2016 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch Emerald Ridge Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River 750 ml

Astaire and Rogers. Lennon-McCartney. Stockton to Malone.

History’s filled with magic-making duos, and in Russian River, none have dazzled over the past two decades more than Dutton-Goldfield. The world-class winegrower-winemaker team alchemizes fruit from Sonoma County’s most sacred terroirs into cool-climate wines that have earned legions of fans—and over perfect 100 five-star reviews on Wine Access.

The duo’s 2016 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River sums up what makes them such a dream team: The cherry, blueberry, and spiced pomegranate aromas, seamless texture on the palate, and polished tea-like tannins hit the bullseye for fans of rich and juicy California Pinot Noir.

It’s been years since we’ve nabbed an allocation of one of Dutton-Goldfield’s bar-setting Pinots, so we know the members who’ve been waiting will claim it this first-class, single-vineyard Russian River bottling quickly.

Dan Goldfield is a legend who has made wine for Schramsberg, and was hand-picked by Sonoma County legend Jess Jackson to make the wines at cool-climate-focused Hartford Court. Steve Dutton is the fifth-generation head of a Sonoma County clan that’s been farming some of the area’s most precious land since the 1920s, and was named Sonoma County’s Young Farmer of the Year not long after he and Dan founded Dutton-Goldfield with a handshake in 1998.

Most of the Dutton vineyards sit within Russian River’s Green Valley sub-AVA, the sub-zone known as one of the most prestigious areas for Pinot in the Golden State. It gets the first and last fog of the day, and enjoys chilly nights and mornings—and they’re extra brisk at Emerald Ridge, which is the farthest north of the Duttons’ Green Valley holdings. 

An east-facing knoll in the middle of Green Valley, Steve planted the Goldridge soils of Emerald Ranch to the Pommard and 2A varieties of Pinot Noir, which give the wine its dark and chewy fruit character, plus the 667 and 828 clones, which contribute ebullience and structure. After vinification, the Pinot spent nearly a year in a combination of Taransaud, Hermitage, and Fouquet barrels (half of them new) adding a beautiful dash of oak spice and contributing to the tea-like tannins. 

The result is a lip-smacking Russian River gem. It’s got loads of ruby red fruit, beautiful brown spice, and a polished finish, and is sure to thrill our Pinot lovers and many, many Dutton-Goldfield fans. Be quick, if you want to join them.