2016 Dutton Estate Winery Dutton Ranch Kyndall's Reserve Chardonnay Russian River Valley 750 ml

For the past seven years, Dutton Estate’s creamy Chardonnays have been among the most popular and frequently requested California bottles we offer. The Kyndall’s Reserve is a golden centerpiece of that collection, a classic, sunshine-soaked, fog-cooled expression of Sonoma richness, offered at a price well below that of Dutton’s army of competitors.

Producers like Kistler, Ramey, Flowers, and Paul Hobbs produce 96-point wines off these vineyards that retail for upwards of $160. Yet the 2016 Reserve, culled from three legacy old-vine Sonoma plots, is just $30—that’s an additional 29% haircut off the winery price of $43. 

A few hundred cases were made, capturing what has made these soils so special for decades, balancing crisp Gravenstein apple with lemon curd opulence, defined by flinty minerality. By now, the Dutton Estate diehards are already chipping away at our allocation. 

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 below the regional asking price. That’s why they’re consistently some of the smartest Sonoma Chardonnay buys on the market. Part of what has made these wines so special as well is the hand of legendary winemaker, Terry Adams. 2016 was his last vintage at Dutton Estate, placing this bottle in the capstone chapter of a remarkable career.

Famously, it was Dutton Estate that tempted Adams out of a well-deserved retirement. He’d just spent 25 years running the show at Sonoma-Cutrer, helping to engineer the birth and ascent of Sonoma’s most famous label. But even superstars like to go out on top, and Terry had hung up his pipette for what he figured would be the last time.  

But then a call came in from Tracy Dutton. She and her husband Joe were founding the tiny, small-production Dutton Estate, which would enjoy a privileged relationship with the family’s exemplary vineyard holdings. Located in the coolest area of the Russian River Valley AVA, 1,500 undulating hillside acres, divided into more than 80 unique plots, would be up for grabs. 

“Had anyone else called and posed the question, I would have said no. We’d made up our minds. But this wasn’t just anyone. This was Joe and Tracy Dutton, asking me if I wanted a crack at the pick of the litter on Dutton Ranch.” In other words, an offer he couldn’t refuse. 

The 2016 Kyndall’s Reserve shows the kind of magic these historic sites produce in the hands of a master. The landmark Sebastopol Vineyard, planted in 1980, benefits from pedigree sandy loam Goldridge soils. Dutton Palms is planted to Wente clones and introduces scintillating acidity, while the Mill Station Vineyard contributes ample concentration with 40-year old vines. 

Adams didn’t skimp on his final vintage, packing it with the richness we’ve come to expect, making this a must-buy for California Chardonnay lovers.