Ex- of Patz & Hall winery. Now working on new projects- Secret Door Winery and Maritana Vineyards. Explorer of old and new wines from near and far. Pictures and...
Not rating my own wine but it’s what I think of - when I think of Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine seems like it’s on a long aging curve. Hirondelle Vineyard lies in the heart of Stags Leap and shows it. I recommend a generous decant for 30min if you’re going to drink before 2027. — 2 years ago
I love Alder Springs Vineyard. It’s a fabulous spot dedicated to top quality growing and a variety of grape types. The people are just the best. It’s possible that the synthetic “cork” put me off but this wine was wobbling badly. Very over-the-top prune-tobacco - distinct oxidation - I’m sure this was better 10 years ago. Very possibly a storage issue since I purchased this at auction. Bummer. — 3 years ago
Merlot done right. Very complex, dark aromas of coffee, exotic spices, pipe tobacco, dried herb and fruit notes. At this age it’s all about storage and this bottle was immaculate. — 2 years ago
Don’t let the points fool you. Barbera from California is in my opinion the best Italian variety red we do. This was fun. Bright and crisp and jumping with bing cherry laden juiciness. I would drink it again, except they stopped making it. — 3 years ago
Mountain fruit always brings the tannins to the front but this 2016 Robert Craig version has plenty of ripe fruit to back it up. One of the wines I suspect will outlive a lot of us sharing our favorites here. This would be stride for stride with the most expensive Napa Cabernet Sauvignon wines. It’s a real deal. #californiawinechallenge — 3 years ago
Sage Ridge Vineyard is in the eastern hills of the Napa Valley above Lake Hennessy. It’s an amazing site. The Secret Door version comes from Block 38 aka “Coyote Lookout” 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very intense without being over the top. It’s my wine - I’ll not inflate the score with my own rating. — 2 years ago
A monumental vintage in the Napa Valley that forever changed the interest and image of California wine. Burgess Cellars was producing some very compelling wines and this Vintage Selection is in its decline but still very good. Deep aromas of coffee, tobacco and aromatic wood along with floral and retained cherry/raspberry fruit notes. Drink now if you are lucky enough to have any. With all old wines storage is the key. — 3 years ago
These are fun wines to discover. Pilcrow. Not a family name! I love Napa Cabernet Sauvignon as you can tell - even though I probably drink a lot more Pinot Noir. Seek this out. All my favorite Napa Cabernet Sauvignon wines are both concentrated and balanced - nice work here! Ripe cherry/boysenberry cola flavors wound up with enough tannin to warrant a couple of decades in the deepest cold cellar. — 3 years ago
Donald Patz
Owner/Winemaker Patz & Hall
2001. Delirious crème brûlée and Tangerine, hazelnut, brioche, mango. Sweet but not syrupy really superb. — a year ago