2018 Dutton Estate Winery Kylie's Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 750 ml

Dutton Estate’s Russian River Pinots and Chardonnays have been among the most popular and frequently requested California bottles we offer for eight years and counting, and we thought we were as versed in their portfolio as the Dutton family is in their vast acreage of Russian River Valley soils. 

So when we heard through the (literal) grapevine that they’ve been quietly making a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc and rapidly selling out every year through their tasting room, we knew we had to get our hands on some.  

At $20 on bottle, it turns out this 2018 Kylie’s Cuvée is the perfect white to keep on hand all summer and beyond, when you’re craving that trademark Russian River sophistication, but with an extra dash of zing. 

Crisp and refreshing yet rounded and complex, the 2018 Dutton Estate Kylie’s Cuvée strikes the perfect balance between a bright, sunshine-soaked New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a broody, fog-influenced Sancerre.

And given its provenance, it’s offered at a price well below that of Dutton’s peers.

Russian River Sauvignon Blanc is rare to come across, which is why the valley’s notable Sauvignon Blanc producers like Merry Edwards and Rochioli are charging $50+ for their 2018s. Yet today, the 2018 Kylie’s Cuvée, culled from two legacy old-vine Sonoma plots, is $20—and an additional 25% trim off the SRP.

Just a few hundred cases were made, capturing what has made these soils so special for decades, balancing tangy Meyer lemon and zesty passionfruit opulence with a more sophisticated peach profile on the midpalate. Lively notes of apple blossom, baking spice, fresh herbs, and lemongrass are supported with subtle vanilla and beautifully integrated French oak through the clean, mineral-driven finish.  

We can practically hear the Dutton Estate diehards already chipping away at our allocation.

Though Sauvignon Blanc is the second-most planted white wine grape in Sonoma County, it still makes up less than one-fifth of Chardonnay's reign, and is even rarer in the Russian River Valley—an oddity we have never fully grasped, given the region’s perfect climate for Sauvignon Blanc. The dramatic diurnal temperature swings trigger the generation of phenolic material for complex flavor profiles, while the cool, foggy mornings preserve the acidity so vital to the brightness we crave in the grape.

The Dutton estate is located in the coolest area of the Russian River Valley AVA, with 1,500 undulating hillside acres divided into more than 80 unique plots, and the six-generation Dutton family possesses a rare advantage: At this point, they have owned their land for so long, they can afford to offer wines at a price well below the regional asking price. That’s why they’re consistently some of the smartest Sonoma white wine buys on the market.

The 2018 Kylie's Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc is named for owners Joe and Tracy Dutton’s middle daughter who, as a child, loved to swirl a wine glass calling out flavors and aromas she noticed to her parents. Today Kylie assists winemaker Bobby Donnell in the production of her namesake cuvée, and indeed, it shows the kind of terroir-driven magic that can only be interpreted by a family who has been farming the same land for over half a century.

The landmark two-acre lot of Shop Block Vineyard, planted to the Musqué clone in the late 1990s, benefits from the acids that develop in the grapes’ cool, foggy Green Valley source, while the Sauvignon Blanc from the sunnier Mrs. George Vineyard brings out the unique stone fruit and floral notes.

In 2018, the long growing season produced small berries of intense concentration and gorgeous quality, and it shows in this rare value from a first-rate Russian River producer.

Dutton’s estate vineyards are so renowned that they attract top producers like Kistler, Ramey, Flowers, and Paul Hobbs (who produce 96-point wines that retail for upwards of $160). At $20, this 2018 Kylie’s Cuvée is the ultimate introduction to Dutton’s hallowed soils for the uninitiated, and a perfect weeknight refresher for longtime fans.