Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the four Russian River releases, the 2018 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is from a cooler, later ripening site and has a medium-bodied, elegant, incredibly classic style as well as notes of white flowers, brioche, apple blossom, and toasted bread. As with all these releases, it has an incredible sense of richness without weight, integrated acidity, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is classic Russian River Valley on the nose, with open-knit, ripe scents of warm peaches, quince paste, honeycomb, jasmine and a classy framing of baking spices and nutty notions. In the mouth, it has a medium weight and is incredibly silky and broad, fully flavored without losing nuance. It has a pretty blend of ripe fruits and spicy accents, a bright spine of acidity and very long, continually evolving finish. This is a beauty!
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Wine Spectator
Concentrated apple and peach pastry flavors show subtle floral nuances, backed by vibrant acidity. Unctuous midpalate, with plenty of creaminess and buttery accents that drive into the spicy finish. Drink now through 2027.
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.