Marine Layer "Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard" Green Valley Pinot Noir 2022
(Sonoma Coast, California) - [JD 96] [VM 95] [JS 95] [DM 93]

VITICULTURAL AREA

The Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard is located in the Green Valley sub-AVA within the Sonoma Coast. The vineyard is perched on a steep hill, ~600ft in elevation, and is planted to both Swan & Calera clones. This 2022 vintage however, we used 100% Swan to showcase the diversity within the clonal types. The slopes are pure sandstone bedrock, with a very shallow layer (just 8”-10”) of Goldridge soil on top. Deep roots, thick fog, and a prolonged and steady growing season are hallmarks of Jentoft.

VINIFICATION

Picked before dawn on August 31st, the fruit was hand-sorted and gently destemmed to keep whole berries intact with 30% whole-cluster inclusion. After a two-day cold soak under dry ice to preserve freshness, the wine underwent native yeast fermentation in open-top tanks, with gentle pump-overs and manual punch-downs. Following 16 days on the skins, the wine was gravity-drained overnight and transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation - 25% of which were new, . Aged for 11 months, it was then bottled unfined and lightly filtered.

TASTING NOTES

The 2022 Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard Pinot Noir dazzles with a vibrant ruby hue and delicate crimson edges. Aromas leap from the glass, evoking cypress, pomegranate, and autumnal spices. The palate offers precision and elegance, with flavors of Amarena cherry, blood orange rind, and black tea. Refined tannins and a succulent mouthfeel carry through to a graceful, long finish. Captivating, complex, and nuanced, the 2022 vintage stands out as one of our favorites.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
Displaying a deeper ruby red color, the nose of the 2022 Pinot Noir Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard is deep and layered with notes of sage, wild herbs, dark cherries, and fresh piney spices. Medium-bodied, it has a darker feel on the palate, with supple tannins, a balanced savory and fruity feel, and a long finish. It’s likely to flesh out and become a more full-bodied wine with time. Drink 2025-2040. (Drink between 2025-2040)

95 Points - James Suckling:
So aromatic, floral and generous in ripe red and black fruits and lively oak spices. It's a bold, concentrated and pure wine from an extreme coastal site that seems to pack in more fruit, more violets, more cinnamon and cloves than is possible. Drink now or hold.

95 Points - Vinous Media:
The 2022 Pinot Noir Dutton Jentoft Vineyard is another terrific wine in this range. Nuances from Swan and Calera clones with a touch of stems all meld together in the glass. Jentoft is one of the great sites on the Sonoma Coast. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, pomegranate and spice open effortlessly. Floral overtones lift the finish. I find the new oak just a bit prominent. Otherwise, this is stunning. (Drink between 2025-2034)

93 Points - Decanter:
Dutton-Jentoft is a beautiful site; they split with DuMol, and it was planted in 2007 on very shallow marine soils. It's long been a part of the Marine Layer. The 2022 shows a touch ripe on the nose, with a hint of warm spices wrapped around darker fruits. On the palate, a sense of ripeness belies the 13.4% alcohol. Spice flavours come to the fore, with warm red fruits, clove, and smoky sea salt arising at the finish. 2025-2033.