2015 Dutton Estate Winery Pinot Noir Karmen Isabella Russian River Valley 750 ml

It’s rare that we are able to offer any Russian River Pinot Noir for under $30, let alone one from one of the most renowned estates in the region. But because a well-known Bay Area restaurant couldn’t pay up in time, their 50-case allocation of the 2015 Dutton Estate Karmen Isabella Pinot will soon be going out to Wine Access members—at just $29.99, a full 35% off the winery price of $46. 

It’s easy to get lost in this kind of rich and concentrated Russian River Pinot: Juicy aromas of black cherry, mulberry, sarsaparilla, and black tea leaf show on the nose, and the palate displays silky and ripe tannins, cherry jam, and cola flavors, which all intermingle harmoniously on the finish. The entire package speaks eloquently of Dutton Ranch’s Goldridge soils, the cool coastal climate, and the brilliant handiwork of winemaker Terry Adams—and you can secure yours now, at more than 35% off the winery price, until it’s all gone...

When you see the Russian River Valley appellation on a bottle of Pinot Noir, you know you’re getting some of the best Pinot Noir in the New World—especially when it comes from Dutton Estate. The sixth-generation family’s stellar grapes are now in the hands of winemaker Terry Adams, who worked for 25 years at Sonoma County citadel Sonoma-Cutrer. In fact, Adams was preparing to call it a career, when he got a call from Tracy and Joe Dutton, the daughter-in-law and son of Terry’s old grape-growing friend, Warren Dutton. 

Warren, who passed away in 2001, had been Sonoma’s most renowned grape grower and a pioneering viticulturist, founding the Dutton Ranch in 1964 in the coolest area of what is now the Russian River Valley AVA. The holdings had expanded over the decades, currently encompassing 1,500 undulating hillside acres, divided into 80 distinct vineyards. Year after year, the grapes grown on the fine sandy loam attracted Sonoma’s world-class winemakers like Steve Kistler and James Hall, who racked up multiple 96- and 95-point wines from Robert Parker employing the Ranch’s exquisite berries. 

Now, the next generation of Duttons wanted Adams in on the project, employing his wizardly touch with Burgundian varieties, farming just as he wanted. It took him about 20 minutes to decide on “yes.”

His first vintage was 2009, and he’s been guiding Dutton Estate ever since. The Karmen Isabella cuvée is named after winery founders Tracy and Joe’s youngest daughter, and employs fruit drawn from four of the estate’s best sites: Thomas Road, Manzana, Marty’s, and Jewell Block. In 2015, the early harvest produced small berries of intense concentration and gorgeous quality, and it shows in this rare value from a first-rate Russian River producer.