Winemaker Notes
Bottled since 1979. Located in the heart of where the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations intersect and planted in the sand driven Gold Ridge soil series. We’ve been lucky to have worked with the Dutton family since nearly our inception. A Chardonnay of precision, with focused, structural acids threaded through a body of delicate orchard fruit tones topped by soil driven aromatics.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch comes from a well-known Russian River vineyard. Brioche, apple blossom, and white flower notes all emerge from this textbook Russian River Chardonnay. It has tons of ripe, classic orchard fruits, good acidity, and a layered, ripe texture. It also has brilliant purity of fruit.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch leaps from the glass with exuberant ripe apricots, pink grapefruit and lemon meringue pie notes with hints of lime cordial, honeysuckle and fennel seed plus a waft of almond croissant. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is beautifully elegant with bags of energy and compelling freshness, finishing long and yeasty.
-
Wine Spectator
Features focused minerality to the sculpted flavors of Gala apple, lemon zest, Asian pear and quince, supported by fresh acidity. The lilting finish offers crushed stone and fennel notes. Drink now through 2023
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.