Winemaker Notes
This is their richest and deepest Estate Pinot Noir since the wonderful 2012 bottling, and it’s certainly the most powerful Pinot of the vintage, befitting of their finest vineyard. That’s not to say, however, the wine lacks energy or poise, as it is vibrant, lively and intense with a clear vineyard signature at its core. The wine dances on the palate, all its elements in beautiful equilibrium, with a clarity that’s derived from precise vineyard work, not winemaking technique; it’s a pure translation of the vines and grapes themselves.
They harvested a strict selection from our three favorite micro-parcels within the wider Estate Vineyard: higher-elevation areas where the soils transition from fluffy/sandy to richer clay. As such, the wine balances sandy soil aromatic intensity—tart fruits, floral and spice notes, and an herbal vein—with richer, deeper clay-derived body and depth—cherry compote, dark fruits and obvious texture. There’s gorgeous elemental Pinot flavor throughout: zesty, linear and focused with a long granular structure that offers extended aging potential of 10 to 12 years.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A selection from the estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley (this cuvée represents roughly 24% of the total from vineyard), the 2016 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard is a mix of mostly Calera clones, with a little bit of the Swan clone. Like all the wines here, it was brought up in a mix of new and neutral French oak. Black cherries, currants, smoked earth, dried herbs, and some savory, herbal, meaty notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet seamless and beautifully textured Pinot Noir. It’s one of the gems in the lineup, yet these are all impressive Pinot Noirs worth your time and money.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard offers a nose of kirsch, redcurrants, ripe red plums and cranberry sauce with hints of lilacs, spice box, forest floor and dried Provence herbs. Medium-bodied with a beautifully elegant palate, it has a fine-grained frame supporting the quiet intensity of flavors, and it finishes with seamless freshness lengthening all those lovely fruit layers.
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Wine Spectator
Firm, rich and savory, with notes of forest floor to the dried raspberry, cherry tart and dark plum flavors. Turns creamy midpalate, leading to a finish filled with cedar and sandalwood depths. Drink now through 2023.
Respect for the land
DuMOL is a “vineyard up” winery with a fully integrated approach to winegrowing and winemaking. DuMOL planted its high-density estate vineyards and has farmed many of California’s most renowned vineyards for more than two decades.
Commitment to craft
DuMOL sticks to what works and is focused on the fundamentals, finding inspiration in master, visionary producers around the world as DuMOL continually hones its craft—never imitating, ever refining.
Connected on a personal level
This is a project that comes from who the DuMOL team is and what they love. A deep connection is paramount: to the land, the wines, and the customers.
Heritage and experience
Founded in 1996, DuMOL is a latter-day pioneer in the Russian River Valley. Winemaker, Viticulturist and Partner, Andy Smith, farmed the region for nearly a decade before joining in 1999, and Associate Winemakers Julie Cooper and Jenna Davis, and Cellar Master Jaime Eufracio, have over 40 years combined experience at DuMOL.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.