2021 DuMOL "Wester Reach" Russian River Valley Chardonnay

A structured and layered white with apple, light honey and acacia aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Creamy mouthfeel. Phenolic texture that runs through the wine. Flavorful yet subtle finish. Touch of flint and cedar. Drink or hold.

Each year the new set of releases from DuMOL are highly anticipated. This winery has such extensive estate holdings across the Russian River and Sonoma Coast these wines are often a litmus test for how the vintage was expressed in the region. In recent years the fruit sources and attention to detail for the appellation wines at DuMOL have become even more focused and meticulous. At this point DuMOL's Wester Reach bottlings, that combine mostly estate grown fruit with other long-term contracts, are every bit as good as most people's top single vineyard wines in the region. Winemaker / Owner Andy Smith is one of the most talented winemakers of a generation and his work at DuMOL over the past few decades has elevated their wines into the very upper echelons of "new world" Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The 2021 Wester Reach is in large part from their own Flax Estate Vineyard. Layer in old vine Lorenzo Vineyard fruit with additional components from Charles Heintz and El Diablo and you've got a serious bottle of Chardonnay. Andy always does a fantastic job of balancing power and precision. There's plenty of ripe fruit and density here but also racy acid and minerality that runs long into the finish. White blossom, flint, seashell, baked apple, lemon curd, salted pretzel, wet sand mineral. Top quality as always, a benchmark California Chardonnay.