Warren Dutton, Steve’s father, began growing grapes in the western reaches of Russian River Valley, and was the first to plant chardonnay in its coldest corners, in the mid-1960s, at a time when most people thought the area was too cool to grow fruit for quality still wine. Dutton Ranch enjoys this legacy with a choice collection of 80 vineyards today, from which Dutton-Goldfield receives the best possible quality of grapes each harvest.

From their favorite Dutton Ranch parcels, Steve and Dan select the vineyards that will blend together to become quintessential Russian River expressions. They then choose a few special sites that epitomize their terroir to bottle in limited-production single-vineyard wines. Dutton-Goldfield’s pinots have balance and individuality and elicit the flavors of the piece of earth from which they come. The chardonnays are from the old, cold, dry-farmed vineyards of Green Valley that provide a vibrant citrus core, focused fruit, great richness and solid acidity, even after full barrel and malolactic fermentation. Syrah also beautifully reflects this cold part of the world, with its bright fruit, silky tannins, complexity and balance.