2009 Karmen Isabella

The Wine....

This bright garnet colored wine starts off with elegant and delicate floral aromas. A soft feminine wine and lengthy silky tannins are ever present in this highly revered Karmen Isabella Pinot Noir. Abundant flavors abound the pallet; bright cherry, citrus, kumquat and raspberry to name a few. Crisp and upbeat with a slight minerality structure, go along with just the right acidity to round out this complex wine. You will find the finish refreshing with tastes of red fruit, cranberry and pomegranate.

The Vineyard....

Dutton Ranch farms over eighty unique, separate vineyards located in the coolest areas of the Russian River Valley, primarily in the sub-appellation known as the Green Valley. We have selected our favorite vineyards from our family’s Dutton Ranch to craft wines reflecting our vision of a signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The Karmen Isabella is named after the Dutton’s youngest daughter and is a blend of reserve barrels. From 3 vineyards the blend of barrels shows a balance of red fruits with lush texture. The vines planted in the Gold Ridge type soil historically produce wines of consistent character. 

The Winemaking...

 After de-stemming into small open top fermenters, the must is cold-soaked for 10 days to gently extract spice and fruit characters, while extenuating harsher tannins. We punch down by hand three times daily. After fermentation, the individual lots are pressed and racked into French oak to age. We selected each barrel for this reserve bottling of 2009 and blended them to allow the wine to marry and settle before bottling in July 2010.