United States · California

Patz & Hall

Patz & Hall was founded in 1988 by Donald Patz, James Hall, Anne Moses, and Heather Patz as a negociant operation sourcing premium California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from named single vineyards across Sonoma, Mendocino, and other cool-climate appellations. The founders — drawn from the wholesale and retail trade — leveraged their deep vineyard relationships to access fruit from sites including Jenkins Ranch, Burnside, Alder Springs, and Durell, all before any of those became commercially famous. Patz & Hall was acquired by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2016, a transition that maintained existing winemaking and vineyard contracts while providing distribution resources. At auction, the producer averages $63 per bottle across 166 lots — positioned as affordable single-vineyard California Pinot Noir for current drinking. The portfolio's variety of vineyard sources reflects the negociant philosophy: Alder Springs in Mendocino, Jenkins Ranch in Sonoma Coast, Burnside and Durell in Sonoma Valley. Pinot Noir drives the most auction volume; Chardonnay is a smaller but consistent part of the program. Pre-acquisition Patz & Hall bottles (pre-2016) occasionally trade above release price at auction, driven by collectors who prefer the founding partnership's approach. The wines typically earn 90–94 points from Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate, placing them in the quality tier above generic California Pinot but below trophy-level producers like Hirsch or Kistler.