Light pale gold; aromas of crème-brulee, marzipan, and honeysuckle are lightly framed by toasty French oak. Shows white peach, apricot, pineapple, and Meyer lemon flavors in a bright and lively style. The mid-palate is rich and fruity yet dry. Shows graphite and custard in the finish.

100% Chardonnay from the Dutton Ranch Mill Station single vineyard from Goldridge fine sandy loam soil. Hand harvested on Sep 19, 2017 and gentle whole-cluster pressed. The yield is 3.8 tons per acre. Barrel fermented; only partial malolactic fermentation takes places.

Aged 18 months French oak barrels (60%) Francois Freres oak barrel, new oak (40%) Seguin Moreau old barrels with medium-plus toast. Regular stirring of the lees for increased weight and length. Bottled unfiltered, only 300 cases produced.

The rolling hills and gentle slopes near the town of Graton were once home to apple orchards filled with songbirds. By the early 1990’s, though, most of the orchards were replanted with grapes. According to winemaker Nick Goldschmidt “Chardonnay is great to work-with, as the range of styles is very broad and permits a lot of flexibility. The Mill Station site on Poplar Way allows me to create a Chardonnay with lush, alluring flavors and bright acidity. I just love this vineyard.” Singing Tree Dutton is Nick Goldschmidt’s rendition for cool climate chardonnay. Sourced from this world-famous vineyard, the wine dazzles with personality and refinement. Mill Station lies in Green Valley, the coolest sub-appellation of the Russian River. The vineyard brings distinct minerality and structural backbone to the wines produced here. Graphite and nerve are words used to describe these wines.

After a slight reprieve the drought continued in 2017. The conditions were perfect for spring flowering and over the summer, the vineyards saw beautiful warm days with many cool foggy evenings. June and July continued without experiencing extended heat spikes or long duration heat events. August was typically cooler, and this cooler weather cycle slowed the harvest process and resulted in increased hang times for fruit. The grapes showed amazing ripeness and greater layers of flavors without excess or exaggerated sugar levels. Warm weather returned and harvest came very fast. There’s a wonderful purity of fruit and the wines are already showing a really enticing floral perfume.