From the Russian River, the 2011 Pinot Noir Burnside Vineyard, which is largely made from Dijon clone 115, is exotic Pinot Noir exhibiting notes of raspberry black currant, soy, damp earth and freshly sliced Porcini mushrooms. It is medium-bodied, luscious, and ideal for drinking over the next 3-4 years, as most of these 2011s are.
Patz and Hall has a long and enviable track record, making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from some of the very finest single vineyards in Northern California. They rarely miss a beat, and the wines are “sure bets” regardless of vintage conditions. The current group of 2011s and early-released 2012s once again prove the consistency of these wines, which cut a very attractive synthesis in style between the more austere Burgundian model and the riper, more fruit-laden California style. As one can see, these are consistently well-made wines from Patz and Hall that merit significant attention from all serious wine consumers. The Pinot Noirs from Patz and Hall tend to be cold-soaked prior to fermentation for 3-4 days, and depending on the vintage, the grapes are usually uncrushed whole clusters with normally around 10-20% stems utilized.
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