The Vineyards at Dodon

In the early 1720’s, Dodon’s estate was planted with Oronoco- a heavily scented variety of tobacco, favored by continental Europeans. Oronoco is the name of Dodon’s Cabernet Sauvignon-led Collector’s wine, reflecting the tobacco-like aromatics typical in this grape variety.

Variety: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Vinification: Hand harvested, destemmed and sorted, free run juice fermented in stainless steel tanks with pump overs, 30-day maceration, and aged for 21 months French oak

In 1743, Dodon’s thoroughbred, Dungannon won the first recorded horse race in Maryland, the Annapolis Subscription Plate. The Dodon’s Collector’s Series Merlot-based red blend holds the namesake today.

Variety: 69% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc
Vinification: Hand harvested, destemmed and sorted, free run juice fermented in stainless steel tanks with pump overs, 30-day maceration, and aged for 21 months in French oak

In the 1890s, a charter was created to build a railroad through the southwest corner of the farm, connecting Baltimore to Drum Point Lighthouse in South County, Maryland. By 1929, despite miles of rail bed that had been prepared, the project had been abandoned. Today Drum Point lends its name to Dodon's Collector's Series white blend. %%sep%% Variety: 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 31% Chardonnay %%sep%% Vinification: Hand harvested, destemmed and sorted, fermented separately and blended together, and aged for 11 months in French oak

To salute the truth conjures a desire to embrace the verities of life and to live with fervor, courage, and conviviality.
Dodon wines are the product of our relationship with nature– even in challenging vintages. Dodon’s first fortified wine, Salute the Truth, is no exception. After devasting rainfall during August and September of 2018, the fruit and the resulting red wine lacked concentration and depth. Rather than bottle a wine with these characteristics, we distilled half the wine into brandy, and blended it back into the Merlot that remained in the cellar. After nearly two years in barrel, we let the wine mingle with small quantities of fresh Merlot berries during the 2021 harvest, adding body, sweetness and depth to the final blend. It rested in barrel for seven more months before bottling. Because it can be served with sweet and savory foods, it is one of our favorite wines to pair.

Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Vinification: Hand harvested and sorted. Dodon–grown wine was distilled at McClintock Distillery and then used
to fortify estate-Merlot, and aged in French oak for 3 years.
ABV: 16.3%

As Dodon’s “friends and family” offering, Stocketts Run is characterized by a light, easily accessible style that is suitable for many occasions, everything from a summer picnic to family dinners!
Variety: 73% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc
Vinification: Hand harvested, sorted, and destemmed, cold soak followed by gentle maceration, and aged one year in French oak

South Slope is the Dodon Series red blend, harvested from southern-oriented parcels of vines. This medium-bodied wine is accessible in its youth, with moderate age-ability, and is well suited for the dining table.
Variety: 66% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vinification: Hand harvested, sorted and destemmed, fermentation in stainless steel tanks with pump overs, 30-day maceration, and aged for 21 months in French oak.

Dodon’s Chardonnay captures a balance of bright fruit and freshness that is grounded by weight and richness from barrel fermentation, resulting in a versatile and food-friendly wine.
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Vinification: Hand harvested, whole cluster pressed, and fermented in French barriques and puncheons for 11 months.

Dodon’s Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of 5 clones of the variety, each offering a unique aromatic characteristic. This variety is planted on the parcels of land that have the most marine sediment and after careful sorting is fermented in stainless steel to protect its aromatic qualities. This wine is a perfect match for salty Chesapeake Bay Oysters.
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vinification: Hand harvested, whole cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel and aged sur lie for 5 months.

The Dodon Series Rosé is made in the saignée method and is Merlot-led, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon as the second and third varieties in the blend. This rosé offers a heartier phenolic profile, allowing it to pair with a diverse set of Mid-Atlantic cuisine, year-round.
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vinification: Hand harvested, destemmed, sorted and crushed, Saignée method, fermented in stainless steel and aged sur lie for 5 months.