Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This lush, voluptuous and tenderly textured wine is still grippy in its youth. Dark cherry, cranberry and pomegranate round out the layers of juicy fruit, buoyed by rocky minerality, measured oak and firm tannins. Medium bodied, it can be enjoyed with or without a meal.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
The two very fine versions of Patz & Hall Pinot head in slightly different directions, and picking a favorite is a difficult task. This one from the Russian River Valley teams the juicy, keenly cherry-like fruit for which the appellation is known with a judicious measure of supportive oak and, even though marked by ready ripeness throughout, it is never less than bright and buoyant and its focus on deep and very pure Pinot fruit is as constant as constant can be.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A top wine from an excellent vintage, the 2013 Patz & Hall Chenoweth Pinot Noir plays rich and pure on the palate; so well balance, this is one that deserves the chef's finest lamb entrée. Medium to dark ruby, garnet color; pure red fruit aroma, wild strawberries, a hit of savory spices, excellent energy and drive; medium bodied, zippy and fresh on the palate, plenty of underlying sweet tannins; dry, excellent acidity, well balanced; bright red fruit flavors, with some contributions from the earth and leaves; long finish and fantastically bright in the aftertaste. Just beginning to drink now. (Tasted: November 20, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.