The Premium Boutique Winery DuMOL Focusing on Exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Production in the Russian River Valley…

July 7, 2025July 7, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The DuMOL winery was founded in 1996 and is focused on crafting highly nuanced, vineyard-focused Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from distinctive sites in the cool-climate Russian River Valley. Winegrower and Partner Andy Smith leads a small and experienced team at DuMOL, where they craft wines with depth, clarity and elegance through attention to detail in the vineyards and vintage-specific winegrowing.

DuMOL believes the best fertilizer is the footsteps of the farmer and is dedicated to a portfolio of estate and grower-partner vineyards primarily within a 16-kilometre radius. Expanding upon twenty-five years of experience, DuMOL also grows and produces some small-lot Syrahs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, and Mencía from some of the most impressive vineyards in Sonoma and Napa. The full DuMOL portfolio is released through allocations to the mailing list, with select wines distributed to top restaurants worldwide. In the UK, the wines are distributed to the on and off trade by Raeburn Fine Wines and I recently caught up with Andy Smith to taste through the spectacular current releases.

“The 2022s were lighter styled wines initially that really put on weight during elevage.” – Andy Smith

DuMOL Chardonnay Highland Divide 2022, Russian River Valley, 14% Abv.

A rich opulent and expressive aromatics generously offering sweet lemon cordial, toasted pistachios, pecan pie, honey and salted caramel notes. Full, broad and fleshy on the palate with immediate concentration intensity, smokey wet stone minerality, grilled nuts, yellow grapefruit confit and toasted vanilla pod spice on the finish. Impressively fresh, tangy and picante. Drink now to 2032+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel 2022, Sonoma Coast, 13.5% Abv.

Rich expressive aromatics with a toasty, brûléed aromatics with sappy spicy oak, pithy lemon peel, gravelly minerality and dry roasted nuts. The palate is taut and tightly wound but still offers up notable depth and concentration, spicy lemon confit, vanilla pod spice, and dried herbs, finishing with elegance, harmony and poise. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard 2022, Carneros – Napa Valley, 13.5% Abv.

A very complex aromatics offering up complex notes of sweet tangy lemon, smoky yellow stone fruits, salted toffee, green tea and a delicate vanilla pod kiss. Beautiful weight of fruit greets the palate with a creamy, plush, harmonious breadth of glycerol fruit, lemon oil, white peach, crystallised green apples and salted pistachios. This is undoubtedly a profound, layered, complex glass of very fine cool climate Chardonnay that makes absolutely no effort to hide its obvious greatness. Simply superb. Drink now to 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Pinot Noir Highland Divide 2022, Russian River Valley, 13.5% Abv.

A beautifully seductive, perfumed Pinot Noir nose brimming with musk, rose petals and lilac fragrance alongside sweet earthy red currant berry fruit, red plum, bramble berries and blood orange. A seemless entry makes way for a broad, silky, sensual mouthfeel boasting saline red and tart black berry notes, raspberry herbal tea, pomegranate and vibrant yet harmonious ruby grapefruit depth that lingers on a cool, finessed finish. This has classy Pinot written all over it! Drink now to 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Pinot Noir Macintyre Estate Vineyard 2022, Sonoma Coast, 13.5% Abv.

The aromatics display a beautifully elegant restrained intensity, offering up subtlety and delicacy. There are soft touch aromatics of sun dried cranberry, red cherry, bramble berries and pomegranate with a subtle savoury bresaola hint. The palate reveals a regal structure and power, stony mineral tannins over fine grained, taut, spicy black fruits, supported by the most seamlessly integrated acids. The start and finish are hard to define. Simply beautiful, serious Pinot Noir. Drink now to 2040.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Pinot Noir Bressay Estate Vineyard 2022, Sonoma Coast, 13.5% Abv.

This cuvee shows a decidedly sweeter fruit aromatics full of red currant, earthy red plum, and ripe pomegranate notes. Fruit forward and opulent, the palate follows with pristinely pure red and black berry fruits, silky mineral tannins and a long, exotic Asian five spice finish. The ripe, slightly sappy red fruited aromatics marry well with a delicately smoky, stony textured palate with great persistence, elegance and length. Very impressive.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Pinot Noir Finn 2022, Russian River Valley, 13.5% Abv.

The initial reaction to nosing this wine is its obvious restraint and classicism. The aromatics are deeper and darker with lovely savoury bramble berry fruits, cured meats, blood orange, citrus oil and subtle pomegranate nuances. The palate shows a fine tension and structure with a subtle line of salinity and a vibrantly tart underlying acidity. The palate balance is notable, the tannins tightly interwoven into a classically restrained broody savoury fruit profile. Plenty of depth on display here, making for a very serious expression. Drink 2026 to 2040.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

DuMOL Meteor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Coombsville, Napa Valley, 14.5% Abv.

This is a classy Cabernet Sauvignon fully loaded with sweet tobacco, black chai tea, cocoa, black currant and black cherry kirsch nuances. The texture is full and mouth-filling, but also beautifully silky, supple and creamy revealing all the power, minerality and spice you’d hope for but all supported by a seamlessly harmonious red and black berry fruit intensity. A finely honed wine with balance, elegance and poise. Drink from 2026 to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting a Sonoma Chardonnay Classic from Three Sticks Durell Vineyard 2018…

August 18, 2021August 20, 2021 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

So lockdowns and travel bans have been an absolute bore but with the UK now learning to “live with Covid” with a vaccinated population… we are seeing the American wine producers starting to return to our shores for tastings and wine promotion. Today I had my first taste of the new (to the UK at least) Three Sticks Durell Vineyard Chardonnay 2018 that originally impressed me greatly when I tasted the 2016 vintage in September 2019.

Owned by proprietor William S. Price III, the Durell Vineyard forms part of this producers flagship vineyard holdings and has been the source of some iconic Sonoma Chardonnay for several decades. Grown on rocky ancient river bed and red volcanic clay soils, this vineyard site has been recognised for its ability to produce exceptional Chardonnay grapes that show wonderful fruit intensity along with impressive harmony while simultaneously expressing the minerality inherent in this site’s terroir.

Three Sticks Durell Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, Sonoma Coast, 14.1 Abv.

A pitch perfect vintage, the 2018 Chardonnay from this prestigious vineyard shows a lot of grace and cool climate subtlety with expressive aromatics of leesy lemon cream biscuits, yellow grapefruit preserve on warm white toast and delicate brioche and vanilla pod nuances. Creamy and full in the front of the palate, this slowly delivers a vibrant refreshing acidity that lifts the toasty yellow lemon peel citrus fruits and accentuates the creamy quince and honey characters before finishing with a final flourish of caramelized roasted cashew nuts and a dusting of vanilla pod spice. Simply lovely harmony and balance. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Pahlmeyer’s Hits the Ground Running with the Launch of Their Fort Ross-Seaview AVA Pinot Noir in the UK…

June 29, 2018 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Produced from fruit sourced from the Wayfarer Vineyard in Sonoma Coast’s relatively newly formed Fort Ross-Seaview AVA which was only established in 2011, this 2014 Pinot Noir is the third vintage release from owner Jayson Pahlmeyer of the Napa Valley Pahlmeyer Estate. With close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, these remote coastal vineyards of Northern Sonoma are situated in one of the most beautiful parts of California with dramatic rolling hills and majestic old redwood trees peppering the landscape.

The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA is fast developing a cult following for its pristine cool climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs and this is another wine for connoisseurs to follow. Never knowingly sold cheap, the Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will hit the retail shelves in the UK at circa £110-£120 per bottle. Punchy prices but the allocations are small and the demand is high… so expect these to sell out fast.

Wayfarer Pinot Noir 2014 Wayfarer Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, Sonoma Coast, 14.5 Abv.

Medium ruby red with a bright crystalline rim, the 2014 Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir has bold, opulent, hedonistic aromatics of sweet pomegranate fruits, sun dried cranberries, sweet red cherries and subtle spicy, sappy hemp leaf notes that mingle with lavender and cherry blossom perfume. The palate shows a sleek, concentrated fleshy fruit texture with impressive depth, savoury forest berry complexity and hints of stewed blood oranges, bright intense linear acids and a finely detailed, harmonious chalky tannin finish. Classic cool climate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that many will find irresistible. Drink now to 2022+

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wines available in the UK from The Wine Treasury

Chardonnay Specialist Producer Ramey Cellars Introduces Their Stunning New Russian River Valley ‘Rochioli Vineyard’ Chardonnay to the Range…

June 14, 2018June 15, 2018 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

There is Chardonnay and then there’s Ramey Chardonnay! After Ramey Cellars decided not to renew one of their single vineyard grower contracts, the Rochioli Vineyard was chosen to bolster their prestigious single vineyard portfolio of premium Ramey Chardonnays.

Due for release in the USA in August 2018, the 2015 Chardonnay Rochioli Blend was 85% from Mid-40 Block, clones 4 (planted 1995), and 76 (planted 1995 & 1998), with the remaining 15% being a combination of River block (clone 5 planted in 1989) and Allen Vineyard (clone 76 planted in 2001 and 2005), which the Rochioli family have farmed for many years. The soils here are Yolo sandy loam and overwash, derived from sedimentary formations in an alluvial fan.

Winter 2015 was the warmest on record, resulting in early bud break. Cooler, wetter weather in Spring months slowed development leading to a challenging extended bloom period. The resulting uneven fruit set translated into a small crop with small berries with very concentrated flavours, harvested on the 22nd to 24th August at 23.1 brix.

Ramey utilised whole cluster pressing, native yeast fermentation and full malolactic fermentation in barrel with sur lies batonnage. After 20 months in 23% new French Francois Frères barrels, this wine was lightly fined and settled in tank before bottling without filtration. Only 747 cases were produced.

Ramey Rochioli Vineyard 2015, Russian River Valley, California

Like the best Ramey wines, this Chardonnay combines delicious lemon citrus aromatics, subtle toasty oak and suductive minerality in a most complete package. Plenty of Burgundian influence, intensity and concentration make for a very, very fine Chardonnay and definitely an inspired addition to the iconic Ramey range. But I guess when you make wines as premium as the Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, any decision to add a new vineyard to the range is going to be based on supreme quality potential. This wine has such depth, bristling lemony / limey acids and a long, long finish with just the most subtle kiss of butterscotch oak. Wow, I’m bowled over by this profound, delicious beauty. Drink from release until 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Wait is Over ~ The Iconic Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Finally Released…

September 26, 2017September 27, 2017 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Silver Oak Cellars is a superb family-owned, California icon winery dedicated to producing only premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak was established in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer and is currently operated by Ray’s sons David Duncan, who serves as the President and CEO, and his brother, Tim Duncan, who serves as Executive Vice President.

Silver Oak has two wineries… one in Oakville in the Napa Valley and one in Geyserville in the Alexander Valley. The Duncan Family also established Twomey Cellars in 1999, named after Ray Duncan’s mother, where they produce Pinot Noir, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Twomey has its own wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg.

Journalist and wine commentator Joe Wadsack tasting the 2013 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2013 vintage was certainly one of the most memorable vintages ever produced in California, already garnering some of the highest scores from the likes of Robert Parker, Jeb Dunnick, and Antonio Galloni. So it’s no surprise that I was thrilled to taste the 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon today with Vivian Gay, the Export Director of Silver Oak. Unfortunately, the Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is still resting in bottle and will only be released in February 2018.

Silver Oak 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 13.9 Abv.

Dark inky black, a seductive, alluring 95% Cabernet Sauvignon wine aged in US oak, 50% new, 50% used. Another 2 years in bottle following an unusual phenomenon these days. But this epic vintage shows a sublime saline, maritime nose, with black berry, cassis, graphite, cherry kirsch, and tart sour plum. Wow, what aromatic complexity. Delicious bay leaf, oregano, tobacco leaf intermixed with saline cassis, salty black plum, and delicious, creamy cedar oak spice. The palate is piercing and precise, intense, concentrated and so finely tuned like a formula 1 sports car. The tannins are dense, powerful and grippy but never lose their elegance. The finish reveals dry chalky notes, sweet tobacco leaf and a long, long, lingering earthy, brambly black currant finish. Been waiting for this release for years, and now finally tasting it, makes me weak at the knees! A profound Cabernet expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting Kistler Les Noisetiers 2013, Sonoma Coast, 14.1 Abv…

March 7, 2017 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I drank a beautiful bottle of Pierre Yves Colin Morey Chassagne Montrachet Les Maltroie 2014 on Sunday night, and this beautiful Kistler Les Noisetiers just reminded me of PYCM’s taught, steely, determined Chardonnay style.

I admit an unusual comparison, but these 2013 California Chardonnays, of which I have drunk a few over the past few days, have such cut and tension twinned with pithy lemon and lime intensity and pure limestone minerality. Complete palate austerity… (a good thing!) with so much energy, freshness, and restraint. There is plenty of nervy textural palate richness with a touch of new oak vanilla spice, but I’ve not had a Kistler Chardy this mineral since 2010! Rasping, pithy, mineral and dry… this is so, so classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Visiting Napa Valley and Sonoma with the Wine Institute of California – Day 1 in San Francisco…

March 5, 2017 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

For the past 10 years I’ve tried to make a habit of visiting the US wine lands of either California, Oregon or Washington State at least every 2 years to keep up to speed. With my last two trips being in Washington State and Oregon for Pinot Camp, it’s great to finally make it back to California.

Along with the French classics, Italian wine and of course South African wine, I have a massive passion for American wines. I love their precision, polish, opulence, structure, and age worthiness. I rarely ever meet a customer who does not enjoy a mature Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, Russian River Pinot Noir or Sonoma Zinfandel!

So today was Day 1 and touch down in San Francisco ahead of a jam packed schedule of lectures, visits and tastings in Napa Valley and Sonoma. What a beautiful city it is too. Much excitement awaits in the week ahead.