Winemaker Notes
The depth of the wine makes it perfect for heartier cool-weather fare, like grilled flank steaks with salsa verde or Italian sausages with polenta.
Situated high above the Gualala River and the Pacific Coast, McDougall Vineyard was added to our portfolio in 2001. At the north end of the Sonoma Coast, just north of Hirsch and Flowers vineyards, it has the perfect southern exposure high on the hillside. Farmed by long-time Dutton friends (the late) Mac, Barbara and Rich McDougall, this vineyard's combination of high elevation and proximity to the coast produces fruit with inimitable personality (like Mac), intense black cherry fruit, mineral overtones and a firm tannin backbone.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The vineyard from which this wine is sourced sits along the Gualala River in view of the Pacific Ocean, enjoying coastal weather and elevations of up to 1,100 feet. Baked blueberry pie laced with clove is the first impression, supported by bright acidity. Exotic in profile, it imparts cedar and tea notes, its tannins fine yet tenacious.
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.”
On the far western edge of the larger Sonoma Coast appellation, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA hugs right up against the Pacific coast. Vineyards, planted at rugged elevations between 920 to 1,800 feet, occupy only two percent of the total land in the AVA. Fort Ross-Seaview growers believe that the region boasts an ideal mix of sunshine, cool air and beneficial stress for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot noir.