Happy 4th of July from Washington Wine Blog! Today we have a very special feature from a Sonomaproducer that specializes in great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1998 colleagues Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield decided to start a winery together. Steve Dutton is a 5th generation farmer while Dan has a background in chemistry and later completed the illustrious UC Davis program in winemaking. He had stints at Robert Mondavi and even made wine in Portugal for two years before coming back to California and taking on this project.
I’ve enjoyed Dutton-Goldfield ‘Dutton Ranch’ Chardonnays many years. They appeal with their rich and buttery texture as Dutton Ranch sources from some of the choicest fruit out of Sonoma. The new releases at Dutton-Goldfield impressed. I was particularly impressed with their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay offerings. Their 2013 Dutton Goldfield ‘Emerald Ridge’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) was an earthy offering that exhibited a fruity profile with nice balance. Their 2014 Dutton Goldfield ‘Dutton Ranch’ Chardonnay (WWB, 92) also impressed with the rich and buttery profile. This is a Chard that will cellar beautifully, as I’ve cellared a number of these ‘Dutton Ranch’ Chardonnays in the past and I have found them to pick up some really nice secondary characteristics. Many of these wines are not distributed to the Northwest, so you might have to purchase them on the Dutton-Goldfield website (http://www.duttongoldfield.com). Some of these wines can be found at Total Wines as well as some specialty Northwest wine shops. Here are the new releases from Dutton-Goldfield:
2014 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Chileno Valley’ Riesling- aromas of orange blossoms, honeysuckle, red delicious apple, lemongrass and grapefruit. There are flavors of lychee, red delicious apple, and hints of pink grapefruit. Drink 2016-2022- 90
2014 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Dry’ Gewurtztraminer- This interesting summer wine begins with aromas of lychee, grapefruit blossoms and mandarin orange. There are flavors of white grapefruit, Pazzaz apple, ripe pear and cantaloupe. Drink 2016-2021- 90
2013 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Angel Camp’ Pinot Noir-The Pinot begins with aromatics of red cherry, lavender, Shitake mushroom and forest floor. There are ripe flavors of red cherry, red raspberry and black truffle. Lovely weight. Drink 2016-2023- 91
2013 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Fox Den Vineyard’ Pinot Noir-This wine opens with aromatics reminiscent of clove, red cherry, red raspberry and cran-pomegranate. The wine has flavors of red cherry, cranberry, pomegranate seed and hints of nutmeg. Lovely acidity. Drink 2016-2023- 90
2013 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Emerald Ridge’ Pinot Noir- This wine starts with aromatics of nutmeg, black truffle, and pomegranate. There are fruity flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, black truffle and a cranberry edge. Drink 2016-2026- 91
2013 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Morelli Lane’ Zinfandel-This wine starts with aromas of boysenberry preserves, red cherry, and sassafras. There are medium weight flavors of prune, red cherry preserves and hints of dill. This is a balanced style of Zin. Drink 2016-2022-90
2013 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Walker Hill Vineyard’ Chardonnay-The delicious Chardonnay wine starts with aromas of nutmeg, Gala Apple and creme brûlée. There are flavors of Meyer lemon oil, creme brulee, roasted pineapple and a long cream finish. Drink 2016-2024- 92
2014 Dutton-Goldfield ‘Dutton Ranch’ Chardonnay- This wine starts with aromas of Granny Smith apple, poached pear and nutmeg. There are dense flavors of Gravenstein apple, unripe pear, nutmeg with accents of creme brûlée. There is lovely balance and an exotic edge to this Chardonnay that will cellar beautifully and pick up some nice secondary characteristics into the next decade. Drink 2016-2024- 92