Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2006

This is a graceful and sophisticated Chardonnay that's perfect for pairing with an array of foods. The aromas sing, with the old-vine heirloom clone fruit offering up enticing notes of crisp green apple, kiwi, peach, and pineapple.

This forward, estery fruit continues on the palate, where it is supported by mouth-cleansing acidity and appealing mineral notes. To underscore its purity and elegant structure, the wine was crafted using 40 percent new oak.

This vineyard yields fragrant, tropical aromatics underscored by a crisp mineral character. Look for fresh tastes of Gravenstein apple and exotic fruit flavors of passion fruit and guava. Produced from some of the oldest plantings of Chardonnay in western Sonoma County, this wine is predominantly a blend of California heritage clones and selections: Robert Young, Rued, Hyde-Wente, 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.