Winemaker Notes
From first sniff, a lusciousness and sense of depth comes through. Strawberry compote aromas are edged in pretty floral notes of violets and lavender, with an interesting savory thyme note carrying the bottom tones. The mouth is decadently rich, yet pure and vibrant, with candied raspberry leading the intense juiciness. Fine-grained tannins carry the lengthy finish, ending in berry with a black tea earthiness.
Play up the fruit and herb notes with similar flavors, and the plush texture with richer dishes, like duck breasts with sour cherry and thyme, pancetta wrapped turkey, or grilled skirt steak with peaches. For cheeses, a Manchego, gruyere, or taleggio would make nice matches.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is bright, crisp and sharp in acidity, showing the coolness of the appellation. Well-integrated red fruit, forest floor and tea provide contrast between savory and sweet, with mannered tannins and spicy oak.
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Wine & Spirits
Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield planted this 8-acre vineyard for Ed and Sue Smith in 2002, at their home on a ridge near Occidental, in the western corner of the Green Valley. The sandy Goldridge soils, remnants of an ancient seabed, reduce vigor in the vines, which, in turn, produce the kind of fruit that speaks of the grandeur of the Pacific in the wine’s velvet waves of flavor. It captures the shifting fog in its freshness, the sun in the warm tones of earth. Bright floral scents and dark green plum play in and out of the oak (55 percent of the wine aged in new barrels). This is pretty righteous wine from the coast.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and fine-textured, this is filled with a rich medley of red berry and dried cherry flavors that show hints of citrus zest. The minerally finish is pure and direct, with notes of dried green herbs and cooking spices.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Inclining to fresh, very clearly stated cherries on first nosing with a sympathetic bit of creamy oak and a soupçon of flowery sweetness emerging with a swirl or two in the glass, this well-made, medium-full-bodied Pinot follows up on its enticing aromatic start with concentrated, yet very lively, slightly richer-than-expected flavors wherein incisive varietal fruit is at the fore every step of the way. It is a wine whose sense of cohesion and structured refinement makes it thoroughly enjoyable right now, but it will age effortlessly on the strength of its flawless balance.
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.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Situated on the foggier and colder western edge of the Russian River Valley, almost abutting the Sonoma Coast appellation, Green Valley is one of California’s most reputable Chardonnay and Pinot noir producing regions. It is also a wonderful source of sparkling wines made from these varieties.
Goldridge soils abound throughout the Green Valley appellation. This fine, dark, sandy loam and fractured sandstone is derived from the remains of ancient inland seabeds dating back three to five million years. It is valuable for high quality grape growing because of its excellent drainage and low fertility.