California Wines & Wineries

Maritana Vineyards – Four Ace’s On the First Vintage!!

Posted on December 6, 2018

If you have not read the article on Secret Door Winery, take a quick peak and peruse https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2018/08/15/secret-door-winery/ which gives some background on Donald Patz and his history. Now after understanding his commitment to the wine business (35 years+) of making exceptional wines, his first release which only two are available today have already made a mark in the wine industry. Very few (in fact none that I can remember, coming out the gate) with 4 Ace’s all scoring in the middle 90’s!!! This is a testament to the selection of vineyards, clones and Donald’s sparing no expense with barrel selection and procurement.

Recently I had the opportunity to try these four spectacular wines. Let’s start with the two that are available today and the other two will be released in early 2019. The first wine that I tasted (actually drank!) was the 2017 Maritana Chardonnay Sonoma County Russian River La Riviere. While Donald had many years ago produced Chardonnay’s but has been an industry leader for his Pinot Noir’s. I was expecting a good solid wine, but what my palate tasted was “total astonishment”. This wine was of another spectrum of quality found only in wines twice this price. First on the eyes, the clarity and brightness was ethereal straw yellow. It was a refined and delicate Chardonnay with soft lemon custard and a Red Delicious apple, mildly sweet. As the wine settle in the back of mouth, a minerality of a babbling brook or creek came to mind. This wine reminded me of the higher end Kistler Chardonnay and Peter Michael Chardonnay, specifically La Carriere. I was so impressed I immediate sent Donald off a note of appreciation of this quality wine. About two weeks later, lo and behold, James Suckling, immediately gives this wine a score of 95 points. For an “inaugural release”, this wine is immediately in the Big Leagues of Chardonnay’s!

Donald’s second wine, the 2017 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir “Le Russe”. This wine come from Jayda Hill Vineyard, Goff Vineyard and Monte Cristo Vineyard’s all using similar and different clones to create an extraordinary wine. It was absolutely delicious and shows Donald’s long and close familiarity with this varietal. The bouquet was immediately floral with strawberries and cherry cola. The color was pure Pinot Noir with a distinguished dark hue. In the glass this was medium body and in the mouth, a full express of redwood fern forest abounded with the fruit. James Suckling gave it a 92 score and it will surely change over the course of five plus years. Donald believes it will continue to evolve up to ten years. The Pinot Noir pedigree is etching in Donald’s heart!

More on the other two later, suffice it to say, they are vineyard designated Chardonnay’s. One is the “Dutton Ranch Hansen Hill Vineyard” and the other “Dutton Ranch Shop Block 1967”. Again, both will be released in early 2019 and have already received scores of 93 and 94 respectively. They are both fine and amazing Chardonnay’s—–keep a watch out for them!

So for a “new adventure” with a “seasoned professional” winemaker, getting 4 Ace’s on the first score is amazing and yet, the quality is nothing less than expected from Donald. Enjoy the first two now.

Slainte,

https://californiawinesandwineries.com
http://www.maritanavineyards.com