 The very first change
you will see with this new vintage of our Chardonnay is
that the Dutton Ranch designation is missing…but the
Dutton Ranch grapes are not…What I mean by that is, we
still have the exact same 12 rows of Chardonnay grapes
from our friends at the Dutton Ranch as always – the
same ones we have used for 10 vintages ---- But, about
1997 when we crushed our first vintage of Dutton Ranch
Chardonnay, I planted a few rows of a very special Clone
of Chardonnay in my own Russian River Vineyards – an
exciting clone from Chassagne Montrachet in
France’s famed Cote de Beaune. This French clone
is known to bring a minerality, and citrus character to
grapes grown in very cool regions – it was a character I
was crazy about and knew would go well with the 2 clones
I had been working with from the Dutton’s – something
that would increase the complexity and backbone of an
already beautiful wine.
Well, we started to pull a small amount of fruit from
these plantings in my vineyard in 2003 and blended just a couple of
percent into the Dutton Ranch cuvee for the final bottling, I loved it
– so in 2004 a little more – and in 2005 even more – and with this
2006 quite a bit more and now have exceeded the percentage to a point
that we no longer can, or need, or want to refer to it as Dutton Ranch
Chardonnay designate but rather our finest expression of Russian
River Valley Chardonnay. The combination of these two very
cool hillside vineyards, and marriage of the clonal variations of this
classic grape has really put a smile on my face! I love the classic
spiced apples and pears we always achieve, even hints of pineapple
notes, but now with a very crisp and lively citrus and mineral streak
as well. The way this wine goes with food is the way wine should be!
Where the food gets better because of the wine AND the
wine gets better because of the food. Chardonnay when it’s great does
just that – a little toasty spice but never oaky – very rich, but
still clean and crisp, mouthcoating and mouth cleansing, with flavors
that seem to go on forever. |
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| AWARDS |
| 2008 |
| Beverage Tasting Institute - 91pts, Gold
Medal, "Exceptional" |
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