DuMOL 2018 “Estate”  Chardonnay Russian River Valley (96 Points) 

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “From the estate vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and all Mt. Eden clone, the 2018 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate was barrel fermented and spent 11 months in barrel followed by 6 months in stainless steel. Its light gold color is followed by a rocking bouquet of ripe pears, white flowers, nectarines, and peaches. Medium to full-bodied, with beautiful purity and finesse as well as ample mid-palate depth, it’s a terrific, almost Burgundian Chardonnay that’s going to benefit from a year or three of bottle age and evolve for over a decade.”

Andy Smith Notes:”The wine’s aromas are classically intense, mineral and stony, displaying less simple fruit and more savory elements: thyme flower, sage, mint and sweet hay. Lemongrass and lime notes rise up with chamomile followed by honeysuckle richness. The palate is intense, densely packed and wonderfully deep with a core of rich lemon and lime oil. There’s focus, verve and vibrancy in the wine’s long, briny, flinty-mineral finish. Its succulence and obvious richness are quite rare, but the wine’s high natural acidity keeps it mouthwatering and tense at all times. “