2008 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Freestone Hill

From a new site for Pinot enthusiasts, the 2008 Pinot Noir Freestone Hill Vineyard (a limited cuvee of only 118 cases) has a slightly darker ruby color than some of its siblings and an attractive raspberry and black cherry-scented nose, with some new oak in the background. The wine's aromatics are top-notch, the attack impressive, but then there is a certain clipped narrowness. Drink it over the next 4-5 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