2019 La Familia Pinot Noir
93 Points - Wine Spectator
93 Points - Wine Spectator - “Top 2019’s Recommended”
4.5 Stars - Restaurant Wine - "Wines from this estate are constantly improving, and those from recent vintages are the winery’s best-ever, we think. The 2019 La Familia is simply delicious: a supple, full bodied, medium rich wine that is finely flavored (black cherry, red currant, vanilla, toast, oak), well balanced, and long on the finish. Has modest tannin; likely better in 2024 and beyond."
"The Kozlowski Family Vineyard is situated in the heart of the Russian River Valley, and a mile down the highway from Dutton Estate Winery. The Kozlowskis is the maternal side of my family, and the vineyard is owned by my grandmother, Carmen Kozlowski. The vineyard was once the largest raspberry patch north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1950s and 1960s. The property holds most of my childhood’s fondest memories! Growing up in the Kozlowski Farms family business, picking fresh raspberries, apples, and making jam with my grandmother, (who is fondly called Mammy by her grandchildren), I learned the value of demanding work and satisfaction of earning money, at an early age. The Kozlowski Family Vineyard is where my agricultural roots stem from and where I learned how the center of family can be created. When I thought to name this Pinot Noir from this special place, one name came to mind... "La Familia". La Familia is family in Spanish, and as a nod to grandmother’s heritage from Malaga, Spain. Mammy’s parents immigrated from Spain, and I was lucky enough to have had my great-grandmother, known as Mama, in my life for 26 years. Mammy and Mama, the heart of my large and extended family, is who I think of when I enjoy a bottle of our Dutton Estate Winery La Familia Pinot Noir." -Tracy Dutton
THE VINEYARD
Dutton Ranch farms more than 80 separate vineyards in the Russian River Valley. The Kozlowski Family Vineyards is located in the heart of Green Valley and the home of Tracy Dutton's family, who have five generations of farming history in Sonoma County. Prior to being a vineyard, the Kozlowski land was once the largest raspberry patch in Northern California. The vineyard was planted to Pommard, Swan, and Dijon 115 clones in 1998, but only Pommard is used to make our classic Pinot Noir.
THE WINEMAKING
After a 3 day cold-soak, daily hand punch downs were applied to gently release color. The wine went through full malolactic fermentation in a mixture of French oak barrels, 50% new, which imparted different flavors of spice to the wine. The Pommard clone results in deep, beautiful color and a more medium-bodied Pinot full of dark red fruit.
TASTING NOTES
The wine presents bold aromas of fresh, ripe raspberries. This is notable on the palate as well sour cherry and some gentle notes of nutmeg. The fruit follows to the finish, which is consistent with previous vintages of our flagship Pinot Noir. Delightful on its own, this wine will pair well with most food given the balanced acid, creating a light to medium bodied Pinot Noir.
