Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Docker Hill Mendocino County 2022

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As stewards and students of the land, Dutton-Goldfield tactfully produces stand-out wines in a low-intervention, microproduction format from single-vineyard locales dotted along the Northern California coast, from Marin to Mendocino. Their affinity for Pinot Noir shines in this lush 2022 Docker Hill bottling with 94 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Dutton-Goldfield jumped at the opportunity to source grapes from Docker Hill Vineyard, located on a mountain above Comptche, southeast of the town of Mendocino. As devotees to rugged and remote sites, the team felt this high-elevation vineyard planted in 2010 to an assortment of Dijon and Heritage clones would provide another exemplary cool-climate spot to gather grapes to make a rich, weighty, yet so very elegant Pinot Noir. The perfect waltz of climate, earth, and location generates wines that have well-structured tannins and a sumptuous texture.

Cofounders Steve Dutton and Dan Goldfield, alongside their intimate and devoted team, handpick sites such as this because of the remarkable, cool-climate terroirs that ultimately lead to unique and unforgettable single-vineyard wines. Steve, a fifth-generation farmer, and Dan, a past research chemist and the winery’s enologist and winemaker, came together over a shared appreciation of wine and land in 1998 to start Dutton-Goldfield in Sebastopol, sourcing grapes from their own estate vineyards as well as carefully selected partner vineyards up and down the northern Pacific coast. They ardently choose sustainable farming, winemaking, and packaging practices in order to maintain the lands they so love.

The 2022 Docker Hill Pinot Noir is beyond spectacular, and a solid example of just what these guys are up to with their terroir-driven, small-production, splendidly layered wines. Exuberant notes erupt from the glass, with aromas of sun-ripened raspberry, blackberry, and black cherry coming in first, alongside accents of Earl Grey tea and violets. The dark, brooding theme continues on the palate, with more juicy red berries, plus a floral assortment of dried rose petals, lavender, sage bundles, and dried orange peel, making this altogether lovely and multifaceted. Smoothest of smooth tannins, a soft acidity, and a powerful finish round out this complex, 94-point stunner. This is a wine every Pinot-phile needs in their rolodex.

PAIRING IDEAS: Go for some adobo-spiced chicken tinga tacos to add another element of brightness and flavorful richness to this impressive Pinot! I’m bookmarking this recipe.