Winemaker Notes
Sourced from Dutton Ranch’s acclaimed Sebastapol vineyard, the Jax Chardonnay thrives in its famed moon dust soil. This fine grained soil provides the ideal combination of excellent drainage and low yields. Harmonizing its terroir driven minerality with sculpted rich intensity, this wine unveils aromas of brioche,toasted almond, hazelnut and green Anjou pear. The palate delivers delicate crisp green apple, poached pear, and lemon custard flavors. While ready to enjoy now, this wine’s acidity and minerality will engender continued complexity throughout the next decade.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Youthfully shy, the 2018 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch offers fresh quince, apple and pear fruit aromas with citrus blossom, baker’s yeast, stone and nutty touches. The palate is light to medium-bodied and slightly rounded. It's delicate but intense with uplifting freshness on the long, nuanced finish. This merits another year in bottle. Rating: 91+
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.