Dutton-Goldfield Winery
Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield have teamed up to deliver some of the best Pinot Noir’s in Sonoma County. Perhaps the key to their success is sourcing grapes from 17+ unique and diverse vineyards scattered around Sonoma County and Sonoma Coast line. Most are located in the Green Valley (Russian River), with one also in Mendocino County. No wonder why in 2014, they were named as one of the “Top 100 Wineries” by Wine & Spirit Magazine.
There is however other varietals that they offer like their award winning Chardonnay, Sarah and Zinfandel. Also small lots of Riesling (300 cases), Gewürztraminer (262 cases) and Pinot Blanc (367 cases) are offered. Their tasting room is located in Sebastopol which has both inside and outside seating available.
On the day that I was there, we focused primarily on the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. Perhaps one of their flagship wines is their Rued Vineyard Chardonnay. It is a bright, citrus-primarily lemon, with a hint of butterscotch taste. It is aged 17 months in 50% new French oak and presented unfiltered. For the 2013 vintage, they produced 800 cases. They received a deserving 93 points for this refreshing Chardonnay. I purchased a few bottles for my cellar!
We tasted three of their Pinot Noir’s from varying vineyards: Fox Den, Emerald Ridge and Freestone Hill. Fox Den and Emerald Ridge received 93 and 92 points respectively. My favorite was the Freestone Hill with its dark cherry color, featuring ripe blueberries and blackberries on the palate. This wine is aged 17 months in 55% new French barrels. They use Clone is 667 and has become one of my favorites. Only 478 cases were produced.
My suggestion would be to visit them early in your tasting day with a fresh palate to taste their diversified portfolio, especially the Pinot Noirs.
https://www.duttongoldfield.com
Slainte
If you like this post, please hit the Follow and Subscribe buttons on the right side of the page. Also check out: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaWinesAndWineries/ for more wine information.
California Wines & Wineries 