96+ Point Chardonnay from DuMOL

Dumol Chardonnay Estate Sonoma Coast 2014

Rated 96+ Points by the Wine Advocate

Founded in 1996, DuMOL made their home in the Russian River Valley, planting vines in what they considered to be the best cool-climate vineyard sites in the region. Although they have expanded beyond the Russian River Valley, their strategy of creating wines from singular, small-plot sites remains the same and is at the core of DuMOL's philosophy. 

Each bottle of wine begins in the vineyards, and at DuMOL they look at all different facets of what goes into their final bottled wine. These include soil types, microclimates, vine maturity levels, each vintage's unique growing conditions and how the vines react to them, etc. The list of variables that create each vintage's wine can be almost endless, and with attention to detail DuMOL studies as many as they can in order to create wines in their signature style. The goal is to make wines with purity, vibrancy, freshness; wines that have intensity yet not heaviness. 

DuMOL's Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is the wine that we are featuring today. With a big rating and a brand new sharp price, we are excited to share this wine with our customers. The wine comes from two different vineyards, both Estate: Dumol O'Connell and Dumol Kearney, both in the Sonoma Coast AVA. Restrained with balanced acidity and restrained power, the winemaker enjoys this vintage for its stylistic nuances that flicker between European and Californian. Deep flavor and fruit extract are distinctly from California, but the tense acidity enveloping the fruit as well as the mineral-tinged finish are reminiscent of the great French Burgundies. 

DuMOL credits the vineyards with nurturing this particular style, with the soil playing a part, as well as their unique high-density planting of the vines, which actually reduces direct sunlight on the grape clusters, allowing their intense and savory elements to be preserved. 

Rated 96+ Points by the Wine Advocate, DuMOL's highest rated Chardonnay from this vintage - "The 2014 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard reveals very pretty notes of peach blossoms and candied ginger over a core of nectarines, acacia honey, baking bread and marzipan. Medium-bodied with a silken texture and wonderful intensity of yeasty/savory flavors, it has a great frame of freshness and epic length. A beautiful, truly elegant style."

Enjoy this beautiful Chardonnay that is actually still quite restrained and will evolve for several more years. 

Cheers!

Tracy Maxon

tracy@varmax.com