Winemaker Notes
There’s good punch to the aromas, which are simultaneously bright and dark: cranberry, black cherry and rhubarb. Highly perfumed Asian spice, juniper and orange peel lend support. The palate is lively and juicy—the flavors of black raspberry, huckleberry and pomegranate vivid and intense with a lovely inner-mouth floral lift. The wine has outstanding cut and definition with lingering hints of peat moss and sweet tobacco that fan out on the seamless mineral finish. Drink between mid 2021 and 2030, anticipating wonderful potential with age. Bottled unfiltered.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the Pinot Noirs, this is easily the finest lineup I've tasted from Andy Smith. These are magical wines that check in at the top of the vintage. The 2018 Pinot Noir Jentoft Vineyard Ryan comes from the Russian River Valley and was all destemmed and spent 15 months in 40% new French oak. This is classic Pinot Noir all the way with its ripe black raspberry, baking spices, forest floor, background oak, and earth. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it's seamless, flawlessly balanced, and has a great, great finish. It's a stunning example of world-class Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years or so.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard is another incredible cuvée from Dumol this vintage. Medium ruby, it opens savory with scorched earth, prosciutto, wet leaves and dried herbs over a core of lush black berry fruit. Medium-bodied, it explodes in the mouth, offering bursts of juicy, perfumed, bitters-laced fruits, very finely grained and finishing long and layered.
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Wine Spectator
A powerful, savory style, this red offers tarragon and sage notes, with dried berry and cherry flavors that are backed by zesty acidity. White pepper hints on the firm finish. Best from 2022 through 2026.
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.