Dolin Estate Wine

Central Coast AVA

A rising star winery that's poised for greatness

This month’s Platinum Wine Club selection originates from the relatively new (2006) Malibu Coast AVA, located in the Santa Monica Mountains just outside western Los Angeles.

Malibu Coast AVA? Are you serious?

Formed over a decade ago, the area is home to over fifty growers and even boasts a wine trail for short-term Los Angeles visitors.

“The AVA has everything for anyone interested in growing grapes and making wines,” informed Elliott Dolin, proprietor of Dolin Estate and the spearhead for establishing the AVA. “We have great soils and a weather condition that favors hard-to-grow varietals such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Even though we are further south than our Central Coast or Sonoma Coast cousins, the Pacific Ocean maritime affect is incredibly helpful to our varietals. We have an acre of Chardonnay on our estate that was the reason for getting us into the business.”

Dolin is a former musician who played alongside the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Brenda Lee, John Prine and Don Everly during his musical career. When he met his wife Lynn in the early 1990’s, he developed a taste for wine and amassed a collection of over 2,000 bottles. He even joined the exclusive Sauvage du Vin Tasting Group in Los Angeles where he was able to taste a number of the finest wines from around the world. Along with his move to California, Dolin also began a new career in the field of real estate investment.

In 2006, Lynn and Elliott were restoring their recently purchased home in Malibu when Elliott came to the realization that the area presented a unique opportunity to explore his passion for wine. They immediately planted 900 vines on the property and waited to see the results.

“When we finally made the wine,” he recalled, “everyone who tasted it went crazy over it and we decided to go ahead with the project. If they hadn’t really enjoyed the wine, we probably wouldn’t be what Dolin Estate is today.”

The first release of a tiny (105 cases) came in 2012 and was immediately praised by both consumers and wine industry periodicals who were just discovering the new Malibu Coast AVA. The present level of production is around 2,000 cases and Elliott Dolin is perfectly happy with that number.

“As our company grew,” he explained further, “we began sourcing fruit to expand our portfolio. We bought from other growers within Malibu Coast and eventually from other top producing AVA’s further up the coastline. We are extremely selective in the grapes we buy from other appellations and work with growers on long-term contracts.”

Dolin spends about half of his time with the winery’s business and half in real estate. He leaves the winemaking and winery operations to Winemaker Kirby Anderson who joined the company immediately after the first Dolin Estate release. Anderson is a UC Davis graduate with an extensive resume that includes the likes of Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma County and Bernadus Winery in Monterey County. He also assisted Winemaker Dan Goldfield at La Crema where he made his first Pinot Noir. He was winemaker at Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez and has remained in the area since that time. “I want my wines to have texture yet be fresh with purity of fruit and a finish that lingers on and on,” Anderson stated. “I want my wine to honor the vineyard and capture people on the first taste - and keep them coming back for more.”

Lynn Dolin serves on the creative side of winery operations and has been responsible for a number of Dolin Estate’s award-winning label designs. She shares her husband’s passion for wine excellence and his goal of continued improvement in wine quality.

The Dolin Estate story continues to develop even though it has reached the plateau of a highly successful boutique winery. As the Malibu Coast AVA continues to grow and attract new customers and friends, so will small wineries such as Dolin Estate.

Elliott Dolin is far removed from his successful music career, but continues to impart certain aspects of his musical past in his new releases from his winery. He is particularly proud of his Merlot-based red blend that will be available in the near future. He calls it ‘Blue Note Red’ in honor of one of his earliest clubs and also the wonderfully successful Blue Note Records label that has produced exceptional jazz and blues records since its inception in 1939.

Hats off to Elliott Dolin and his Dolin Estate wines. We know you will enjoy this marvelous Chardonnay to the fullest!

Featured Wines

Dear Platinum Wine Club Members,

We are delighted that Gold Medal Wine Club has offered you this opportunity to enjoy our 2014 Dolin Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay. The Bien Nacido Vineyard, located in the Santa Maria Valley AVA, has been designated as one of “California’s Grand Cru Chardonnay Vineyards” by Wine Enthusiast magazine, and it produces some of the most sought-after fruit in all of California. We are honored to be one of a limited number of small producers able to source these ultra-premium grapes and display the “Bien Nacido Vineyard” designation on our labels (the wines must be tasted and approved by the owners before permission to use the vineyard designation is granted).

Our winemaking mission is to honor the special sites and growers that we work with. We make several limited production single-vineyard wines (typically, less than 200 cases each) from premium vineyards along the Central Coast that have individual and distinct personalities from their sites. We strive to make balanced wines that have a silky texture and ripe, focused fruit with great length and persistence on the palate. This commitment has earned us a spot on The Daily Meal’s list of “101 Best Wineries in America” for each of the past three years.

We invite you to enjoy this Platinum Wine Club selection!

Cheers,

Elliott Dolin
Proprietor

Kirby Anderson - Winemaker

Since the early 1990’s, Kirby Anderson has risen to become one of California’s most respected winemakers. After graduating from the heralded University of California Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, Kirby refined his winemaking skills working with wineries in Lake County, Russian River Valley, and Monterey before settling on the Central Coast.

He has now spent over a decade crafting wines from some of the Central Coast’s top AVA’s, including Santa Ynez Valley, Happy Canyon, Santa Maria Valley, and Sta. Rita Hills. Kirby’s winemaking style focuses on highlighting the vineyard while achieving character, depth, and balance.