Nose
Honeyed, stone fruit aromatics with a healthy dose of wildflowers and honeysuckle. The elegant fragrant notes expand with each swirl.
Palate
Flavors of dandelion greens,
honey nougat, white peach, guava, nectarine, lemon pot de crème,
freshly sliced apple, and tangerine. The citrus medley with a touch of
menthol make the mid-palate fascinating. Much like its namesake, the
flavors explode, then linger, and then another spark comes through that
keeps it even more interesting. All of this leads to a delicate and smooth
finish that has the right balance of creaminess and a light oak touch.
Growing Conditions
Planted in 1980, the Sebastopol Vineyard surrounds the Dutton Estate
Winery property. The Wente clone is trellised to a modified version of
Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) giving optimal airflow and a balanced
ripening. The vineyard produces wine with tropical notes interlaced with
green apple and citrus fruits. The vines are planted in sandy loam
Goldridge soil allowing for excellent drainage from this hilltop vineyard.
The vineyard is certified Sonoma County Sustainably-Farmed and FishFriendly
and is farmed by Dutton Ranch. It is dry-farmed and
historically produces grapes of consistent character.
Winemaking
The fruit is derived from the highest elevation point with the best
drainage from the vineyard surrounding the winery. The grapes are
whole-cluster pressed and the juice racked into a selection of medium
toasted French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine underwent a
secondary fermentation, malolactic fermentation and, once completed,
the lees stirred every three weeks. The selection of barrels for this unique
bottling occurs in the early spring, prior to blending the individual
Chardonnay lots. We select five barrels from the Sebastopol Vineyard
that best represent Chardonnay grown in the cool Russian River Valley.
Appearance
A stunning bright yellow in the glass.
