Winemaker Notes
Patent Wines was formed to create exceptional wines of distinction & excellence from site specific vineyards within an AVA. From lengthy experience and know-how, paired with Bordeaux best practices honed over 45 harvests, they hand produce authentic wines. Patent Wines is the brainchild of two California wine industry veterans, Tom Rinaldi and Eric Risch. Rinaldi was the founding winemaker at Duckhorn, a role he filled from 1978 to 2000 during which he brought the merlot grape and the Duckhorn name to worldwide attention. He went on to establish and nurture such wineries as Pellet Estate, Provenance and Hewitt. Risch is an entrepreneur and marketing genius who turned to winery development and managing with Pellet Estate. Both Tom and Eric were initially going to keep a few of their best quality barrels for personal consumption and to share with friends and family. However, in 2020, both men had plenty of downtime and decided to partner and create very limited production wines focused either on specific vineyard sites or AVA’s. This lead to the creation of Patent wines. Their initial releases have all received high praise.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.