Wine of the Week!

Patz & Hall 2005       
Dutton Ranch Chardonnay   $38

Well, it’s time for another wine of the week choice from The Wine Experience. 

Our pick this week comes from one of our favorite places… the Russian River area of Sonoma.   The wine is Patz & Hall 2005 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay. 

When you take a sip of this beauty be prepared for a taste of contrasts.   First there’s a classically California chard style with the roundness and creamy quality that makes Chardonnay so elegant but then the fruit breaks through.  The citrusy lemon zip it has gives the ideal balance to its fullness and the finish is even a little tart.  A great combination.   

This is Chardonnay that will love food.  Whether its fine dining with broiled lobster tail or a chilled chicken salad for lunch on the weekend it will fit right in.  And isn’t that the way Chardonnay should be… the perfect food companion?   

The Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch Chardonnay shows off the unique quality of Russian River wines and costs about thirty eight dollars.  

Our Wine of the Week.   

Pop the Cork™.  

Wine on the Radio – June 22, 2007 

Winemaker’s Notes and CommentsPatz & Hall 2005 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch $38 - Produced from some of the oldest plantings of Chardonnay in western Sonoma, this wine is a blend of California heritage clones - Robert Young, Rued, Hyde-Wente and UC Davis Clone 4. Mostly dry farmed, the vines struggle to produce small but intensely concentrated berries, making for great depth of flavor and texture.

The 2005 Dutton Ranch Russian River Chardonnay displays beautiful aromas of lemon curd and passion fruit with hints of buttered toast and honey, intermingled with a ribbon of caramel. Creamy and rich, with flavors of lemon meringue and pineapple, the finish shows great finesse with integrated acidity and a wet stone mineralityPatz & Hall is the creation of four dedicated individuals - Donald Patz, James Hall, Anne Moses and Heather Patz - with an important diversity of experience and skills. Together, they have created one of California's most lauded artisan wine brands.

Since founding Patz & Hall in early 1988, their goal has been to produce the finest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine in California. From the beginning, Patz & Hall has sought out distinctive vineyards and then worked closely with the vineyard owners to grow the very best grapes to make into their wines.

This search has led them to exceptional vineyard sites in the Napa Valley, Russian River Valley, Mendocino County, Sonoma Coast and the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County. Today, the Patz & Hall family of winegrowers continues to play an integral part in the success of this dynamic company.

Notes on our Wines of the Week, Recommendations, and Picks:

When you read our thoughts, please remember that you may think differently.  A particular wine may be your favorite and not on our list.  Well, don't stop buying it because of that.  In fact, you may want to email us and let us know about it. These are our opinions but our FIRST recommendation is to go by your own palate.

A couple of other thoughts...first, prices are approximate.  They'll vary.  Second, different vintages mean different grapes and different tastes so our recommendation for a 2000 Merlot may not hold for 2001.

And lastly, we remind you to drink responsibly!  Now, all that said, here is a summary of  links to our suggestions.  Find one (or more) and pop the cork!

Read the fine print . . .

Wine consumption can have positive physical benefits or cause possible physical harm . . . the medical community is divided in some areas.  If you have any doubt, check with your doctor before consuming wine or any other alcoholic drink. 

Our information is well researched.  Recommendations are based on our opinions at the time of publication.  At the same time, recommendations change.  Also, there may be significant variance in taste depending on storage, shipping, and other factors.

The Wine Experience is not liable or responsible for any consequences arising from the use of the information obtained from winexperience.com, wineexp.com or The Wine Experience radio show.

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