Winemaker Notes
Notes of deep dark cherry and blackberry lead the nose, weaved through with rhubarb and violets adding their savory and floral accents. The aromas become more saturated and dense with time in the glass, showing candied raspberry and earthy peat top and bottom notes. The mouth is full, rich, and sleek, with a tempting mix of black raspberry and baking spices creating a sultry caress across your palate. A brooding yet fresh finish lingers well into your next sip.
Play up the silky texture with similar foods like slow-cooked salmon, succulent duck or pork, or mushroom risotto. An aged Gouda or young Cantal would make great cheese matches.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Fine-edged, with hints of tangerine to the cherry tart and plum paste flavors that are juicy and supported by rich acidity. The lively finish offers notes of cedar and spice, with hints of coffeeberry.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the 2019 Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch, which comes from the same vineyard, this is another solid, well-made wine. Revealing a semi-opaque ruby color as well as a great nose of spiced red and black berry fruits, iron, leafy herbs, and baking spices, this beauty hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a forward, sumptuous, expansive texture, and outstanding length on the finish. I don’t think it’s going to be the longest-lived Pinot out there, but it has loads of character and is already a joy to drink. Enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the mainstays of the Dutton-Goldfield production. Using fruit from carefully chosen vineyards, Dan Goldfield produces wine that reflects the natural tendencies of the area: crisp, well-structured wines that display the complexity, balance and intensity that the partners believe are key to world-class wines.
Dutton-Goldfield Winery's first releases were a Dutton Ranch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the 1998 vintage. Today Dan and Steve continue to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Dutton Ranch plantings, numerous vineyard-designated wines, as well as small lots of old vine Zinfandel and hillside Syrah. The Dutton-Goldfield wines are crafted using traditional techniques such as barrel and malolactic fermentation for the Chardonnay, and open top fermentation for the Pinot Noir.
The winery is a partnership of friends, colleagues, neighbors and families. The wines reflect this spectacular part of Northern California where the grapes are grown, the superb quality of fruit from perfectly placed and planted vineyards, and the work of an appreciative winemaker.
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.