Winery - Dutton Estate
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
I was struck by how pale this Pinot pours. It’s a classic chilly-climate wine, light-bodied and elegant but complex, with cherry, raspberry, cola, rhubarb and cranberry sauce flavors that have been sweetened and vanilla-ized with oak. It’s also superbly spicy, dusting the palate with cinnamon and dusty cocoa through a long, complete finish. Absolutely delicious.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The vineyard is in the cool, far western part of Green Valley, and the wine, which never saw oak, has very high acidity, nearly 7.7 g/L. You might expect it to be lean, even feline, but the Duttons, among the best growers in the country, have produced a rich, fruity wine, dry and complex in apricot, citrus, herb and mineral flavors. This is simply a tremendous food wine.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Superripe in black cherry, cola and mocha flavors enhanced with smoky oak, this is soft, but quite elegant. It’s not an ager, but has a full-bodied richness that suggests steaks and chops.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Super-rich in vanilla and smoky caramelized oak, and ripe in pineapples, peaches and apples, this is a powerful Chardonnay. It’s dramatic now in sheer strength, but not an ager, so drink now.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Charry, smoky oak stars in this young, well-structured wine, leading to powerhouse peach pie (with the crust), lemon mousse and buttered toast flavors that finish long and spicy. Acidity is high, and gives a tangy minerality that adds complexity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tremendously rich and oaky, with butterscotch-inspired pineapple, golden mango pear and Meyer lemon flavors that are as rich as crème brûlée. Dramatic now, if a bit overpowering. Calls for carefully crafted foods of the richest level, like lobster.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Showing lushness and rich texture, this wine, which was aged in 50% new French oak barrels, is front-loaded with cherry pie, red currant, chocolate, licorice, vanilla wafer and pepper spice flavors. It’s young and fresh in tannins, and should hold and improve for a few years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
From the coolest part of Green Valley, this wonderfully rich Chardonnay has a steely crispness that hits the palate like a laser. The pineapple, apple, kiwi and lime flavors, enhanced with smoky oak, are complex and satisfying. This is a high-class wine that deserves to be served with gourmet fare.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Pretty good Sauv Blanc, a little one-dimensional, but satisfies for its flowery, citrus blossom and passionfruit flavors that finish in a swirl of palate-stimulating spices.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Like the winery’s other 2005 Chardonnays, this one, tasted in March, is tightly wound and minerally. The aroma will show little if the wine is too cold. Flavor-wise, hints of tart tangerines, lemongrass, green apples, candied ginger and vanilla cream swirl into a smoky oak, spicy finish. This is a Chardonnay that needs some time in the bottle. Drink now and for a couple of years.
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