Winemaker Dan Goldfield has as deft a hand with Pinot Noir as anyone in California. Over the past decade, no winery in California has been more consistently spectacular than Dutton Goldfield. So it comes as no surprise that this latest vintage from the Emerald Ridge Vineyard in the chilly Green Valley district of the Russian River Valley turned out so well despite challenging growing conditions. What I like most, however, is the way this wine refutes the conventional wisdom that ever greater ripeness, and the higher levels of alcohol that result, is necessary to deliver the full flavor potential of the grape. Not so. This 13.8 abv (alcohol by volume) Pinot is a flavor blockbuster, exhibiting fresh aromas of blueberry, raspberry and blackberry with impressive intensity and persistence. Well balanced, it has the structure to hold well in a proper cellar, but it’s drinking beautifully right now.
Dutton Goldfield, Green Valley (Russian River Valley) Pinot Noir 2010
By Robert Whitley