Back To Menu
Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Walker Hill Vineyard Chardonnay
Green Valley of Russian River Valley, California, USA
Tasting Notes
The 2022 vintage really showcases the focused juiciness of our Walker Hill. Forward aromas of lemon and tangerine lead the way, highlighted with just the right touch of toasty caramel to round out the lively citrus. The bright crystalline fruit continues in the mouth, with Meyer lemon accompanied by Asian pear and kiwi, along with crème brûlée and a pretty white flower floral touch. Impeccably balanced and long in the finish, this is a wine that will age beautifully for several more years.
Food Pairings
Enjoy it with creamy dishes that juxtapose the laser brightness, like crab Louie, lobster ravioli in a lemon cream sauce, or Tuscan chicken.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is always a pleasure to produce in the winery. Working with the old vine Raffo (Wente) clone is like a slow dance as barrel fermentation, which includes a mix of indigenous yeast and inoculated lots, can take up to 6 months to complete some years. We combined the lots to create the final blend and went back to barrel on primary lees again until bottling in Spring 2024. We vary the barrels a bit for complexity in this wine, but focus on Seguin Moreau for its ginger notes, and Taransaud for the great structure and subtle toffee flavor. Walker is all about verve and bright fruit, so taking care to stay out of its way is crucial.
100% barrel fermentation
100% malolactic fermentation, stirred lees
Barrel aged 18 months in French oak (50% new barrels)
Vineyard Notes
Perched in the coolest corner of the Russian River Valley, the Walker Hill Vineyard is a gem of Green Valley, farmed with care by our 5th generation grower partners at Dutton Ranch. Planted in the early 1980’s and situated at 500 feet elevation, the old Wente clone vines sit on a gentle, fog-kissed slope, rooted in the region's signature fluffy Goldridge sandy loam soils. These old field selection vines are meticulously and sustainably dry-farmed, producing small clusters, tiny berries and thick skins that produce intense flavor and complexity that embody the spirit of our west Sonoma County home. This exceptional Chardonnay is a wine we hugely love to drink and appeals to Chardonnay purists, especially those who favor Burgundy.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.6%
Ta: 6.9 g/L
pH: 3.33
Tasting Notes
The 2021 vintage really showcases the focused juiciness of our Walker Hill. Forward aromas of lemon and tangerine lead the way, highlighted with just the right touch of toasty caramel to round out the lively citrus. The bright crystalline fruit continues in the mouth, with Meyer lemon accompanied by Asian pear and kiwi, along with crème brûlée and a pretty white flower floral touch. Impeccably balanced and long in the finish, this is a wine that will age beautifully for several more years.
Food Pairings
Enjoy it with creamy dishes that juxtapose the laser brightness, like crab Louie, lobster ravioli in a lemon cream sauce, or Tuscan chicken.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is such a pleasure to produce, other than the 6 months it seems to always take to complete its fermentations – ah, the beauty of old vine chard. We fermented just over half of the Walker Hill with indigenous yeast and hedged our bets on the other portion with M2, a favorite inoculum. We combined the indigenous and M2 lots right after fermentation to create the blend in April 2022, then went back to barrel on primary lees again until bottling in Spring 2023. We vary the barrels a bit for complexity in this wine, but focus on Seguin Moreau for its ginger notes, and Taransaud for the great structure and subtle toffee flavor. Walker is all about the lively, bright fruit, so care to stay out of its way is crucial.
100% barrel fermentation
100% malolactic fermentation, stirred lees
Barrel aged 18 months in French oak (50% new barrels)
Vineyard Notes
The block, planted in the early 1980s, is situated 500 vertical feet above Purrington Creek on fluffy Goldridge soil. The vines produce the tiny berries with thick skins we love from old Wente in Green Valley.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8%
Ta: 7.4 g/L
pH: 3.26
Cases Produced: 341
Tasting Notes
When a guest once asked Dan why so many other California chardonnays are over-oaked, he quickly replied that they were actually under-fruited. Our 2020 Walker Hill Chardonnay proves his point about why old vines in our neighborhood make such exceptional wines; it bursts with a carnival of fruit flavors that carry the wine from first sniff to final lingering finish. Sweet pineapple, pear, peach, and almond lead the aromas, and the mouth follows through with candied apple, nectarine, and pink grapefruit. It’s both full-bodied and crisp, with a lemon custard brioche running down its lengthy finish.
Food Pairings
Play up the flavors and texture with a lemon cream sauce-covered pasta, chicken, or fish, or a Havarti or Fontina cheese.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is such a pleasure to produce, other than the 6 months it seems to always take to complete its fermentations – ah, the beauty of old vine chard. We fermented half of the Walker with indigenous yeast, and hedged our bets on the other half with M2, a favorite inoculum. We combined the indigenous and M2 lots right after fermentation to create the blend in April 2021, then went back to barrel on primary lees again until bottling in late March 2022. We vary the barrels a bit for complexity in this wine, but focus on Seguin Moreau for its ginger notes, and Taransaud for the great structure and subtle toffee flavor. Walker is all about the lively, bright fruit, so care to stay out of its way is crucial.
WINEMAKING: 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, stirred lees
BARREL AGING: 18 months in French oak (50% new barrels)
Vineyard Notes
The rudder in crafting Dutton-Goldfield wines is our endeavor to produce wines that our winemakers love to drink. We see no more reliable assessment, and besides, it covers our downside risk. Walker Chardonnay is a wine we hugely love to drink, and owes its existence to that fact. We’ve been producing wine from the old Wente vines up at Walker since 2006 for our Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, and the preponderance of the barrels still support that program; but the 2011 Walker was the jewel of the year for Dan and a designated bottling just had to be done. This wine is everything we want of Green Valley Chardonnay: powerful citrus fruit and tense acidity wrapped in the candied setting of classic chardonnay winemaking. The block, planted in the early 1980s, is situated 500 vertical feet above Purrington Creek on fluffy Goldridge soil. The vines produce the tiny berries with thick skins we love from old Wente in Green Valley.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8%
Ta: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.32
Cases Produced: 338
Tasting Notes
The 2019 season imparted a little extra luscious richness to our lively Walker Hill Chardonnay, wrapping the citrus core with a satiny texture. The nose leads with an orchard of aromas, ranging from lemon blossom, Asian pear, and Granny Smith apple. Notes of pineapple, dried apricot, and brioche provide a plush backdrop. This intricate fruit mélange and fresh/creamy dance follows through in the mouth, with Eureka lemon, kiwi, and papaya flavors interlaced with gardenia and crème brûlée. Beautifully balanced until the end, the wine finishes with ginger-lemon drops kissed with toffee.
Food Pairings
Counterpoint the fruit and match the texture with cream sauces, like chicken pot pie or fettuccini Alfredo, or keep it simple with a grilled fish.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is such a pleasure to produce, other than the 6 months it seems to always take to complete its fermentations – ah, the beauty of old vine chard. We fermented half of the Walker with indigenous yeast, and hedged our bets on the other half with M2, a favorite inoculum. We combined the indigenous and M2 lots right after fermentation to create the blend in April 2020, then went back to barrel on primary lees again until bottling in April of 2021. We vary the barrels a bit for complexity in this wine, but focus on Seguin Moreau for its ginger notes, and Taransaud for the great structure and subtle toffee flavor. Walker is all about the lively, bright fruit, so care to stay out of its way is crucial.
Vineyard Notes
The rudder in crafting Dutton-Goldfield wines is our endeavor to produce wines that our winemakers love to drink. We see no more reliable assessment, and besides, it covers our downside risk. Walker Chardonnay is a wine we hugely love to drink, and owes its existence to that fact. We’ve been producing wine from the old Wente vines up at Walker since 2006 for our Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, and the preponderance of the barrels still support that program; but the 2011 Walker was the jewel of the year for Dan and a designated bottling just had to be done. This wine is everything we want of Green Valley Chardonnay: powerful citrus fruit and tense acidity wrapped in the candied setting of classic chardonnay winemaking. The block, planted in the early 1980s, is situated 500 vertical feet above Purrington Creek on fluffy Goldridge soil. The vines produce the tiny berries with thick skins we love from old Wente in Green Valley.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 14.1% Ta: 6.7 g/L pH: 3.29 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, stirred lees Barrel Aging: 18 months in French oak (50% new barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 261
Tasting Notes
This is a Chardonnay that is sure to win over committed non-Chardonnay fans. It’s beautifully intricate and balanced, with everything you want without too much of anything. The nose is a complex array of Meyer lemon, ripe pineapple, and apricot, with a touch of pear blossoms, toasted coconut, and cashew. In the mouth, blissful waves of lemon and key lime caress your palate, on a texture that’s the combination of lusciousness and freshness we love in the best Chardonnays. The finish is lively, long, and focused.
Food Pairings
Seafood makes a natural choice for pairing, from smoked trout salad to crab bread pudding, as well as roasted poultry like Chicken Dijon. It’s equally versatile with cheeses, from Humboldt Fog to Bellwether’s San Andreas.
Winemaking Notes
This wine is such a pleasure to produce, other than the 6 months it seems to always take to complete its fermentations – ah, the beauty of old vine chard. We fermented half of the Walker with indigenous yeast, and hedged our bets on the other half with M2, a favorite inoculum. We combined the indigenous and M2 lots right after fermentation to create the blend in April 2019, then went back to barrel on primary lees again until bottling in April of 2020. We vary the barrels a bit for complexity in this wine, but focus on Seguin Moreau for its ginger notes, and Taransaud for the great structure and subtle toffee flavor. Walker is all about the lively, bright fruit, so care to stay out of its way is crucial.
Vineyard Notes
We’ve been producing wine from the old Wente vines up at Walker since 2006 for our Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, and the preponderance of the barrels still support that program; but the 2011 Walker was the jewel of the year for Dan and a designated bottling just had to be done. This wine is everything we want of Green Valley Chardonnay: powerful citrus fruit and tense acidity wrapped in the candied setting of classic chardonnay winemaking. The block, planted in the early 1980s, is situated 500 vertical feet above Purrington Creek on fluffy Goldridge soil. The vines produce the tiny berries with thick skins we love from old Wente in Green Valley.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 14.1% Ta: 6.7 g/L pH: 3.32 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, stirred lees Barrel Aging: 18 months in French oak (50% new barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 291
DOWNLOAD
Enjoy the downloadable assets for this wine below.
