Vibrant orange blossom and soft orchid aromas first meet the nose, with an elegant minerality following closely behind. Lime and lemon zest play well together on the palate. With a balanced mouthfeel, this wine will appease a wide range of tastes while maintaining that signature Anaba feel.
The Chardonnay grapes for this wine come from the acclaimed Dutton Ranch (Mill Station Vineyard and Shop Block) in the Sonoma Coast AVA. The cool, foggy climate of the region delivers nice acidity and citrus flavors to the wine, while the Goldridge and Sebastopol Clay Loam soils add to its complexity. The 2017 vintage was an excellent one — well-balanced with moderate yields due to a heat spike later in the season. We were very fortunate to have picked all of our fruit prior to the October 2017 North Bay Fires, so the widespread devastation did not affect our wines.
Wine Making Notes
Hand-sorted and whole cluster pressed. Barrel fermented (70% malolactic fermentation). Aged 16 months sur lie in French oak barrels, 30% of which were new.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Vineyards: Dutton Ranch (Mill Station & Shop Block)
On tranquil summer days, as golden sun kisses the valleys and hills of vineyards in Sonoma, unique air currents bring cooling breezes inland from the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. Wafting softly, with some gusts and gales, they glide through the vineyard rows. As they encounter steeper slopes and drift upward, they become anabatic winds. Soaring glider pilots rely on them for flight. We treasure them for the coolness they impart on their journey — a gift of nature that makes the vineyard more temperate and slows the ripening process, producing robust flavors and distinctive varietal characters in our grapes.
Our exclusive Anaba wines are handcrafted from the best Rhône and Burgundian grape varieties grown at our Carneros Estate vineyard and in selected outstanding vineyard properties throughout Sonoma County. Our Rhône-style wines are artistic blends, inspired by the rugged earthiness of France’s Rhône Valley and replicated in the rocky Sonoma soils. Our Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs reflect the elegance and grace of the gently sloping vineyards found in Burgundy, crafted from similar sites in the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations.
Anaba…elegant, classic wines borne by the wind.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Anaba Dutton Ranch Chardonnay - $40 = 13.32%
@ddeuddeg I agree - solid fruit source for sure. Several of their vineyards are right next door to Iron Horse, too.
I don’t remember Anaba’s style and it’s been a long time since I’ve had their wines. That’s part of why I need the rat reports!
Received this yesterday, thank you! Chilled it today and split half the bottle to save for tomorrow. Tonight’s meal: turkey burgers, grilled corn and roasted brussels sprouts along with sriracha mayo.
Solid well made wine, if not completely my style. I prefer something with more fruit and acid like a Buena Vista or Pedroncelli.
Tropical nose, gorgeous golden color. Buttery on the tongue with some light fruit and a hint of acid and minerality. Nicely balanced with not too much butter, oak or alcohol. I could detect the malolactic but it wasn’t overdone. If it was a little crisper it would have went better with food but probably would be ok with seafood or more specifically shellfish, grilled vegetables, and light snacks like nuts or cheese. A bit harder to pair this with any kind of meat or anything too “Saucy” because it just doesn’t have enough to cut through.
Tomorrow night’s meal will be grilled shrimp and zucchini so let’s see how that goes. This would also be a very nice stand alone wine which I don’t personally do too often but I could see see drinking this while hanging out with friends or family or at an event or celebration. Hopefully soon right?!
I would expect to pay $30 to $35 at the store (or winery) so a fair price at $25 and a pretty good deal at $21.
@ilCesare Thanks Cesare!
Interesting that you mention buttery and more richness than either of the writeups below. Do you have a comparison point to, let’s say, an Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay?
Wow much better tonight. Really firing on all cylinders. The extra time having it open and warm up from the fridge helped (I think it was too cold yesterday). Went down well with shrimp zucchini corn and avocado tomato. More of a citrus note on the nose and fruit on the palate. Well balanced and very drinkable. Not an everyday wine and priced accordingly.
The 2017 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is classy and polished to the core. Bright floral, citrus and saline notes give the 2017 striking freshness as well as nuance. Light on its feet and supremely elegant, the 2017 has a ton to offer.
Anaba
This is a terrific set of wines from Anaba. In the past, I have found the wines a bit too taut, but the 2017s show a little more richness than in the past, and that is a good thing. It’s hard to say if that extra bit of mid-palate volume is the result of the year or a slight shift in approach from winemakers, Ross Cobb and Katy Wilson, but the end result is that the wines are super- expressive and inviting.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: January 2020
And from Wine Enthusiast:
From two vineyards within the Dutton portfolio, this wine opens in steely, high-toned elements of lemon, lime and fig, with floral aromas persistently at the fore. Balanced and light in style, it refreshes as much as it impresses. VB 10/1/20
I know Dutton Ranch is pretty big and sprawling, (had to look it up, but over 1300 acres and 65 or so separate vineyards) most of the vineyards not contiguous. Trying to find a map of exactly where these two vineyards are just out of curiosity. So, Mill Station, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, located above the Atascadero/Green Valley watershed, Goldridge soils. http://www.everyvine.com/map/?vineyardID=1884
Can’t find much on Shop Block, Green Valley
Used to be a map of all of their holdings somewhere. There is one on the website but the link for detail is broken. Green is vineyard, yellow is orchard. It at least gives you a picture of the operation
@klezman This is the first time I stumbled upon everyvine, it is pretty cool.
A blurb on Shop Block from the Dutton-Goldfield site:
Vineyard Notes
When Warren Dutton purchased his original Graton Road ranch in 1964, it was producing French Colombard and Gray Riesling grapes, along with Rome apples. In the 1970s he replaced the Riesling and apples with more French Colombard. Situated in the valley of Purrington Creek, a tributary of Green Valley Creek, this is a wonderful spot for cold loving white grapes. Here the cold coastal air lingers through the mornings and nurtures fruit of fresh acidity and flavor concentration, while the deep but well drained Goldridge sandy loam soil grows healthy, balanced vines. When it was time to finally replant this block in 2003, the Duttons decided to try a bit of Pinot Blanc to augment the killer Chardonnay adjacent to this spot. Pinot Blanc is a white skinned mutation of Pinot Noir, prized for its fresh stone fruit flavors and cleansing mouthfeel. This vineyard is now completely dry farmed. As a special little treat to our best friends, DG is vinifying just a small amount of this mouthwateringly fresh Pinot Blanc.
I was super excited to receive this bottle after googling and seeing the positive reviews. That said, my expectations were somewhat subverted upon first sip. I was hoping for something akin to a white burgundy, but that isn’t quite the case here (and was likely far too ridiculous a hope).
Honestly, the provided description rings very true, lime and lemon zest DO play nicely on the palate–that is, this is not a fruit bomb like some CA chard can be. While I was initially disappointed that this wasn’t fine Chablis-like, I realized it’s an extremely balanced chardonnay. Not too oaky or cloying, there’s a backbone of acidity that makes this wine extremely easy to keep on drinking, even if every sip doesn’t make you want to stop and think about it. I kept on thinking about steel while drinking, in neither a good or bad way. Would be very appropriate with food, and a variety of food at that, while on its own it acts as a competent sipper. That said, I don’t think most people would want to spend 25 dollars on this bottle–I think it has an audience that would really appreciate it, but it’s not something I would recommend willy-nilly. If you’re looking for a wine to complement a meal, or something that will likely please most folks without attracting too much attention, this works great. If you’re interested in what restrained American Chardonnay can taste like, this would be a solid choice, too.
A friend just said, “oh, this is really nice. Refreshing.” It’s just that, nice and refreshing. I’m sure there’s a group of folks out there that would love this. I imagine few would openly dislike it, I think the majority of folks would find it fine.
Some day US winemakers will stop oaking chardonnay to the point of not actually tasting the fruit… until that time, hard pass on anything i haven’t actually tasted myself.
2017 Anaba Chardonnay Dutton Ranch, Sonoma Coast
Tasting Notes
93 points ~ Antonio Galloni
92 points ~ Wine Advocate
Wine Making Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$649.70/case (including shipping) at Anaba Wines for 12x 2017 Anaba Chardonnay Dutton Ranch, Sonoma Coast
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 28 - Tuesday, Sep 29
Anaba Dutton Ranch Chardonnay
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Anaba Chardonnay Dutton Ranch
Will have a report posted shortly.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Anaba Dutton Ranch Chardonnay - $40 = 13.32%
Any stats on ML? 30% new oak could come across as very oaky, and the older oak isn’t stated as 1 year old vs neutral.
@klezman Not oaky. It says 70% ML but I would have thought less.
@ilCesare @klezman
I’ll troll for a 3-way split.
Pending Cesare’s
Would like more than three bottles at the case price, don’t need six.
@klezman Those were my thoughts, but it’s Anaba, and Dutton Ranch fruit. I’m tempted, especially since Cesare chimed in with not oaky.
@ddeuddeg I agree - solid fruit source for sure. Several of their vineyards are right next door to Iron Horse, too.
I don’t remember Anaba’s style and it’s been a long time since I’ve had their wines. That’s part of why I need the rat reports!
@klezman I couldn’t remember either if I didn’t keep track using the Delectable app on my phone.
Dutton Ranch is top shelf!
Received this yesterday, thank you! Chilled it today and split half the bottle to save for tomorrow. Tonight’s meal: turkey burgers, grilled corn and roasted brussels sprouts along with sriracha mayo.
Solid well made wine, if not completely my style. I prefer something with more fruit and acid like a Buena Vista or Pedroncelli.
Tropical nose, gorgeous golden color. Buttery on the tongue with some light fruit and a hint of acid and minerality. Nicely balanced with not too much butter, oak or alcohol. I could detect the malolactic but it wasn’t overdone. If it was a little crisper it would have went better with food but probably would be ok with seafood or more specifically shellfish, grilled vegetables, and light snacks like nuts or cheese. A bit harder to pair this with any kind of meat or anything too “Saucy” because it just doesn’t have enough to cut through.
Tomorrow night’s meal will be grilled shrimp and zucchini so let’s see how that goes. This would also be a very nice stand alone wine which I don’t personally do too often but I could see see drinking this while hanging out with friends or family or at an event or celebration. Hopefully soon right?!
I would expect to pay $30 to $35 at the store (or winery) so a fair price at $25 and a pretty good deal at $21.
@ilCesare Thank you for reporting. I love chardonnay so was curious to hear about this one.
@ilCesare Thanks Cesare!
Interesting that you mention buttery and more richness than either of the writeups below. Do you have a comparison point to, let’s say, an Iron Horse Estate Chardonnay?
@klezman It’s been a while but from what I remember the ih had more fruit and more… finesse. A step above this but close.
Wow much better tonight. Really firing on all cylinders. The extra time having it open and warm up from the fridge helped (I think it was too cold yesterday). Went down well with shrimp zucchini corn and avocado tomato. More of a citrus note on the nose and fruit on the palate. Well balanced and very drinkable. Not an everyday wine and priced accordingly.
Here’s Galloni’s full write up:
93pts
Drinking window: 2020 - 2024
The 2017 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is classy and polished to the core. Bright floral, citrus and saline notes give the 2017 striking freshness as well as nuance. Light on its feet and supremely elegant, the 2017 has a ton to offer.
Anaba
This is a terrific set of wines from Anaba. In the past, I have found the wines a bit too taut, but the 2017s show a little more richness than in the past, and that is a good thing. It’s hard to say if that extra bit of mid-palate volume is the result of the year or a slight shift in approach from winemakers, Ross Cobb and Katy Wilson, but the end result is that the wines are super- expressive and inviting.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: January 2020
And from Wine Enthusiast:
From two vineyards within the Dutton portfolio, this wine opens in steely, high-toned elements of lemon, lime and fig, with floral aromas persistently at the fore. Balanced and light in style, it refreshes as much as it impresses. VB 10/1/20
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/anaba-2017-dutton-ranch-chardonnay-sonoma-coast/
fwiw
I know Dutton Ranch is pretty big and sprawling, (had to look it up, but over 1300 acres and 65 or so separate vineyards) most of the vineyards not contiguous. Trying to find a map of exactly where these two vineyards are just out of curiosity. So, Mill Station, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, located above the Atascadero/Green Valley watershed, Goldridge soils.
http://www.everyvine.com/map/?vineyardID=1884
Can’t find much on Shop Block, Green Valley
Used to be a map of all of their holdings somewhere. There is one on the website but the link for detail is broken. Green is vineyard, yellow is orchard. It at least gives you a picture of the operation
https://www.duttonranch.com/vineyards/map/
@kaolis How amazing is everyvine, eh?
I had no idea “Dutton Ranch” was a collection of many vineyards!
@klezman This is the first time I stumbled upon everyvine, it is pretty cool.
A blurb on Shop Block from the Dutton-Goldfield site:
Vineyard Notes
When Warren Dutton purchased his original Graton Road ranch in 1964, it was producing French Colombard and Gray Riesling grapes, along with Rome apples. In the 1970s he replaced the Riesling and apples with more French Colombard. Situated in the valley of Purrington Creek, a tributary of Green Valley Creek, this is a wonderful spot for cold loving white grapes. Here the cold coastal air lingers through the mornings and nurtures fruit of fresh acidity and flavor concentration, while the deep but well drained Goldridge sandy loam soil grows healthy, balanced vines. When it was time to finally replant this block in 2003, the Duttons decided to try a bit of Pinot Blanc to augment the killer Chardonnay adjacent to this spot. Pinot Blanc is a white skinned mutation of Pinot Noir, prized for its fresh stone fruit flavors and cleansing mouthfeel. This vineyard is now completely dry farmed. As a special little treat to our best friends, DG is vinifying just a small amount of this mouthwateringly fresh Pinot Blanc.
I was super excited to receive this bottle after googling and seeing the positive reviews. That said, my expectations were somewhat subverted upon first sip. I was hoping for something akin to a white burgundy, but that isn’t quite the case here (and was likely far too ridiculous a hope).
Honestly, the provided description rings very true, lime and lemon zest DO play nicely on the palate–that is, this is not a fruit bomb like some CA chard can be. While I was initially disappointed that this wasn’t fine Chablis-like, I realized it’s an extremely balanced chardonnay. Not too oaky or cloying, there’s a backbone of acidity that makes this wine extremely easy to keep on drinking, even if every sip doesn’t make you want to stop and think about it. I kept on thinking about steel while drinking, in neither a good or bad way. Would be very appropriate with food, and a variety of food at that, while on its own it acts as a competent sipper. That said, I don’t think most people would want to spend 25 dollars on this bottle–I think it has an audience that would really appreciate it, but it’s not something I would recommend willy-nilly. If you’re looking for a wine to complement a meal, or something that will likely please most folks without attracting too much attention, this works great. If you’re interested in what restrained American Chardonnay can taste like, this would be a solid choice, too.
A friend just said, “oh, this is really nice. Refreshing.” It’s just that, nice and refreshing. I’m sure there’s a group of folks out there that would love this. I imagine few would openly dislike it, I think the majority of folks would find it fine.
Some day US winemakers will stop oaking chardonnay to the point of not actually tasting the fruit… until that time, hard pass on anything i haven’t actually tasted myself.
@cocacola08 You should try more domestic Chardonnay, then. There are more than enough that meet that criterion.