2008 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

The 2008 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch (2,257 cases) displays projected notes of tropical fruit, honeysuckle, white peach and brioche. Medium to full-bodied, with subtle wood, as well as loads of texture and elegant, authoritative flavors, this is a pretty, stylish Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years. One of the most reliable negociant firms in all of California is that of Patz and Hall, as the following tasting notes demonstrate. They are spot-on across the board with their generic as well as single-vineyard wines. There is no doubt they have been accessing some of the best single-vineyard sites in California for nearly as long as I have been writing about wine. Patz and Hall now produce eight separate Pinot Noirs, which would make them feel at home working in the Cote d-Or, where most vignerons have at least a half dozen different offerings. Tel. (877) 265-6700