Newsletter March 2013

Spring Release 2013

Dear Friends,

I am excited to announce our 2013 Spring Release Offering. With three Chardonnays from acclaimed single vineyards, two of our most sought-after Pinot Noirs and the release of our debut Brut Sparkling and Late Harvest wines, this offering really does have something for everyone:

2011 Hudson Vineyard – Carneros Chardonnay
2011 Dutton Ranch – Russian River Valley Chardonnay
2011 Zio Tony Ranch – Russian River Valley Chardonnay (by allocation only)
2010 Pisoni Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir (by allocation only)
2011 Jenkins Ranch – Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2011 Late Harvest White Wine
2010 Brut Sparkling Wine

I often get questions about our winemaking approach here at Patz & Hall, especially as it relates to our vineyard-designate wines. Great vineyards require a light touch. Whether you want to call it terroir, vineyard character, or a sense of place, the essence of grand-cru-caliber vineyards is an elusive and delicate thing. It is hard to capture and easy to obscure through over manipulation. So we apply a very gentle hand, and we use techniques that preserve what we love about the vineyards we work with. For our Chardonnays, we use wild yeast for the texture and mouthfeel it adds, and the complexity it brings. And while we fine very lightly using native clay to stabilize our Chardonnays, we don’t filter our wines. We feel filtering comes at a cost. While filtering removes any potential hint of cloudiness (something you may occasionally see in great unfiltered Chardonnays), it quite literally clouds a wine’s vineyard essence by stripping away textures and flavors. It also removes those microscopic levels of yeast that are so important for long-term aging. These are the same reasons why we do not fine or filter our Pinot Noirs. This light touch can be seen in this lineup of releases, which features some of our most highly coveted wines:

2011 Hudson Vineyard – Carneros Chardonnay
I love this wine! There is so much going on in it that it may well be my favorite Hudson to date! As it evolves in the glass, the nose is constantly revealing something new, from layers of smoke, hazelnut and dried flowers to lush peach, pear and summer melon notes. On the palate, it is dense and coating, but there is also beautiful acidity underpinning flavors of lemon and grapefruit. I also love the finish, which reveals a hint of honeycomb, like a great white Burgundy in cooler years.

2011 Dutton Ranch – Russian River Valley Chardonnay
The extremely cool 2011 growing season produced a very small crop at Dutton, with small clusters and tiny berries. These low yields accentuated this wine’s concentration, as well as its beautiful density and round, mouthcoating texture. The aromas offer ripe peach, pear, toasted almond and marzipan layers, alongside intriguing cinnamon, carnation and spice notes somewhat reminiscent of a fine Gewürztraminer. On the palate, it is plush and lingering, with flavors or ripe pineapple and green apple.

2011 Zio Tony Ranch – Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Zio Tony Ranch was planted in 1990 by the Martinelli family. It’s a spectacular site that does a beautiful job of showing its RRV pedigree, spotlighting aromas of vibrant citrus, green apple and piecrust, as well as more nuanced hints of fennel and marzipan. On the palate, the cool vintage has yielded a wine that is both intricate and energetic, with penetrating acidity and focused minerality. At the same time, it has lovely balance and texture, with the acid underscoring a sweet, fresh, juicy quality.

2010 Pisoni Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Pisoni is unquestionably one of the Central Coast’s superstar vineyards. Year after year, it produces a Pinot Noir with almost otherworldly concentration, which is why we always give it an extra year in bottle. The 2010 vintage has all of the voluptuousness we love from Pisoni, but there is also a beautiful verve to it. The growing season produced a lower alcohol, higher acid expression of Pisoni that is fresh and vibrant, while still displaying all the power and depth that makes this wine famous.

2011 Jenkins Ranch – Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Planted by renowned vineyard manager Charlie Chenoweth in Goldridge series gravelly loam soils, and with a sheltered location one series of hills back from the Petaluma Gap, Jenkins is a near-perfect Pinot site. This wine has complex, layered aromas, with an engaging spicy floral quality and pronounced notes of rose petal and cocoa. On the palate, it is deep and full-textured. Though the tannins are rustic and youthful, the finish is sweet, jammy and long, with delicious earthy bass notes.

2011 Late Harvest - Dessert Wine
In 25 years, I have never seen conditions so perfect for producing a late harvest wine as those in 2011. We were so inspired, we went out searching for Carneros and Sonoma Coast vineyards to make this extraordinary blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay. The result is a late harvest that is penetrating and pure, with striking apricot and pineapple flavors, focused cool-vintage acidity and nuances of cinnamon, clove and spice from aging in 50% new oak. I love that we are small and family owned, so that we can make wines like this whenever we want. It’s shockingly good!

2010 Brut Sparkling Wine
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, it’s fitting that we are also officially unveiling our inaugural Patz & Hall Brut Sparkling Wine. Some of you may have already discovered this classic méthode champenoise sparkling wine through our special holiday pre-release. If so, you know it is a delightful expression of the vibrant charm of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—the two grapes that have inspired us for so long. I hope that it adds to your celebrations in the coming year, or better yet, gives cause for celebration!

As always, if you would like to place an order, please visit our online store.

Very best wishes,
James Hall