In 1998, Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield chose the cool Russian River Valley in California as their ideal location to make refined and balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But that’s just the beginning of their amazing story of place.
Most of Dutton-Goldfield wines come from the award-winning Dutton Ranch, an impressive area of more than 80 small vineyards, each with its own distinct characteristics. In addition, the winery sources from spectacular single vineyard sites in Marin County, Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley. These are all cool coastal sites, but the effect of other elements of terroir including soil type, elevation, aspect and the use of different clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, result in incredibly distinct expressions of these grapes.
We are thrilled to offer two very special mixed cases that showcase the wonderfully diverse terroir of Dutton-Goldfield’s vineyards as well as Steve and Dan’s undeniable expertise with these two grape varieties.
The 2019 Dutton-Goldfield Chardonnay Mixed Case includes 2 bottles of each:
- 2019 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, an assemblage from many vineyards that showcases opulent fruit and great structure.
- 2019 Walker Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, grown 500 ft above Purrington Creek in “the cold heart of Green Valley”, displaying beautiful citrus backbone, spicy florals and mineral overtones.
- 2019 Rued Vineyard Chardonnay, a wine made from old vines that offers floral, high-toned fruit aromas and an exceptionally rich mouthfeel.
2019 Dutton-Goldfield Chardonnay Mixed Case
$539.70 (incl. tax)
Click HERE to order!
The Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Mixed Case includes 2 bottles of each:
- 2019 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir sourced from cool vineyard sites in Green Valley and from warmer Morelli Lane and Ruxton for a perfect balance of juicy berry fruit and fine tannins.
- 2018 Fox Den Vineyard Pinot Noir, from vines perched atop Stoetz Ridge, eight acres split between three clones – 667 for vivid fruit, 777 for chewy tannins and 115 for floral aromatics.
- 2018 Redwood Ridge Pinot Noir, from a vineyard nestled among giant redwoods above the fog line, low yielding vines offer concentration, developed tannins and a soft, plush texture.
Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Mixed Case
$659.70 (incl. tax)
Click HERE to order!
Dutton-Goldfield 2019 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay (6 btl/cs)and Dutton-Goldfield 2019 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir
(6 btl/cs) are also available to purchase by the case.
Click HERE to order.
(Only 2 cases of Chardonnay left!)
The Wines
92 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, July 2021
“The 2019 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch showed beautifully. It has a rich yet fresh, lively style that carries plenty of melon, tart pineapple, toasted green almonds, and hints of brioche. The Russian River Valley yielded numerous fresher, crisper, livelier Chardonnays in 2020, and this one delivers those characteristics in spades. It’s drinking nicely today yet unquestionably has 4-5 years of prime drinking ahead of it.”
94 points – Virginie Boon, Wine Enthusiast, May 2022
“Waxy apple and lemon notes give this wine a slate-like texture and edge that evolves into a sleek accent of oyster shell. It builds to a balanced richness on the mid-palate, showing lush notes of pear, pineapple and brioche.”
92 points – Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, May 2022
“This is a seamless, bright and complex white, with built-in plushness on the palate. Mango, pear and a hint of baking spice give a quiet richness that is further extended by flavors of brioche and crème brûlée.”
94 points – Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, November 2021
“From a selection of stellar vineyard sites, including Campbell, Morelli Lane and Hallberg, this is an impressive expression of the appellation and vintage, bright and well-integrated in tangy red fruit. Earthy forest and peat notes provide the savory contrast that lasts on the palate, finishing silky smooth.”
92 points – Wine Spectator, 2021
“There’s a vibrant minerality to the dried red cherry and raspberry flavors, backed by crunchy acidity. Fresh-crushed cooking spice accents on the sanguine finish. Drink now through 2025.”
93 points – Wine Spectator, August 2021
“From a vineyard in Annapolis, this is profoundly cool-climate in its grasp of dried herb and mineral components. Pomegranate, rhubarb and raspberry combine around a complex structure of lightweight yet firm tannins. Drink 2024–2030.”
About Dutton-Goldfield
Dutton-Goldfield Winery began with a handshake in a vineyard in 1998, when long-time colleagues and friends Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield recognized a shared vision between them: to craft world-class wines that express the personalities of their cool-climate vineyards within the Russian River Valley and along the Northern California coastline— crisp, well-structured wines that display complexity, balance, and intensity, inspired by Burgundy but with a desire to express their Californian roots. Together they make a range of stunning wines, with a focus on exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay.
It all starts with the ‘Dutton Ranch’. But this is no ordinary ranch. In fact, it is a collection of over 60 non-contiguous parcels of land located in the Russian River valley comprising approx. 1,300 acres of land, 1,150 of which are given over to grape growing. The ‘ranch’ was started in 1964 by Steve’s dad, fourth-generation farmer Warren Dutton, and grape growing has been a way of life for the family ever since. The ‘ranch’ is certified sustainable under Sonoma County’s landmark programs and provides the backbone of the fruit for not only their own label but also for several prominent wineries such as Kistler, Freestone, Hartford-Court, Ramey and many more. A true testament to the calibre of the vineyard operations. The introductory wines that carry the ‘Dutton Ranch’ moniker are selected from this myriad of vineyard blocks, each block being fermented separately to maintain its typicity and to provide the winery with the most flexibility when time comes to putting together these outstanding blends.
In this area of Sonoma County, it is the interplay between the cold marine air coming off the Pacific, the coastal hills that partially block this air, the proximity to the ocean, the elevation of the vineyard with respect to the marine layer and its aspect to the sun and prevailing winds that all contribute to the ‘terroir’ of the individual vineyard sites. Steve and Dan have carefully separated some unique single vineyard sites situated across the region for specific bottlings to compliment their ‘Dutton Ranch’ wines. Allocations of these unique sites are sparse and mostly sold at the winery.
- In Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA there are 5 single vineyards: Emerald Ridge Vineyard & Fox Den Vineyard for pinot noir, Rued Vineyard & Walker Hill Vineyard for chardonnay, and Shop Block Vineyard for pinot blanc.
- In Russian River Valley AVA there are 2 single vineyards: Cherry Ridge Vineyard for syrah, and Morelli Lane Vineyard where a single vineyard zinfandel is made from but also stunning pinot noir and chardonnay that are part of the Dutton Ranch blends.
- In Marin County & Petaluma Gap there are also 5 single vineyards: Azaya Ranch Vineyard for pinot noir, Chileno Valley Vineyard for riesling & Devil’s Gulch Vineyard for pinot noir, chardonnay and gewûrztraminer.
- In Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain & Fort Ross-Seaview area there are 3 single vineyards, all given over to pinot noir: McDougall Vineyard, Redwood Ridge Vineyard, and Van de Kamp Vineyard. Additionally, Deviate is a pinot noir that combines two unique sites in the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley.
- In Anderson Valley & Mendocino there are 2 single vineyards, again both given over to pinot noir: Angel Camp Vineyard & Docker Hill Vineyard.
This is unequivocally cool-climate winegrowing territory. The quality of these stunning wines are very competitively priced. Dan is an almost perennial appearance on Wine & Spirit’s Top 100 Wineries of the World. In a recent article (April 2022) in the Chicago Wine Press, Peter Hoyne wrote: ‘To define a world-class pinot noir, you need to examine certain criteria and truly understand what the French refer to as terroir.’
The huge array of vineyards, the meticulous way that Steve and Dan understand each site, the individual vinification of each block and the care and attention that goes into each bottling speaks volumes to this quote. Truly masters of their art.
NEW! Order online at TheVineAgency.ca.
You can also email wine@thevineagency.ca or call 416.693.7994. We’d love to chat about wine with you!
Dutton-Goldfield is represented in Ontario by The Vine Agency.
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