2008 Vintage

• Case Production: 200 cases
• Vineyards: Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyard
• Cooperage: French Artisan Oak
• Vinification: Hand sorted, whole cluster pressed, native yeast fermentation, Sur lies with bâtonnage

We have once again selected to spotlight the Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyard’s unique sense of place. These nearly forty year old vines produce a wine with a refined opulence. The 2008 vintage carries more weight and intensity than prior efforts yet retains its classic nature. Delicate in the mouth, this wine is round and soft with layers of pear, quince, and wild honey comb wrapped around a mineral driven core. A nose of lemon blossoms, ripe melon, and crushed stone act in harmony with a focused acidity that carries this wine through its lingering finish. Although this wine was barrel fermented in seventy five percent new French Oak and aged for sixteen months, the oak is a distant afterthought as the finish reminds you of this wine’s distant French relatives.

Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyard

The Russian River Valley Sebastopol Vineyard was planted in 1980 and has the distinction of marine based Goldridge sandy loamy soils and the ability to be dry farmed with the exception of high heat day irrigation. The Chardonnay clone planted here is the old Robert Young selection derived from the Wente clone but selected for the high floral fruit tones. Spacing is 7×11 on the Vine Hill knoll on AxR#1 rootstock.

Dutton Ranch farms over sixty-five unique, separate vineyards located in the coolest area of the Russian River Valley, primarily in the sub-appellation known as the Green Valley. In keeping with the Chateau Boswell desire to support sustainable growers the fruit purchased for our Chardonnay exhibits all the premium fruit characteristics resulting from the Dutton family's emphasis to safeguard the health of their fruit while reining in chemical applications and other intrusions on the natural farming process. The chief influence on the flavor of their grapes is the prestigious Russian River Valley itself.

2007 Vintage

• Case Production: 228 cases
• Vineyards: Dutton Ranch Sebastopol Vineyard
• Cooperage: French Artisan Oak
• Vinification: Hand sorted, whole cluster pressed, native yeast fermentation, Sur lies with bâtonnage

The fruit for this vineyard designated Chardonnay is sourced from the Sebastopol vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley; a vineyard known for its marine based Goldridge soils providing a minerality to this wine that exhibits a true sense of place; terrior ...vintage after vintage.

As with all of our Chardonnays the vinification follows a traditional Burgundian style process whereby the fruit is hand sorted and whole cluster pressed, and a native yeast fermentation process takes place in 100% new French Oak barrels. The wine is kept one year on the lees, stirred every week, and at one year it is, racked barrel to barrel and then returned to the barrel to age until bottling.