Vineyards
Appellation: Russian River Valley – DuMOL Estate
vineyard
Clones: Wente selection
Yield: 2.5 tons per acre
Vine Age: 6 years
Winemaking
Hand harvested grapes sorted in the vineyard then slowly
whole cluster pressed. Barrel fermented with native yeast.
Complete malolactic fermentation and 15 months aging in
60% new French oak from Tonnellerie Ermitage.
No filtration at bottling.
Release Date: November 2013
Harvest
Date: September 26th, 28th and 30th
Harvest brix: 23.1 average
Production
450 cases of 750ml
24 cases of 1.5L Magnums
12 bottles of 3L
Vintage Notes
Our second Estate Chardonnay release is a study in subtlety, balance, and poise. It’s not a blockbuster wine but
rather one that charms with its gradual rising concentration, long elegant flavors, and great detail. There’s a
great deal of complexity on offer here but at this early stage, it’s bound up in the wine’s youthful structure. As
the wine ages, however, its broad richness will steadily assert itself. As a product of our most densely planted
vineyard, there’s less honeyed Californian fruit on display because the clusters themselves receive less direct
sunlight due to the tight vine row spacing. Instead a myriad of complex savory elements really drive the wine
and make it unique within our Chardonnay line up. On opening the wine is very clean and intensely ‘snappy’
in the glass, but with breathing time its natural concentration and weight, derived from low vine yields, really
take over so that by the end of the evening, the wine’s subtle power is the lingering theme. There aren’t many
Californian chardonnays that can match this wine’s subtle polished elegance.
Tasting Notes
Very pale straw color. Opens slowly with flint, lemongrass and fresh green herb aromas. Richer melon, toasted
almond and baking spice notes take hold with mint and chamomile aromatic complexity. Clean saline palate
entry, grapefruit and quinine notes then white peach, quince paste, apple and ginger. Building texture but
always clean, pure and focused with lingering subtle acidity. Serve closer to 60 degrees and drink between 2014
and 2020.
Andy Smith
Winemaker – Viticulturist, DuMOL