Time flies, as this is the 22nd release of DUMOL! I remember meeting Kerry Murphy way back when he started DuMOL and tasting through the first bottles of what has now turned into a real success story. The “Designated” releases are always something special, and this year is no different. Andy Smith rolled up his sleeves and put together an amazing selection of limited production wines.
With still lower than normal production levels this vintage will sell out in no time! The 2017 DuMol releases are turning out to be quite spectacular! I would say that several of these may the best ever from this winery. Look for some rave reviews from the wine critics! As you know DuMOL is always in high demand, you can bet that this means the allocation will sell out quickly.
DuMOL 2017 Pinot Noir “Ryan” Jentoft Vineyard ~ 97 Points
GGWC 94.99
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Mix & match OK with other DuMOL wines
Vinous 97 Points: “The 2017 Pinot Noir Ryan Jentoft Vineyard is a stunner. Sweet, rich and explosive, the 2017 boasts striking inner perfume and fabulous balance. Sweet purplish berry fruit, lavender, spice and mint all lift from the glass in this vivid, exceptionally beautiful Pinot Noir. All the elements fall into place.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points: “From a Russian River Valley site planted in 2007, the 2017 Pinot Noir Jentoft Vineyard Ryan is a selection of Swan and Calera clones and sees 15 months in 45% new French oak. This brilliant wine knocks it out of the park with its complex bouquet of darker fruits, smoked earth, and spice. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly layered and multi-dimensional on the palate, it’s a complete, flawless balanced, incredibly impressive wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise over the following decade. This lineup is stacked with terrific wines, but this is one of the standouts.”
Winemaker Notes: “The wine opens with a sense of tiny dark intense wild berries, tart and explosive, pine needle freshness and hints of cedar amplifying the aromas. The palate is sappy, dark and elevated with Rainier cherry, cassis and huckleberry fruits. There’s laser-like intensity to the wine’s driving flavors as they expand along the dry, firm palate, exotic floral, gravelly nuances extending the lingering finish. No need to decant. Drink between 2020 and 2027.”
DuMOL 2017 Chardonnay “Chloe” Ritchie Vineyard ~ 95 Points
GGWC 74.99
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Mix & match OK with other DuMOL wines
Vinous 95 Points: “The 2017 Chardonnay Chloe Ritchie Vineyard is another super-impressive wine in this range. Creamy and voluptuous in the glass, with lifted aromatics, the 2017 has so much to offer. Today, it is remarkably complete for such a young wine. Yellow orchard fruit and lifted floral notes add shades of nuance. The wine’s total sense of poise is remarkable.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points: “Lemon curd, chamomile, orange blossom, and a touch of tropical fruit emerge from the 2017 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Chloe, an exotic, full-bodied effort that offers a singular character. Upfront and with a big, mouth-filling texture, it shows a terrific sense of salinity and minerality on the finish and shows a more Burgundian side to this Grand Cru site.”
Winemaker Notes: “The wine shows aromas of orange blossom, mixed stone fruits and honeysuckle. Thyme leaf, wet stone and almond paste notes lend complexity. The palate is immediately broad and mouth-filling with tangerine oil and orange sherbet flavors. The wine’s center is rich in extract—deep and almost chewy. It finishes with mineral signatures and a lingering citrus zest note.”
DuMOL 2017 Chardonnay “Isobel” Charles Heitz Vineyard ~ 95 Points
GGWC 74.99
FREE SHIPPING on 6 or more
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Mix & match OK with other DuMOL wines
Vinous 95 Points: “The 2017 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard beautifully expresses the personality of the vintage in its rich, viscous feel. White flowers, mint, chalk, white pepper and chamomile all grace this vivid, pretty layered Chardonnay. I can’t wait to taste it from bottle next year.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points: “I loved the 2017 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel, one of the standouts in the lineup. Named after winemaker Andy Smith’s daughter and from a site far out on the Sonoma Coast, it has a beautifully rich, layered, textured style as well as impressive notes of white peach, white flowers, and honeysuckle. With plenty of fruit, an awesome texture, great balance, and a singular character, it will be better in another year and I suspect will keep for upwards of a decade.”
Winemaker Notes: “Pungent lemon curd, honeycomb and ginger aromas open the wine as lemon verbena and white flower blossom notes add intrigue. The oily glycerol intensity is immediate on the palate with grapefruit, lemongrass and a hint of tropical fruit leading to a round and full mid-palate before saline oyster shell acidity takes hold. The exotic tangy citrus oil finish is mouthwatering and long.”
DuMOL 2017 Pinot Noir “The Estate” Vineyard ~ 95 Points
GGWC 99.99
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Mix & match OK with other DuMOL wines
Vinous 95 Points: “The 2017 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard is powerful and also very tightly wound. In fact, the Estate is the least expressive of these Pinots today. Black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and dried herbs open up, but only with great reluctance. The tannins remain forbidding at this stage, but it is very early days here.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points: “The 2017 Pinot Noir DuMol Estate Vineyard is more earthy and savory, with a concentrated, foursquare style that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring. Notes of black cherries, bouquet garni, earth, and chocolate all define the bouquet, and it has building tannins, a great mid-palate, and impressive length.”
Winemaker Notes: “In its youth, the wine is dominated by spicy red fruits and complex savory herbal notes: red currant and underbrush elements. As the wine ages, its inherent dark character begins to evolve and take center stage: black raspberry and dark cherry with woodsy terroir signatures. In whichever phase of development you catch the wine, it always delivers an elevated site signature, the taste of the place, and that’s the highest calling of any great vineyard.”
DuMOL 2017 Syrah “Eddie’s Patch” ~ 96 Points
GGWC 94.99
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Mix & match OK with other DuMOL wines
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: I also loved the 2017 Syrah Eddie’s Patch, which has more of a Côte Rôtie vibe in its spring flowers, black raspberries, and dried earth-like aromas and flavors. Coming from pure volcanic soils and brought up 40% new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, has lots of tannins, terrific fruit, and a seamless texture. It’s certainly impressive today yet will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.”
Winemaker Notes: “Deep inky aromas of boysenberry and black cherry meld with crushed stone and cracked black pepper. Red and black wild mountain berries are intense and vibrant while an edge of game and rosemary adds nuance. The silky mouthfeel reveals deep succulence and broad supple tannins, aromatic and finesse-driven through the long, detailed finish. Drink between 2020 and 2030 and gently decant for an hour in its youth. 50% Greywacke & 50% Timbervine.”
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