2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Ballard Vineyard

Andy Smith and his team turned out a positively stellar set of 2020 Sonoma wines in what was one of the most challenging years ever. To be sure, the 2020s are on the lighter side, the result of drought and heat that shocked the vines, plus the necessity of harvest that was accelerated in some spots to avoid fires. But the wines are clean and expressive.

Over the years, I have learned to allow for plenty of time for my tastings at DuMol. I was super-impressed with the wines I tasted on my last visit. Andy Smith continues to grow the range thoughtfully. The Chardonnays and Pinots remain the strong suits, mostly because they form the core of the range and have really been fine tuned over time. The 2017 Chardonnays have turned out just as well as I had hoped they would. The wines are rich, deep and full of character. Today, I favor the 2017s over the 2018s, which come across as lighter. Then again, the Chardonnays see pretty long élevage (by California standards) of 11 months in oak and 6 months in steel (for the vineyard designates) so there is plenty of time for the 2018s to perhaps gain a bit more dimension. The two vintages appear closer in quality for Pinot Noir. Smith opted to handle the 2018s very gently in the cellar, and did half the number of punchdowns than the norm. Both the 2017s and 2018s are vivid and super-expressive. I favor 2018 over 2017 for the Cabernets and Syrahs, as the longer and more benign growing season was clearly more favorable for both varieties.

Over the years, I have learned to allow for plenty of time for my tastings at DuMol. I was super-impressed with the wines I tasted on my last visit. Andy Smith continues to grow the range thoughtfully. The Chardonnays and Pinots remain the strong suits, mostly because they form the core of the range and have really been fine tuned over time. The 2017 Chardonnays have turned out just as well as I had hoped they would. The wines are rich, deep and full of character. Today, I favor the 2017s over the 2018s, which come across as lighter. Then again, the Chardonnays see pretty long élevage (by California standards) of 11 months in oak and 6 months in steel (for the vineyard designates) so there is plenty of time for the 2018s to perhaps gain a bit more dimension. The two vintages appear closer in quality for Pinot Noir. Smith opted to handle the 2018s very gently in the cellar, and did half the number of punchdowns than the norm. Both the 2017s and 2018s are vivid and super-expressive. I favor 2018 over 2017 for the Cabernets and Syrahs, as the longer and more benign growing season was clearly more favorable for both varieties.

Andy Smith and his team turned out a brilliant set of wines in 2017. The harvest was especially condensed, with most days seeing heavy picks of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay pretty much concurrently. Smith told me the DuMOL parcels were affected by a high incidence of shot berries, which naturally lowered yields. Small berries, often with no seeds, further resulted in a collection of dense wines. Smith told me low alcohol conversions resulted in wines with a bit lower alcohol than is typical. That is fascinating, as the wines are quite rich in feel. The bottled 2016s are just as compelling from bottle as they were last year from barrel.

Andy Smith and his team turned out a brilliant set of wines in 2017. The harvest was especially condensed, with most days seeing heavy picks of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay pretty much concurrently. Smith told me the DuMOL parcels were affected by a high incidence of shot berries, which naturally lowered yields. Small berries, often with no seeds, further resulted in a collection of dense wines. Smith told me low alcohol conversions resulted in wines with a bit lower alcohol than is typical. That is fascinating, as the wines are quite rich in feel. The bottled 2016s are just as compelling from bottle as they were last year from barrel.

My tasting at Du Mol was one the highlights of my January trip to Sonoma. Andy Smith describes 2016 as a classic California vintage with lower acidities than the 2015, which I suspect is more a reflection of the timing of picking decisions rather than a reflection of the vintages themselves. Regardless, 2016 and 2015 are two fabulous back to back vintages at Du Mol. This range is seriously impressive. The 2016 Chardonnays were all in tank when I tasted them, while the 2016 Pinots and Cabernets were still in oak.

My tasting at Du Mol was one the highlights of my January trip to Sonoma. Andy Smith describes 2016 as a classic California vintage with lower acidities than the 2015, which I suspect is more a reflection of the timing of picking decisions rather than a reflection of the vintages themselves. Regardless, 2016 and 2015 are two fabulous back to back vintages at Du Mol. This range is seriously impressive. The 2016 Chardonnays were all in tank when I tasted them, while the 2016 Pinots and Cabernets were still in oak.

Andy Smith has turned out a striking set of wines at DuMol. Over the last few years, Smith seems to have settled into a more relaxed, comfortable style at DuMol that is helped by not having to divide his attention between DuMol and Larkmead, as he once did. Smith is picking a bit earlier and going for more freshness and energy in his wines. The results are truly spectacular. There are many, many highlights in this range. Readers should not miss the 2014 Cabernets, both of which have really blossomed since I tasted them from barrel last year. The Cabernet program grows to five wines in 2015, so there is plenty to look forward to, including new wines from Meteor (that fruit went into the Napa Valley bottling in 2014), Ballard and Tench.