Category Archives: Pinot Noir

beverages, California wine, California wines, Chardonnay, Chicago food and drink, Pinot Noir, pinot noir, red wine, rosé wine, white wine, wine

Despite smoke, Dutton-Goldfield strikes gold again

Imagine fighting not just regular natural issues like drought, hungry bugs and creatures, extreme temperatures and more, but trying to make excellent wine from grapes having to grow in smoke-smothered skies. At Dutton-Goldfield they don’t lose heart.

While they weren’t able to produce any 2020 Pinots from Sonoma County, they were busy at their Certified Sustainable Mendocino County vineyards and in the coolest areas of the Russian River Valley where smoke invasion was minimal. Here are two of their crisply luscious 2021 Chardonnays. a 2021 Pinot Blanc, and a 2022 Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley. And if any of these pique your tastebuds, order ASAP because these are all small productions of 150 to 300-ish cases. Prices range from ~$30 to ~$60.

2021 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. Fermented 100% in the barrel, along with 100% malolactic fermentation, the lees for these are stirred twice monthly. After the blend is mixed, the wine is further aged all summer in French oak barrels that are selected to emphasize not the oak but rather the fruit and vineyard characteristics of the wine, like ginger/nutmeg and buttercream to compliment the citrus. Your nose is greeted with aromas of lemon zest surrounded by spring flowers. Look for pear, kiwi and green apple notes. Then your mouth encounters “lemon curd and creamy pear lifted with a lime zest finish.”

A delicate oyster mineral finish makes it a perfect pairing with local Dungeness crab and oysters (prepared Rockefeller is good), or a creamy clam chowder. Cheese it with a cave-aged Gruyère. Alc. 13.5%.

2021 Devil’s Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay, Marin County. This wine is made from grapes that grow in the harsh climate of the Marin coast, but with slightly protected exposures. We wanted to bring out the brightness and freshness of these old vines on this wild site but maintain the creaminess that we love in Chardonnay. After fermenting  first in tank and then in old French Oak barrels, we let malolactic fermentation (30% of the wine) give it some complexity. Then we did the blending. Enjoy the zippy nose of lime zest and lemongrass touched with jasmine. Note the creamy key-lime-pie texture on first sip. Then enjoy the exotic flavors of kiwi and guava whipped by the ocean air. Finish with green apple and pear.

Think shellfish with this wine – linguini with claims or shrimp chowder. Goes beautifully with many cheeses, from young goat to aged cheddar. Alc. 13.3%

2022 Rose of Pinot Noir, North Coast. This lovely expression is a unique blend of berries from our Putnam vineyard and our green valley sites, all of which are known for their excellent structure and acidity along with plushness and complexity. Aging in 100% stainless steel maintains the freshness and brightness of this wine’s summer-sipping qualities.

Imagine a summer fruit basket of strawberry, watermelon and peach aromas touched TIG sweet orange blossom. Crisp but creamy. Now tast the trawberries and cream with dried cranberry and pink grapefruit notes. Savor the succulent finish that calls you irresistibly to have another sip. Match this gem with almost any foods – starters to mains, charcuterie to salads to fowl and fish. Alc. 14.1%

2022 Dutton Ranch – Shop Block Pinot Blanc, Green Valley of Russian River Valley. The goal with their Pinot Blanc is to showcase its freshness and minerality. Fermentation is 100% in stainless steel. Partial malolactic fermentation fleshes out the exotic peach aromas and gives extra richness in the mouth but not so much that you lose the fresh acidity and minerality. The finished wine leads with its signature peach aroma, and gives out both the blossoms and the fruit. In the mouth you’ll get peach/apricot flavors with perfect creaminess and a fresh finish with ocean salinity.

Drink this lovely sipper on its own, or let it complement your appetizers and salads. Try with white gazpacho or scallop ceviche, a coupe of no-cooking summer treats. Select fresh and mild types of cheese so that both cheese and wine can shine. Alc. 13.3%

2021 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. This blend represents our visitation for the character of this special region: juicy berry fruit, both in the nose and in the mouth, solid structure with fine tannins, and alluring balance. Fruit is hand-sorted and then treated to our unique process – cold soaking the must (extracting spice and fruit characters, taming tannins). Fourteen to twenty days on the skins. Individual lots pressed, then racked into French oak barrels to age. We blend in early spring and let our favorite lots rest in barrel to marry flavors and gain complexity until August bottling. This voluptuous wine expresses its place beautifully. Dark ruby with color hints signals the lushness to come; the nose confirms it with its rich and varied berry selection. Boysenberry, cherry and blueberry dance over sandalwood and baking spice bottom notes, while a scent of purple flowers enhances the experience.

Drink this pinot with fish, fowl, and savory dishes made with mushrooms or earthy roasted root vegetables. And don’t miss the chance to try it with a fine Gouda cheese. Alc. 13.5%.

Guarantee you’ll love the creations of Dutton-Goldfield. Go ahead. Indulge yourself.

 

 

California wine, cheese, Chicago food and drink, Pinot Noir, riesling

4 more winners from Dutton-Goldfield

Now firmly ensconced in their new production facility, the folks at Dutton-Goldfield have been busy creating luscious super-premium and luxury wines – especially their elegant Pinot Noirs – in spite of the fires. They did stop production on 2020 Pinots from Sonoma due to smoke. but there are plenty of Pinots from their other vineyards. Below are highlights of three of their late-year 2018 Pinot Noirs and a bone-dry Riesling.

Seafrood lovers rejoice!

Meanwhile, if you’re in the area, near Sebastopol in California, call ahead for an appointment to check out their newly reopened tasting room and sample their unique Wine & Cheese Experience – a whole lineup of local cheeses paired perfectly with a variety of their wines. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

2018 Van Der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir – Sonoma Mountain. Start with dusky aromas of Bing cherry, plum, and dried sage, and a perfume of dried purple flowers. As you let it rest and sip slowly, you’ll notice savory/sweet notes of rhubarb and beet, too. Let it fill your mouth with a robust and sultry experience that’ll remind you of the earth in which the grapes grow – the essence of terroir. Black cherry, spicy sandalwood and black tea mingle with tight, fine tannins. This powerful wine makes a fine cellar option. Alc 13.9% SRP ~$68.

2018 Dutton Ranch Emerald Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir – Green Valley of Russian River Valley. Juicy, plush blueberry fruit framed by sandalwood and lavender come across as opulent, but also have a fresh lift and energy in the nose. Rich blueberry, boysenberry, and black cherry fruits are carried on round but firm black tea tannins. The wine has a rich sweet fruitness that pairs beautifully with savory dishes like herbed pork or fowl, pasta with mushrooms and prosciutto, and cheeses like gruyere and Manchego. Alc 13.8% SRP ~$68.

2018 Deviate Pinot Noir – Sonoma Coast. This wine was first bottled in 2013, at the time the only deviation from the single-vineyard rule. Working with two separate vineyards with different grapes and growing seasons, Dutton-Goldfield created a winner and settled on the name. Notice the rich deep color of this striking and intense wine. Let your nose appreciate the aromas of wild berry preserves cloaked in cigar box spice with a touch of mushroom earthiness. Black cherry and black raspberries don’t overwhelm the fresh acidity. Taste the toffee and caramel on the bright and long finish. Perfect for cellaring. Go with dining pairings on the richer side to match the earthy qualities of the wine: braised pork with mushrooms, herb-rubbed game birds, or pasta with a pancetta and chestnut sauce. For cheeses, try a Gruyere or Taleggio. Alc 14.1% SRP ~$72.

2018 Chileno Valley Vineyard Riesling – Marin County. The long temperate growing season of 2018 let the grapes for this Riesling ripen for a longer time. As a result, lemon, lime, and honeydew melon aromas combine with floral accents to give this wine a textural quality. The bright tart sweet finish along with a touch of oyster shell minerality help this wine reach the typical style of a Riesling as it ages. Perfect with seafood, raw oysters and steamed clams, or spicy ratatouille. Drink it now for white peach and grapefruit fresh acidity, or let it mellow into apricot, lychee and earthy aromas and flavors. Alc 13.3% SRP ~$30.

If you love Pinot Noirs and bright, light wines, acquaint yourself with the sustainably grown grapes, the family-owned vineyards, the people and the dogs of Dutton-Goldfield. You are in for some fun and surprises and fabulous wines.

Twitter: @DuttonGoldfield
IG: @duttongoldfieldwinery

beverages, cheese, Chicago food and drink, comfort food, fine dining, gifts, parties, Pinot Noir

5 pandemic luxuries: 2018 Pinot Noirs from Dutton-Goldfield

Some who have been able to work from home during this long-running pandemic may be saving enough money to be able to treat themselves to some luxurious wines they might never have considered. And I can’t think of a more luxurious treat than one of these 2018 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir wines.

Dutton Goldfield winemakers love their work!
Dutton Goldfield winemakers love their work!

Dutton-Goldfield’s vineyards, many with intriguing names, promise excitement and quality that their elegant luxury wines always meet and surpass. As of 2018 they’re in their own new facility and now have complete control over every aspect of the production of their wines – and the 2018 harvest had no pandemic issues. In the new facility, the winemakers now get to select the best possible picking dates when they’re confident the acids and sugars are at their absolute optimum balance. We consumers are the winners in being able to choose from their selection of 2018 wines that showcase a fabulous combination of mouthwatering freshness and decadent richness. Prepare to be utterly delighted by any one of these. This post showcases just five of them for your special-occasion, friendsgiving, or self-indulgent consideration.

Devil’s Gulch Vineyard, 2018 Pinot Noir. Located in Marin County, this vineyard has put out a gorgeous Pinot that’s extraordinarily silky and velvety with “fruit and spice characters” that have a “wonderful combination of power and fineness,” a nose with “sweet wild berries in the forest, tinged with nutmeg and cinnamon.” Isn’t your mouth watering? You don’t need to wait until the holidays to indulge yourself with this 5-star beauty. Think pairings like rabbit, pork, lamb or quail (bacon-stuffed mushrooms, anyone?). Thank you, winemaker Dan Goldfield. Alc. 13.8% SRP ~$72.

Angel Camp Vineyard, 2018 Pinot Noir. Situated ini Anderson Valley, this beautiful 10-acre spot sits on a scenic knoll with a gravely slope that lets winemaker Dan Goldfield extract deep, plummy flavors and voluptuous tannins from the grapes. Consider the joy of “dusky blackberry and plum aromas complemented with savory beet and earthy notes. Christmas spices provide a lacy framework” for the harmonious balance of sweet black cherry, purple plum, dried flowers and sandalwood flavors. Enjoy it now or let it mellow. You’ll love it with warm potato salad, bacon quiche, poultry or pork and cheeses like Fontina or Havarti. Alc. 14.1% SRP ~$62.

Fox Den Vineyard, 2018 Pinot Noir. Perched atop a formerly-sea-bottom ridge, Fox Den sits on eight acres in the Green Valley of Russian River Valley and has a terroir that makes for low vigor vines, slow ripening, and beautifully floral and fruit driven wine. The long growing season of 2018 encouraged these vines to produce a satiny texture and a nose of red fruits with sweet raspberry and strawberry interlaced with baking spices. In the mouth you get a sweet-tart interplay that dances from Bing cherry to dried cranberry to alpine strawberry with a drift of cinnamon and nutmeg. Think pairings with duck confit, seared tuna, and pulled pork or sweetbreads. Creamy goat cheese, Kaseri or Bellwether’s triple crème San Andreas will sing with this wine. Alc. 13.8% SRP ~$68.

Enjoy with a special meal you’ve prepared. Or a few of the decadent cheeses mentioned. With friends on Zoom, or just by yourself.