Patz & Hall 2018 Dutton Chardonnay

Are you looking for a wine that truly captures the essence of the Russian River Valley? Look no further than the 2018 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay. With toasted almond, butter cookie, and nutmeg aromas, this bone-dry wine invites you in with its Meyer lemon, passionfruit, and orange blossom flavors. The lush mid-palate leads to a nice mineral quality on the finish, making it a wonderfully age-worthy wine that showcases the charm and complexity of some of Sonoma County's oldest Chardonnay vines.

This wine has received high praise from industry experts, receiving 94 points from Wine & Spirits, 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, and 90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. The 100% Chardonnay fruit is aged in 100% Burgundian French oak barrels, with 27% being new and 73% being 1-2 year old. With a 14.5% alcohol content and 100% malolactic fermentation in barrel, this wine is sure to impress any wine enthusiast. Don't miss out on the opportunity to try the 2018 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay and taste the true essence of the Russian River Valley.

Made with some of the oldest plantings of Chardonnay in western Sonoma County, this wine is predominantly a blend of California heritage clones and selections-Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, Rued, UC Davis Clone 4 and Spring Mountain. Since some of these vines are dry farmed, they produce small but intensely concentrated berries, making for great depth of flavor and texture. Historically, Dutton Ranch yields fragrant, tropical aromatics and a crisp mineral character. Dutton Ranch is in the heart of Russian River's cool Green Valley.

Alcohol: 14.5%

94 POINTS - "James Hall selects the fruit for this wine from 11 blocks farmed by the Dutton family. Most of the vines are older plantings of heritage clones and selections, a mix that seems to respond to a slow, spontaneous fermentation and development in French oak barrels (35 percent new). The 2018 builds to a savory and ornate chardonnay, a wine with traction that digs into scents of violets and game, jasmine and butterscotch, giving a sweet impression without any actual sweetness. There’s yellow and orange citrus fruit, but the main impression is earthy, with notes of lobster mushroom and lobster broth in a mineral finish. It’s floral, clean, intense wine, with stature and resistance to oxygen. Decant it for crab Louis, or cellar it for years." - Wine & Spirits

93 POINTS - "Aromatic in a richness of caramelized brioche and baked lemon, the layers of flavor in this full-bodied, voluptuous wine follow suit, providing plenty of length and opulence. A buttery back note adds to the complex, appealing intensity. " - Wine Enthusiast

90 POINTS - "The 2018 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has aromas of red apple peel, white pepper and honeysuckle with notions of baker's yeast and spices. Medium-bodied, it has a good core of nutty fruits with a long, gently leesy finish." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is quintessential Russian River Valley. The wine opens with toasted almond, butter cookie and nutmeg aromas. Bone-dry and inviting, the palate is filled with Meyer lemon, passionfruit and orange blossom flavors. There’s a compelling lushness to the mid-palate that leads to a nice mineral quality on the finish. Once again, Dutton Ranch has delivered a wonderfully age-worthy wine that captures the charm and complexity of some of Sonoma County’s oldest Chardonnay vines.