DuMOL Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2010

2010 rivals 2008 as a favorite white wine vintage. Across the board the wines are lively, fresh, concentrated and focused. The balance between vibrant piercing fruit, broad enveloping texture and pin-point precise acidity is the hallmark of the vintage. They are wines to drink young for freshness but have the balance to become more complex over six to eight years in the bottle.

The 2010 RRV bottling is a DuMOL classic - the equal of many a previous designate. A strong sense of breezy coastal freshness is its dominant feature. The wine is so alive and intense that it's a perfect representation of this unusually cool vintage season. Its greatest excitement lies in the deft balance between the various fruit and structural elements - they play off one another beautifully. The fruit itself is brisk and crunchy – slightly more green-shaded than the honeyed style of 2009 and the wine's underlying richness takes some swirling to coax forth. It's never too creamy, broad or rich and its natural density is never overbearing or clumsy. It's simply a beautiful classy wine that is both focused and elegant in its delivery.