07 Patassy - Greatest Pinot Noir Value!
July 19, 2010
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FINALLY!
Old man Patassy
releases his 07 Pinot
Noir!
Frank and son Stephan
Patassy
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Dear Wine Friend,
The old
native Hungarian nurseryman Frank Patassy won't brag
about it, but he is responsible for much of
the rootstock and clonal selections of Pinot
Noir growing in Sonoma county. An agronomist
since 1958, he began planting his vineyard near
Sebastopol in the mid 1980s. Then he wised up,
"retired", and decided to make a Pinot Noir from
his ten acre "demo" vineyard situated in the foggy southern corner of Green
Valley, (< click here for computerized
cycle of the fog pattern during ripening) the
coolest AVA in Sonoma and situated within the
Russian River Valley growing
region. Noted neighbors included Hartford
Court's Arrendell Vineyard, Dutton Vineyards, and
Marimar Estates' Don Miguel Vineyard. Stephan
Patassy, a graduate of Agriculture Science and
Management at UC Davis, has worked along side his
father since the early 1990s.
Green Valley
AVA's lies within the southern boundary of the Russian
River AVA near Sebastopol.
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This is no joke! I can not remember
any wine receiving more inquiries regarding availablity
than the 2007 Patassy Pinot
Noir. Patassy produces only one
wine, and it is typically released just
after the new year. Value seeking loyalists
have been waiting patiently, but with eager
anticipation, as this new vintage is 6 months
"late". But Patassy is old world and
traditional just like his wine. He has his
own timetable, knows when the wine is "ready", and
will not be rushed. Patassy does not care
if the 2007 vintage for Pinot Noir in Sonoma
is considered the best ever, and received a 98
point rating by the Wine Spectator.
Frank and Stephan paid me a visit last
Friday, and left me a bottle of their pride
and joy 2007 Pinot Noir. Have no fear!
The 07 Patassy is another beauty!
Full of pretty bright red cherries and ripe
raspberries throughtout, with hints of rose petals
and cinammon-like spice on the aromas. Perfectly
balanced with round symmetry, and a senuous
mid palate. Fresh, transluscent and
complex. Ready to provide continued enjoyment
and marvel for the next five plus years!
Cool FOG slows
ripening. Green Valley is the foggiest. "Early"
ripening Pinot Noir was not harvested until late
October for the 2007 Patassy!
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The sensitive and tempermental Pinot
Noir varietal is always planted in cool regions to
protect against "sunburn", and (over)
ripening too quickly which can
destroy delicate flavors and natural acid
balance in the grape. Pinot Noir is early
ripening, but even in the best vintages, it struggles to
ripen in September to early October. Hang time
equals intensity and flavor development. So does
low yield. The 2007 Patassy finally reached
optimum ripeness in late October, when just 20 tons were
harvested from the 10 acre dry farmed vineyard (or
the equivalent to a meager two tons per
acre).
Just as the Patassy's practice very "hands on"
sustainable viticulture customs (tight, competitive
spacing of the vines, and erect long vertical
positioning of canes), their winemaking approach is
"hands off" non-intervention. After cold soaking
(dry ice) the just picked, destemmed fruit for
about 3 days, the grapes are vinified in small
open top fermentors and punched down by hand three times
a day. Once fermentation is completed, the wine is
then gently racked to age for 18 months in
French and Hungarian oak barrels (20 percent new).
These are well proven, traditional Burgundian wine
making methods for Pinot
Noir.
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The pricing for Patassy
Pinot Noir has always represented exceptional
value! When I first sold the yet to be
discovered 2002
Patassy Pinot Noir, over
1300 bottles were sold in a ten day period
at $12.50 a bottle....the wine was sup-posed to be
priced at $19.50 a bottle. Things are different
now, as the last vintage reached the $25+ price
tag. However, with the 2007 vintage, Frank
Patassy has decided to market his wine directly to me
without the aide of a broker or distributor....so a
layer of cost has been removed.....and The Wine
Consultant is passing along the savings to you with the
following prices!!
1-5 bottles
- $20.95
6-11 bottles -
$19.50
12 bottles - $18.50
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The 07 Patassy will not
arrive in store until July 30th, nor be available to
taste until Saturday July 31st. BUT, you will want
to reserve your's NOW!!
WHY?
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THE WINE CONSULTANT'S STORE WILL BE
CLOSED FOR A BRIEF VACATION FROM FRIDAY, JULY
23RD THRU WEDNESDAY, JULY 28TH.
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Eric Stumpf
Renee
Kroeger
8039 Greenback Lane, Citrus
Heights, CA 95610
(916)
721-WINE (9463)
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The Wine Consultant | 8039
Greenback Lane | Citrus Heights | CA |
95610 |
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