2017 DuMol Syrah Wild Mountainside Russian River Valley 750 ml

The 2017 DuMOL Wild Mountainside Russian River Valley Syrah is one of the most spectacular California reds we’ve tasted in a long time, and the critics are salivating over it. Jeb Dunnuck called it “rocking,” and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate described it as “absolutely jam-packed with ripe black fruit and savory layers,” finishing with “Wow!” 

Our first-ever wine from this benchmark Sonoma County producer is so delicious it made three years of patience (and maybe three dozen phone calls) seem like a small price to pay. And considering the wines that this DuMOL competes with—top bottlings from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie and triple-digit Cabernets from Napa Valley—the price is a small one to pay as well. 

No matter what grape they’re working with, DuMOL is the class of Sonoma County, and we can’t wait for you to taste this stellar red. With its utterly enveloping nose of blackberry jam, black pepper, and olive tapenade and layered, opulent palate, this DuMOL marries Old World savory complexity and New World ripeness, as if Sonoma County sunshine were pouring down on France’s Hermitage Hill. 

Viticulturist and winemaker Andy Smith’s reds drink like the best of California meets the Rhône Valley because DuMOL enjoys the best of both regions’ growing conditions: Bright California sunshine—that’s a given. But DuMOL’s three stunningly steep vineyard sources provide the perfect drainage and mix of soils to produce the kind of compelling Syrah that is a rarity outside the Northern Rhône. 

Since their founding in 1996, DuMOL has risen to the very top of the Russian River Valley hierarchy, and they’ve done it on multiple fronts. In fact, Wine Spectator said that “DuMOL is among the few that have mastered Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon."

It’s no surprise that there seems to be nothing that Andy Smith can’t do: He worked under Neil McCallum at Dry River in Martinborough, New Zealand, and became a seasoned veteran of Russian River working under Chardonnay master Ted Lemon of Littorai and 100-point legend Paul Hobbs. Collectors of all stripes have claimed DuMOL’s layered and savory Syrahs for years, packing them away next to their marquee Old World bottles and even their high-priced California Cabernets.

The Syrah that goes into Wild Mountainside comes from two legendary clones, Alban and Durell, which grow on vines that average 28 years of age. They’re planted at three stellar Sonoma County sites: Hoppe-Kelly Vineyard just northwest of the winery features south-facing iron-rich soils that imbue the wine with a visceral red-rock energy. Timbervine Ranch Vineyard on Black Mountain is one of the highest in Russian River Valley (at 800 feet) and gives earthy, savory character. Finally, Greywacke Vineyard on the eastern shoulder of Black Mountain gives a depth of fruit that makes for a luscious core. 

After vinification, the tiny production rests for 15 months in 30% new French oak hogshead barrels, resulting in a red that has a slight touch of spice and vanilla, the structure to age a decade, and the opulence to tempt out of the gate. Save it for years or savor it now, this special bottle is sure to thrill.