United States · California

Red Car

Red Car Wine is a small Sonoma Coast producer founded in 2000 by Mark Estrin and Tom Dehlinger, focusing on extremely coastal Sonoma Pinot Noir and Syrah from the Fort Ross-Seaview and extreme Sonoma Coast zone. The label is named after the historic Los Angeles Red Car streetcar system and operates from a converted historic building in Graton. At auction, the portfolio averages $34 per bottle across 101 lots — modest pricing that reflects the estate's positioning as an artisan coastal producer without significant secondary market premiums. Hagan Pinot Noir ($26), The Fight Knockout Syrah ($20), Syrah ($41), and Ritchie Chardonnay ($31) represent the range. The Syrah is the highest-priced standard bottling at $41, from cool-climate coastal conditions that produce Northern Rhône-influenced character. The low average prices suggest these wines trade at or below retail at auction — buyers are primarily enthusiasts seeking current-drinking examples rather than investors. Red Car's winemaking ethos aligns with low-intervention Sonoma Coast producers: native yeast, whole-cluster inclusion, minimal sulfur. The 2006 vintage appears as a reference for the Syrah, a year when Northern California Syrah received exceptional critical attention.