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DuMol, Russian River Valley Chardonay, Magnum (1.5L)

Sonoma County, United States 2011 (1500mL)
$125.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol
SommSelect

DuMol, Russian River Valley Chardonay, Magnum (1.5L)

We offer considerably more white Burgundy than California Chardonnay here on SommSelect, but sometimes a Californian comes along and demands to be heard. This is one of those times. During a recent visit to DuMol, my business partner Brandon and I were treated to a number of back-vintage, “library” Chardonnays that defied my Francophile biases and delivered a level of energy and focus that greatly exceeded my expectations
Perhaps I need to adjust those expectations: In my recent experience, Russian River Valley Chardonnay hasn’t flashed its “cool-climate” credentials very often—instead producing richer, more-viscous Chardonnays that don’t appeal to me—but today’s wine brought me back, enthusiastically, into the Russian River fold. The combination of 1.5-liter magnum bottles and perfect storage in DuMol’s own cellars has this 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay singing a clear, high-pitched song right now. It has deepened, darkened and added some appealing mineral savor over the years, but it can still hit the high notes while delivering an inimitable core of pure Chardonnay fruit. If you’re looking to uncork something impressive for a larger group, this is serious wine in party-size format. We don’t have much, but can offer 2 magnums per customer until it’s gone.
DuMol, originally founded in 1996 by several Bay Area wine industry veterans, has become a prestige name on wine lists in California and beyond, and the estate has enjoyed great continuity on the technical side: Since 1999, the viticulturist and winemaker has been Andy Smith, a New Zealand-trained enologist who had been Paul Hobbs’ assistant winemaker for a spell before joining DuMol, where he is now a partner. In addition to DuMol’s densely planmted estate vineyard, which is situated on an east-facing ridge planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the team has assembled a choice collection of contract vineyards for vineyard-designate wines—mostly Chardonnays and Pinots, although 2014 saw the launch of a vineyard-designate Cabernet Sauvignon program from three high-elevation Napa Valley sites.

The primary source of grapes for DuMol’s Russian River Valley designate is the acclaimed Dutton Ranch in Green Valley, one of a total of six vineyards that supply fruit for the blend. Soils across the different sites are fairly similar, consisting primarily of sandy loams of the “Goldridge” series, and the hand-harvested fruit was barrel-fermented, subjected to full malolactic fermentation, and aged 14 months in 30% new oak barrels. Given this relatively full-throttle treatment, you might (as I did) expect a more honeyed, tropically fruited wine—but what you get is a clear, resonant chord of fresh acidity lifting the ripe but balanced fruit. Smith characterized this cool-vintage 2011 as “introverted” in its youth, and while it has broadened and deepened considerably since then, it’s still vibrant and alive (thanks at least in part to the youth-preserving benefits of the magnum-bottle format).

In the glass, DuMol’s 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a deep straw-yellow with golden highlights at the rim. The heady aromas meld stone and tropical fruits, including yellow apple, mango, and poached quince along with white flowers, citrus zest, raw hazelnut, warm baking spices, and a hint of toasted brioche. Medium-plus in body and still fresh and lively on the palate, this promises a few more years of peak drinking ahead, though I see no reason to wait: Pull the cork on this magnum about 15 minutes before serving in large Burgundy stems at 50-55 degrees. It is built to wrap a buttery roast chicken in its luscious embrace, so pick your favorite recipe and cook enough for a few friends. Seems appropriate to choose a Californian chef for this one (see attached). Enjoy!
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Country
United States
Region
Sonoma County
Sub-Region
United StatesRussian River Valley
Soil
Goldridge Sandy Loam
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
30% New French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Roast Chicken

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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