2021 DuMOL Chardonnay Wester Reach Russian River Valley 750 ml

Robert Parker once called DuMOL "one of my favorite wineries" and they only go from strength to strength each year. Their 2021 Wester Reach Chardonnay earned 95 points and Cellar Selection honors from Wine Enthusiast, another accolade that puts it with the best in the business. A supple, rich, and perfectly balanced wine, it’s the platonic ideal of Russian River Chardonnay. 

Since their founding in 1996, DuMOL has risen to the very top of the Russian River Valley hierarchy on the strength of their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet. And while DuMOL’s versatility has impressed both critics and wine lovers, their Burgundy varieties have made the biggest waves. No surprise, considering that longtime winemaker Andy Smith, in addition to working with 100-point legend Paul Hobbs, became a seasoned veteran of Russian River under Chardonnay master Ted Lemon of Littorai. 

That experience is on display in the 2021 Wester Reach Chardonnay, which comprises Old Wente, #4, and Robert Young Chardonnay clones. A third of the grapes were grown at DuMOL’s Flax Estate Vineyard, while 22% comes from the famed Chardonnay mecca Charles Heintz Vineyard. Cornerstone, Lorenzo, and El Diablo make up the remainder.  

This range of plantings from varied soils, densities, and elevations provides a picture-perfect snapshot of California’s most acclaimed Chardonnay region, in a vintage that can only be described as blessed. Smith ushered the wine along by fermenting and aging it for 11 months in 30% new French oak, imbuing it with gorgeous body and spice.