DUTTON-JEWELL

The Dutton Family and their history of farming in the Russian River Valley needs little or no introduction. But my history with the family goes beyond and before grape growing. The Dutton and Slusser (my maternal side) families have been friends for many years. Warren’s father, Warren Sr. (aka ‘Cap’, short for Captain, to his friends) proposed to Warren’s mother in the parlor of my grandparent’s ranch house. Eugene (yes, that’s where the Eugenia comes from) and Thelma Slusser were a half generation older than the Duttons and acted as older siblings/friends. I believe that falls both into the area of guidance and ‘down the primrose path’ knowing my grandparents (if I am a child of the 60’s, they were children of the 20’s).

Warren Jr. greatly admired my grandfather Gene. When Warren was just a boy and visited the ranch he would hang around the grand fireplace in the dining room (which in earlier days was accessible from both the dining room and the other side, the kitchen). Here hung a series of handguns from the Civil War days along with other paraphernalia of combat. To this day if you walk into the home of Warren (as you probably know we lost Warren at the much too young age of 57 on October 25, 2001) and Gail Dutton you will find a set of antique guns hanging along side their fireplace.

Dutton-Jewell clone 115.

I first worked with Warren in 1976 when I started becoming interested in wine and specifically grape growing. I was taking classes in viticulture at the Santa Rosa Junior College and through mutual friends became reacquainted with Warren. I helped him plant a number of ranches including the Dion Ranch and the Smothers Ranch in Sonoma Valley and Quail Hill Ranch in Russian River Valley. Through the ownership of Quail Hill Ranch (and a fellow student at the JC) I met Joseph Swan and began an apprenticeship with Joe in 1977.

My career made many bends and twists from there, but when I started my own brand in 1994 working with pinot noir in the Russian River Valley I turned to Warren to help source fruit. Within two years I was buying fruit from the Dutton-Jewell Ranch on Sullivan Road in Graton .

Even before we lost Warren to an untimely heart attack his sons Steve and Joe were in charge of the Dutton Ranches. 2002 is the first harvest without Warren. He is greatly missed but as he was just beginning to enjoy his retirement the working relationship in the vineyard has been seamless.

This area of Green Valley (an appellation wholly inside the Russian River Valley) has a much different soil and climate profile than the vineyards further north. Wind, fog, and cool air roll through the Occidental Gap each morning and evening. Often the fog does not fully retreat until noon or 1PM and returns with the setting sun around 8PM. The result is less light duration and less light intensity on most days during the ripening season. However, the growing season (April and May) finds the more temperate climate, again caused by the maritime influence, pushing vegetative growth along rapidly. The vines bud out earlier and flower ahead of warmer climes. So, although the vineyard ripens a bit later, bud break, flowering and set are a bit earlier. The result is an exaggerated hang time and sugars come with full physiological maturation.

The soil is in the Goldridge series. This soil association is on marine/coastal terraces and uplands, and was formed in material derived from weathered soft sandstone, siltstone, and shale. The natural vegetation is redwood, Douglas-fir, oaks, and grass. Annual precipitation is from 25—50 inches. Soils are moderate to well drained, have a surface layer of light brownish-gray sandy loam, and a subsoil of light-gray, pale-yellow, fine sandy loam. Substratum is very pale-brown and pale-yellow sandy clay loam and fine sandy loam.

I take fruit from 6 rows, 3 each of Pommard and Burgundian clone 115, planted to 101-14 rootstock. Spacing is 6 X 9, yielding 806 vines per acre. Trellising is Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) using a unilaterial cordon. As these are young (planted in 1993) vigorous vines we prune to their natural desire, 5 tons to the acre. After set we do our major thinning in the form of a short shoot thinning and bring vines down to between 3.62 and 3.02 tons per acre leaving 30 clusters with final weights (based on past data) of .25 to .33 pounds per cluster. A small green harvest is the finishing touch and final yields are between 2.80-3.10 tons to the acre.

Wine flavors tend to be in the red fruits: cranberry, gooseberry, red currant, red raspberry and spices of anise and clove.

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