Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Chardonnay Alder Springs Vineyard emerges from a high-elevation, 2,600-foot-altitude vineyard in Mendocino. Patz & Hall were one of the first vignerons to exploit this sensational site, which is clearly one of the great vineyards of Mendocino. This wine sees slightly more new oak at 60% new French oak, and offers gorgeously pure citrus oil, poached pear, cinnamon, clove and hints of white peach and pineapple. There is a lot going on in the aromatics as well as the flavor profile of this full-bodied wine, which has dazzling fruit purity, texture and length. The acidity gives it focus and grip. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.