Nose
Aromas of raspberry, cherry, and jasmine intermingle.
Palate
The Manzana Vineyard brings
in round mouthfeel and fruit character while the Thomas Road Vineyard
adds a layer of earthiness. Marty’s Vineyard brings in amazing cherry and
raspberry. Combining them all leads to a chewy Pinot Noir with notes of
Himalayan blackberry, marionberry, red currants, and boysenberry
interspersed with sweet tobacco leaves on its earthy foundation. Silky
sweetness intertwines with bright acidity to create a charming and
delightful mouthfeel. A long, powerful finish lingers with the taste of tart
Santa Rosa plum fading into citrusy pomegranate. This is a well-rounded
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that benefits with bottle age.
Growing Conditions
Dutton Ranch farms more than 80 separate vineyards in the Russian River
Valley. We selected our favorite sites from our family’s vineyards to craft
wines reflecting our vision of a signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
Each of these vineyards are certified Sonoma County Sustainably-Farmed
and Fish-Friendly. From the vineyard sites and clonal selection to the
mixture of barrels selected, along with our signature winemaking style,
Karmen Isabella Pinot Noir shows a balance of red fruits with lush texture,
as the vines planted in Goldridge soil tend to exhibit.
Bottling
Bottled: August 2016. We select specific vineyard clones and lots for our Karmen Isabella Pinot Noir and blend them
in late spring or early summer to allow the wine to marry and settle before
bottling. This wine was filtered.
Winemaking
Harvested at night, the Karmen Isabella fruit is hand-sorted and gently
destemmed. The crushed fruit is then placed into small open-top
fermenters. The must is cold-soaked for five days to gently extract spice and
fruit characters, while minimizing harsher tannins. We punch-down up to
three times daily. After fermentation, the individual vineyard lots are
pressed and racked into French oak barrels to age.
Aging
10 months in French oak, 34% new.
Appearance
A rich, bright ruby color.
