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Dutton-Goldfield Rued Vineyard Chardonnay
Green Valley of Russian River Valley, California
Tasting Notes
A wet winter got our vineyards off to a healthy start, and the moderate summer that followed allowed for even and slow ripening. The resulting wines have a bit of extra plushness, which shows in our Rued Chardonnay with a creamy quality to the opening aromatics. The classic lychee and tangerine are framed by pretty gardenia, Asian pear, and a little nutty brioche. In the mouth, the wine is rich yet remains light on its feet, and beautifully balanced. Lively lemon drop flavors lead the way, supported by jasmine accents. The long succulent pear pie finish is topped off with brisk citrus zest before a final kiss of butterscotch.
Food Pairings
Go with dishes that match the texture of the wine, such as a creamy lobster risotto, seared scallops, and butter poached halibut. For cheeses, select those with a salty bite, like our Valley Ford Estero Gold Reserve, as a counterpoint.
Vintage Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2019, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in April of 2020. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2020, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in April of 2021. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8% Ta: 5.8 g/L pH: 3.32 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, bottled unfiltered, stirred lees Barrel Aging: 18 months in French oak (50% new Barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 403
Vineyard Notes
In 1969 Warren Dutton planted this scenic Chardonnay vineyard on a redwood ringed, east-facing hillside in Green Valley. Originally budded as Old Wente selection, it turns out that over half of the wood he received was a so called “chardonnay musqué” selection, which produce wines of floral, high-toned fruit aromas, and exceptionally rich mouthfeel. The selection has since been propagated across California and is referred to as the “Rued Clone.” Like all of the Wente offshoots, these are not truly “clones” but field selections propagated from preferred vineyard cuttings, rather than a single shoot in a nursery. But the clone is just a small part of the distinction of this magical place. The soil is super sandy Goldridge series, the old vines are dry farmed, impressively healthy, and amazingly consistent, whatever the weather throws at us. The berries are thick skinned and tiny for chard, and produce a wine of solid acidity, unusual minerality, an enticing depth of flavors and tremendous ageabilty.
Tasting Notes
The wet winter got our vineyards off to a late start, then the temperate summer and harvest season let us hang the fruit until just the right day we chose to harvest, with the sugar and acid in perfect alignment. This balance shows in the wine, which combines the lusciousness and freshness we love in Green Valley Chardonnay. The nose leads with tangerine, apricot, and kiwi fruit, accented by lemon oil, orange blossom, and hazelnut. In the mouth, the fruit/floral and bright/rich theme continues, with the lychee and Meyer lemon top notes joined by Asian pear and Gravenstein apple, framed with honeysuckle and gardenia.
Food Pairings
The dual nature of the wine makes it pair well with both rich and light fare, like lobster roll, roasted pork, or sautéed sole. Of course, we especially love it with our tasting room cheese pairing of Valley Ford’s Estero Gold Reserve.
Vintage Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2019, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in April of 2020. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2019, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in April of 2020. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8% Ta: 5.8 g/L pH: 3.32 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, bottled unfiltered, stirred lees Barrel Aging: 18 months in French oak (50% new Barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 538
Vineyard Notes
In 1969 Warren Dutton planted this scenic Chardonnay vineyard on a redwood ringed, east-facing hillside in Green Valley. Originally budded as Old Wente selection, it turns out that over half of the wood he received was a so called “chardonnay musqué” selection, which produce wines of floral, high-toned fruit aromas, and exceptionally rich mouthfeel. The selection has since been propagated across California and is referred to as the “Rued Clone.” Like all of the Wente offshoots, these are not truly “clones” but field selections propagated from preferred vineyard cuttings, rather than a single shoot in a nursery. But the clone is just a small part of the distinction of this magical place. The soil is super sandy Goldridge series, the old vines are dry farmed, impressively healthy, and amazingly consistent, whatever the weather throws at us. The berries are thick skinned and tiny for chard, and produce a wine of solid acidity, unusual minerality, an enticing depth of flavors and tremendous ageabilty.
Tasting Notes
Old vines with deep roots and strong canopies like those at Rued barely notice weather vagaries, maintaining their stoic presence no matter what Mother Nature brings. If anything, the Labor Day weekend heat spike gave the fruit a bit of extra concentration that shows immediately in the vivid aromatics of the 2017 vintage. Explosive apple, Asian pear, and lemon/lime fruit is interlaced with gardenia and lemon blossom in the nose. The mouth is decadently creamy, with lychee and orchard fruit compote kept lively by a core of focused citrus. The wine finishes with a wonderful combination of brightness and richness, like a lemon cake with butter brickle ice cream on the side.
Food Pairings
Drink it with luxurious foods like Crab Louie, sturgeon in a mushroom cream sauce, and fettuccine Alfredo, or cheeses with a salty bite, like Valley Ford’s Estero Gold Reserve.
Winemaking Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2018, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in May of 2019. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8% Ta: 5.8 g/L pH: 3.32 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, bottled unfiltered, stirred lees Barrel Aging: 18 months in French oak (50% new Barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 538
Vineyard Notes
In 1969 Warren Dutton planted this scenic Chardonnay vineyard on a redwood ringed, east-facing hillside in Green Valley. Originally budded as Old Wente selection, it turns out that over half of the wood he received was a so called “chardonnay musqué” selection, which produce wines of floral, high-toned fruit aromas, and exceptionally rich mouthfeel. The selection has since been propagated across California and is referred to as the “Rued Clone.” Like all of the Wente offshoots, these are not truly “clones” but field selections propagated from preferred vineyard cuttings, rather than a single shoot in a nursery. But the clone is just a small part of the distinction of this magical place. The soil is super sandy Goldridge series, the old vines are dry farmed, impressively healthy, and amazingly consistent, whatever the weather throws at us. The berries are thick skinned and tiny for chard, and produce a wine of solid acidity, unusual minerality, an enticing depth of flavors and tremendous ageabilty.
Tasting Notes
The long 2016 season gave our Rued Chardonnay even more effusive aromatics, along with the perfect balance of zesty and creamy that we love in this wine. Exotic lychee, always a hallmark of this wine, leads the nose, underlain with orange blossom, Asian pear compote, a hint of butterscotch, and a side of citrus. The mouth is totally mouth-coating and enveloping yet still light on its feet, with an acid focus in the middle that keeps the wine bright. There's always a phenolic element in this wine that lures in even dedicated red wine only drinkers, showing itself in the dusky tannins that give the wine extra weight. The long, beautiful finish sings with caramel crème bruleé.
Food Pairings
Lush and forward, this is a wine to drink now with scallop and crab dishes, or fresh creamy cheeses to match the texture and counterpoint the brightness.
Vintage Notes
The long 2016 season gave our Rued Chardonnay even more effusive aromatics, along with the perfect balance of zesty and creamy that we love in this wine.
Winemaking Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2017, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in April of 2018. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8% Ta: 6.5 g/L pH: 3.42 Barrel Aging: 17 months in French oak (50% new Barrels) Winemaker: Dan Goldfield Cases Produced: 404
Vineyard Notes
In 1969 Warren Dutton planted this scenic Chardonnay vineyard on a redwood ringed, east-facing hillside in Green Valley. Originally budded as Old Wente selection, it turns out that over half of the wood he received was a so called “chardonnay musqué” selection, which produce wines of floral, high-toned fruit aromas, and exceptionally rich mouthfeel. The selection has since been propagated across California and is referred to as the “Rued Clone.” Like all of the Wente offshoots, these are not truly “clones” but field selections propagated from preferred vineyard cuttings, rather than a single shoot in a nursery. But the clone is just a small part of the distinction of this magical place. The soil is super sandy Goldridge series, the old vines are dry farmed, impressively healthy, and amazingly consistent, whatever the weather throws at us. The berries are thick skinned and tiny for chard, and produce a wine of solid acidity, unusual minerality, an enticing depth of flavors and tremendous ageabilty.
Tasting Notes
As with our pinot vineyards, the wet spring weather impacted set at our late-blooming old dry-farmed vines at Rued in 2015. While our yields are down, the intensity is up, giving us a wine of particular focus, with a steely edge framing its floral and stone fruit core. The nose leads with a heady combination of toasty crème brulee, tangerine and a touch of gardenia. As the wine warms a bit in the glass, layers of mango, young pineapple, Asian pear and honeysuckle chime in, foretelling the complex flavors ahead. The mouth is rich and creamy, with a wonderfully decadent satiny texture. Fresh citrus, Granny Smith apple, and apricot fill out the mouth, keeping the wine lively, and providing the perfect counterpoint to the toffee notes. The lengthy finish combines fresh lime zest with a kiss of caramel, proving you can have it all.
Food Pairings
Either creamy or zesty dishes make great pairings; we love it with lobster in a cream sauce, crab salad, or with the salty bite of aged Gouda.
Vintage Notes
As with our pinot vineyards, the wet spring weather impacted set at our late-blooming old dry-farmed vines at Rued in 2015. While our yields are down, the intensity is up, giving us a wine of particular focus, with a steely edge framing its floral and stone fruit core.
Winemaking Notes
The exceptional fruit from this old vineyard enables the winemaker to pull out all the stops and still produce a wine of great structure and fruit focus. Rued is 100% barrel fermented, and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. A large portion of the barrels are fermented using native yeast for richness and complexity, while some are inoculated with cultured strains that showcase the floral aromatics of the clone. The blend for this wine was barrel selected in April 2016, blended along with the primary yeast lees, and then sent back to barrel until bottling in February of 2017. For this special wine our signature barrel blend combines the fresh ginger and high-toned spice of Seguin Moreau Premium barrels, the structure and richness imparted by Taransaud, and a touch of Fouquet's ebullience. With the great solidity and concentration of this fruit, long barrel aging elicits a wonderful combination of lushness and complexity in the wine.
Technical Info
Alcohol: 13.8% Ta: 7.4 g/L pH: 3.36 Barrel Aging: 15 months in French oak (50% new Barrels)
Vineyard Notes
In 1969 Warren Dutton planted this scenic Chardonnay vineyard on a redwood ringed, east-facing hillside in Green Valley. Originally budded as Old Wente selection, it turns out that over half of the wood he received was a so called “chardonnay musqué” selection, which produce wines of floral, high-toned fruit aromas, and exceptionally rich mouthfeel. The selection has since been propagated across California and is referred to as the “Rued Clone.” Like all of the Wente offshoots, these are not truly “clones” but field selections propagated from preferred vineyard cuttings, rather than a single shoot in a nursery. But the clone is just a small part of the distinction of this magical place. The soil is super sandy Goldridge series, the old vines are dry farmed, impressively healthy, and amazingly consistent, whatever the weather throws at us. The berries are thick skinned and tiny for chard, and produce a wine of solid acidity, unusual minerality, an enticing depth of flavors and tremendous ageabilty.
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