WINE REVIEW: Sonoma winery founded on friendship,
The highly respected Patz & Hall winery in Sonoma is commemorating its 31st anniversary, marking a milestone started when friends became business partners.
In 1988, husband-and-wife team James Hall and Anne Moses collaborated with their friends and business partners, Donald and Heather Patz. They developed an iconic brand and niche crafting of expressive, finesse-driven, single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from specific vineyard sites. This concept was decades ahead of its time. Today there is an intuitive sense in the market that thirsts for wines representing the distinct elements of the site where it is grown.
Hall became fixated on wine at an early age, during his family’s travels through Europe. His innate passion for winemaking drove him to study enology at the University of California-Davis.
In 1983, while working as assistant winemaker at Flora Springs in Napa Valley, he met sales and marketing manager Donald Patz. They each shared a unique skill set and a similar philosophical approach to winemaking.
While at Flora Springs, Hall would finetune the crafting of unique small lots of Chardonnay. By 1988, Hall and Moses formed a partnership with the Patzes, releasing the first Patz & Hall Chardonnay from Mount Veeder. In 1996, they released a Hyde vineyard designated Pinot Noir.
Patz and Hall launched their business with $10,000 and at the start had no employees, vineyards or a designated winery. Rather than owning vineyards, Hall built relationships with esteemed growers, securing high-quality fruit from their vineyards. These quintessential growers include Larry Hyde; Gary Pisoni; Lee Martinelli; Gail, Steve and Joe Dutton; Charlie and Bud Chenoweth; and Lee Hudson.
Hall believes in a “constant renewal of new sites, adding one new single vineyard each year.” He first blends them into the valuedriven Sonoma Coast bottling. After two years, they may make it into their own single vineyard if there is a “specific quality return to the site.”
Hall dedicates his artistic energies crafting prized raw materials into great wines. He is inspired by Burgundy winemaking techniques and has a healthy obsession for quality oak barrels.
He sources French oak from three different coopers and requires the barrels to have three years of seasoning or air-drying. This increases aromatic compounds in the finished wine while reducing astringent elements. In many ways, he models his approach to winemaking after those in Burgundy, France.
To enhance the overall tasting experience for consumers, Patz & Hall opened the sleekly designed Sonoma House in Carneros in 2014. Washington-based Ste. Michelle Wine Estates acquired Patz & Hall in 2016 and is intent on keeping the continuity in style and the partners intact.
2016 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
This cool-climate Chardonnay is broad on the palate with sweet oak and precision. The lemongrass and meringue textures reveal a hint of minerality and stoniness on the back, along with some fresh acidity.
2015 Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch Chardonnay:
This Chardonnay is sourced from some of the oldest plantings of Chardonnay in Sonoma County. The viscous golden color leads to floral notes of sweet Fuji apple and lemon-orange citrus fruits layered with accents of caramel toffee.
2016 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
This is a mélange of single-vineyard fruits. It is an entry-level Pinot Noir that overdelivers in aromatics and broad appeal. Inside the dark robust dark ruby color is a New World-styled wine. This Pinot Noir is heavenly, with concentrated bright red cassis framed with a range of complex textures.
2015 Patz & Hall Chenoweth Ranch Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir is sourced from Goldridge soils in the Russian River Valley. It is expansive on the palate with an abundance of dried red cherries and crushed raspberries, intermingled with hints of cinnamon and baking spices. It is a Burgundy lover’s dream.
2015 Patz & Hall Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir
This vineyard is located in the foothills of Sonoma Mountain, at elevations ranging from 300 feet to 800 feet. This youthful wine has enormous potential, showcasing high-toned black fruits sprinkled with mocha, back pepper and Asian spices.