2015 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley 750 ml

Soon after their founding in 1996, DuMOL rose to the very top of the Russian River Valley hierarchy. Today, their wines are still tightly allocated to restaurants and a loyal mailing list. 

DuMOL’s rapid ascent was thanks to winemaker Andy Smith, whose viticulture and winemaking perfectionism was honed under Neil McCallum at Dry River in New Zealand, Ted Lemon of Littorai, and 100-point legend Paul Hobbs.  

The knockout 2015 Russian River Valley Syrah comes from a special year for DuMOL, one that led Antonio Galloni of Vinous to rave, “Andy Smith is more energized than I have ever seen him…These new releases are absolutely brilliant.”

The magic of this Syrah lies in the way that Smith is able to marry Old World savory complexity with New World ripeness, as if Sonoma County sunshine were pouring down on France’s Hermitage Hill. DuMOL’s three stunning hillside sources provide the perfect drainage and mix of soils to produce the kind of compelling Syrah that is a rarity outside the Northern Rhône. 

In 2015, Smith had the help of a warm, early, VERY low-yielding harvest that produced Syrahs Galloni called “exciting and voluptuous, but also impeccable in their sense of proportion.” With six years of bottle age, this special library release from DuMOL seductively unfurls the power of this vintage. 

Along with wineries like Aubert, Littorai, and Dehlinger, DuMOL is in a special class in Sonoma County. To encounter a back-vintage treasure from such an esteemed producer is a rare occurrence. This deep, complex, and intriguing red is drinking impeccably now and will continue to improve for another six years or more!