Chardonnay Dutton Ranch 2018

Patz & Hall Estate was founded in 1988 by two friends and wine enthusiasts, Donald Patz and James Hall , who shared a vision of producing quality California wines with a focus on the pure expression of terroir. From its beginnings, the estate has distinguished itself by its ability to bring together the finest grapes from California’s diverse wine regions, including Russian River Valley , Sonoma Coast , Napa Valley and Santa Barbara . The estate is also distinguished by its artisanal approach to winemaking, emphasizing traditional methods while adopting modern techniques to highlight the unique characteristics of each terroir. Production is often limited to ensure meticulous attention to every step of the winemaking process. Today, Patz & Hall embodies California winemaking excellence, producing complex, elegant and expressive wines that fully reveal the region’s potential.

The vines for this vintage grow in the Russian River Valley , a prestigious terroir located in Sonoma County, California. More specifically, they come from Dutton Ranch , a place known for its alluvial and sandy soils, perfect for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The region benefits from a cool climate influenced by the maritime breeze coming from the Pacific Ocean, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly, thus preserving their acidity and aromatic complexity. The grapes are harvested by hand . Sorting in the field is carried out immediately after harvest to eliminate any damaged or defective bunches, thus ensuring optimal quality of the grapes. After fermentation, the wine is aged for approximately 10 to 12 months in French oak barrels, of which approximately 30% are new. This reveals notes of toasted almonds , ripe guava, ginger , yellow peach , pear, bread dough and mirabelle plum. The palate is rich and textured but influenced by the cool Russian River terroir which provides the acidity needed to balance the wine. The finish is long and persistent.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.