Patz & Hall "Dutton Ranch" Chardonnay 2023
(Russian River Valley, California) - [WE 94] [WA 93] [WS 92]

Winery Philosophy:
Over three decades, we’ve learned that the best wines come from knowing when to step in and when to step back. Our approach isn’t about following a formula; it’s about responding to what each site is trying to say, then translating that into wines with the clarity, texture, and age-worthiness that have become our signature.

We work with restraint because we’ve learned to trust our farming and our cellar work. The wines reveal themselves when they’re ready — never rushed, never forced.

Notes from the Winemaker:
The 2023 Dutton Ranch exemplifies the Russian River Valley’s potential for world-class Chardonnay. This vintage delivers particularly high intensity, floral aromatics of apricot, ginger snap, and sweet nectarine. The palate offers a hint of chalky minerality, pecan brittle, followed by a toasty top note enveloped in subtle oak spice. This ’23 Dutton is rich and full bodied yet finishes fresh and lively. A perfect Chardonnay on its own, or one with the broad shoulders to pair with cream sauces, cheeses, or spicy cuisine.

Vineyard Character:
Made with some of the oldest plantings of Chardonnay in western Sonoma County, this wine is predominantly a blend of California heritage clones and selections Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, Rued, UC Davis clone 4 and Spring Mountain. Mostly dry-farmed, the vines struggle to produce small but intensely concentrated berries, making for great depth of flavor and texture. Historically, Dutton Ranch yields fragrant, tropical aromatics, underscored by a crisp mineral character.

Winemaking:
100% Chardonnay fruit
Whole-cluster pressed
100% indigenous yeast
Sur lie aged with weekly stirring
100% malolactic fermentation in barrel
40% new Burgundian French oak barrels