Winemaker Notes
The 2023 Ryan is a throwback to the early days of DuMOL. The wine has an old school Russian River Valley style that calls upon a lineage dating back to their first vintage of Ryan in 2002. Centered upon the old vines at Dutton-Widdoes Vineyard, it’s infused with wild berry sweetness, truffle-y complexity, satiny texture and supple tannins that seem to wrap you up. That’s old-school, classic DuMOL. It has greater volume and opulence but lower acidity than their coastal wines, and its deep fruitiness ensures this wine will drink beautifully on release. Make no mistake, however: there’s complexity and buried potential underneath this comforting deliciousness, and the wine can age twelve years in bottle without issue.
Aromas and flavors akin to cranberry and rhubarb quickly segue into tiny dark wild berries, kirsch liqueur, violet, anise, and sweet mint. The fruit is succulent, broad and enveloping. The wine’s structure is supple and mellow and carries the wine to a rising finish of sweet truffle and black tea. Drink between 2025 and 2035.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from all Goldridge soils, the 2023 Pinot Noir Ryan is from Martini and Calera selections and incorporates 20% whole clusters. Its herbaceous character leans toward a slightly more rustic edge, the nose opening to notes of ripe cherries, mossy earth, and crushed flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the palate takes on more concentration and has a lovely richness, ripe tannins, and classic Russian River character with a hint of warmth. Drink 2026-2040.
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James Suckling
Warm and rich in dark fruit flavors, with a broad texture and a full body that make this bottling easy to enjoy now. Red and black cherries, dark plums, baking spices, broad tannins and a lingering, fruity finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pinot Noir Ryan comes mainly from vines planted in 1984 in the Dutton-Widdoes Vineyard, plus 20% from the Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard, planted in 2007. Grapes were harvested on October 2 and 5, and the wine was matured for 15 months in 34% new French oak. The nose is bursting with pure scents of pomegranate, blackberries, mossy bark, cedar and pipe tobacco. The full-bodied palate is sapid and spicy! Its intense, expressive flavors are structured by chalky tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, layered finish. It unfolded dramatically for several days after being opened and will benefit from time in the cellar.
Rating: 95+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of crushed cherry, orange peel, rose peel and black tea jump from the glass on the nose of this Pinot. The palate brings savory flavors of Bing cherry, tart cranberry, pithy orange, earthy mushroom, clove and cinnamon before a long and powerful finish that will soften with some time in the cellar.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Ryan is a powerful wine. The blend is 80% Widdoes (Martini clone) and 20% Jentoft (Calera clone), with the savory, earthy character of Widdoes front and center. The Ryan is fascinating to taste in this context, as it is very aromatic and leafy but boasts the same fruit density that comes through in all the DuMOL Pinots.
Barrel Sample: 92-94
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.