Winemaker Notes
Classic Heintz aromas that are simultaneously exotic and focused: ginger and honey; lemongrass and sweet mint; chamomile and sea spray. Intense lemon and lime oil dominate the flavors with green apple and taut minerals. The texture is deep and layered with tremendous volume and fruit extract. The wine’s vibrant acidity lifts this richness adding tension and freshness. Long echo of savory botanical intensity and lingering flinty edge
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard is the 20th bottling of a Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay at DuMOL. It was harvested September 25-27, matured in larger barrels and finished with six months in stainless steel. "There are very few better vintages of this," winemaker Andy Smith exclaims during our tasting, and I have to agree. It's bursting with scents of matchstick, chamomile, Greek yogurt and white peach, and over time, it unfurls unique spicy, herbal undertones. The palate is intensely concentrated, boasting expansive, dynamic flavors that segue from stone fruit to honey. Satiny and seamless, it has a tremendously long finish with mind-altering depth of flavor. Fans of Burgundy will love it for its flinty tones, and fans of California for its concentration and power.
Rating: 98+ -
James Suckling
Intense aromas of dried fruits such as lemons and peaches with lemongrass and botanicals. Flinty. Full and intense with dried pineapple and creamy yet firm textured phenolics. Lots of solid character here. Extremely flavorful with salted caramel. Hints of oiliness with bright acidity. Fantastic. This is one of the best I have had from here.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 20th vintage DuMOL has produced from this site, the youthful golden/straw-colored 2021 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel is flinty and filled with pure fruit, including lime zest, fresh pineapple, and green apple, as well as sea spray. This bright, freshly styled white is medium-bodied, with more apple fruit, white flowers, and delicate baking spices on the finish. Drink 2024-2034. This is a snappy and fresh wine.
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Wine Spectator
This stunning wine opens with hints of toast and nutmeg, as well as smoked, salted almond, before delivering a vibrant, mouthwatering and mineral-laden core of fresh lemon, lime and yuzu flavors that are crisp and refreshing, with lingering accents of litsea oil. Drink now through 2034.
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Wine & Spirits
Green strawberry notes come through in the white fruit of this wine. Its warm with a plush satin drape to the texture, lasting with a phenolic character under honey and nut scents.
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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.