Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a Russian River Valley site planted in 2007, the 2017 Pinot Noir Jentoft Vineyard Ryan is a selection of Swan and Calera clones and sees 15 months in 45% new French oak. This brilliant wine knocks it out of the park with its complex bouquet of darker fruits, smoked earth, and spice. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly layered and multi-dimensional on the palate, it’s a complete, flawless balanced, incredibly impressive wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise over the following decade. This lineup is stacked with terrific wines, but this is one of the standouts.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard has a lovely nose of dusty earth, pink peppercorn, dried lavender and garrigue with amaro, orange peel, autumn leaves and fresh tobacco accents. It's light to medium-bodied and silky with slowly blossoming flavor layers, a light framing of ripe, grainy tannins and lip-smacking acidity, finishing very long and layered with great energy.
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.