2022 Pinot Noir Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard

This is a gorgeous set of wines from DuMOL in a very challenging year. Frost in May, variable weather during bloom and severe drought resulted in vines with loose clusters and low yields. Chardonnay yields were down 30%, while for Pinot Noir, losses were more modest at 15%. "Drought pushed vines to build sugars quickly," Owner and Winemaker Andy Smith explained. "We had very cool weather in August. At that point, sugars stopped moving while acidities began to drop. That's when we started to bring fruit in." Harvest began on August 12, a full month earlier than 2023. Most of the fruit was in before the worst of the heat spike that was so problematic in other regions.

In tasting, the 2022s come across as a bit light in body. The wines don't have the dimension or dynamic intensity of years such as 2021. That is to be expected. In exchange, though, the wines will drink well with minimal cellaring. More than anything, I see the 2022s as wines of balance, of equilibrium.

The Pinots were done with fully destemmed fruit, except for the Bressay, which saw partial stem inclusion. Smith and the winemaking team gave the Pinots 17 months in barrel, with no racking, about two months longer than usual. The Chardonnays underwent their typical élevage of 11 months in barrel and 6-7 months in tank. Interestingly, I found the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the Bressay and DuMOL Estate vineyards to be especially fine. Both are high-density vineyards. “In these vineyards, we are asking the plants to carry lower individual crops, so the vines are less affected by a lack of water,” Smith added. There are a lot of theories about optimal vineyard architecture in these climate change-challenged times. It’s a fascinating subject that warrants greater discussion.