hovering overlay of hazelnut-like French oak that refuses to lay dominion over the bright fruit – achieving what few overwrought California Chardonnays are able to accomplish.

Martin Ray Pinot Noir "Sonoma Coast"

In no way taking a back seat to the beatific balance of her Chardonnay, the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir also has few peers in its price range. Two vineyards along this rugged stretch of coastline named Cartan and Ricioli provide the lithe cranberry- and morello-cherry-laced fruit that compose the temperate palate of this lovely red that, once again, features the hallmarks of the Renaud style. It's brightly lit red-fruited Pinot that retains elegance and supreme balance, providing measured acidity and an uncommon delicacy at this price point. The critics agree! Internationally acclaimed wine critic James Suckling rated this outstanding wine 93 points.