Winemaker Notes
A slightly above average crop level allowed the grapes to hang on the vine into late September without building sugar ripeness too rapidly. We made an early harvest pass on the west side of the vineyard where the shallowest soils & smallest grapes are found. A week later we ventured into the eastern block at a slightly higher ripeness level with a view to blending these two components. The final blend is a 30/70% blend of these two picks, which best represents the vineyard's excellent performance in this great chardonnay vintage.
Most closely similar in profile to the 2005 Isobel bottling, the wine's immense aromatic complexity is at the heart of its greatness and I would expect the wine to develop increased nuanced richness with five to seven years in bottle.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Chardonnay Isobel (all from the Charles Heintz Vineyard's 27-year old vines) exhibits a light straw/green hue as well as a stunning nose of caramelized lemons, orange blossoms, nectarines and hints of tropical fruits and honeysuckle. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and powerful, it should drink well for 7-8 years.
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Wine Spectator
Very ripe and complex, offering exotic tropical fruit flavors, with guava, pineapple, peach and floral scents. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, ending with baked fruit flavors. Drink now through 2017.
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.