Dutton Ranch Shop Block Pinot Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, roasted chicken with herbs, goat cheese tart
✨ Technical Specifications
The Dutton Ranch 'Shop Block' Pinot Blanc is sourced from one of California's most historic vineyard sites. Planted in 1971 by the legendary Warren Dutton in the cool, fog-influenced Russian River Valley, the Shop Block represents some of the oldest Pinot Blanc vines in the United States. While Pinot Blanc is often overlooked in California in favor of Chardonnay, winemaker Pax Mahle champions this rare parcel to craft a white wine of striking energy and texture. Embracing a philosophy of minimal intervention, the fruit is gently whole-cluster pressed and fermented using native yeasts in a combination of concrete pebbles and neutral French oak barrels. This traditional approach coaxes out a beautiful tension between saline minerality, bright orchard fruit, and a rich, old-vine texture that pays homage to the deep roots of Sonoma County viticulture.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 2000 by Pax and Pam Mahle, Pax Wines is an acclaimed artisanal producer based in Sebastopol within Sonoma County, California. Recognized as a pioneer of the New California wine movement, the winery focuses on cool-climate coastal terroirs across Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Pax champions a minimalist, old-world approach to vinification, utilizing whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeasts, and aging in neutral French oak and concrete tanks to preserve purity and freshness. The estate is widely celebrated for its benchmark, savory Syrah bottlings—such as the Sonoma-Hillsides and Alder Springs Vineyard designations—as well as dynamic, terroir-driven expressions of Gamay, Chenin Blanc, and heritage varieties.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Blanc