Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Chloe is a more rounded, fleshy effort that still plays in the vibrant, more chiseled style favored by this estate. Beautiful crushed citrus, pineapple, Meyer lemon, and white flower notes all dominate the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with a rich yet racy style that carries loads of fruit and texture as well as bright acidity. I love it, and while it's great today, it promises to shine for 7-8 years and have a gradual evolution beyond that as well.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Chloe Ritchie Vineyard is the last vintage of Ritchie Vineyard from Dumol, a vineyard designate they have made for 20 years. "The old vines are no longer economic," says Dumol winemaker Andy Smith, "so there's a replanting scheme going on." The Ritchie goes out with a bang—it's a gorgeous wine, offering youthfully shy hints of tangerine, hazelnuts, flint and honey-oat character. The palate is medium-bodied, silky, concentrated and expansive with dynamic acidity to lift the rich fruit, lingering in the mouth for a very long finish. It will benefit from another three to five years in bottle and should be very long lived.
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Wine Spectator
This suave version offers a lithe mix of white fruit and savory spice flavors, filled with vibrant acidity. Unctuous lemon drop notes midpalate lead to a finish loaded with creamy richness.
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.