Patianna Estate Vineyards is a fairly new project in the Fetzer family of wines. It's all organic and biodynamic; something I respect and appreciate even if I don't exactly go out of my way to support such ventures. I'm really more interested in just drinking good wine. If it's organic or biodynamic, then that's great. If not, that's fine, too.
While I really wanted to enjoy the 2008 Patianna Estate Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino, in the end I just couldn't. I drank this over three days hoping that some time on air would help tame the ferocious acidity and sulfur, but it never did come around to my liking. The color is a typically pale golden as you'd expect a 100% stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc to be. The nose offers some faint, New Zealand-like notes of gooseberry and herb, but there just isn't enough of it to hold my interest. The palate is a train wreck of dry, herbaceous flavors, shrill acidity and sulfuric component that is just off the charts. I know wines certified biodynamic can't have any added sulfites. I really wonder just how much naturally occurring sulfites the grapes pick up in the vineyard. Notes were consistent over three days of drinking the wine at temperatures ranging from right out of the refrigerator to room temp. I never could find a "sweet spot."
I'm really scratching my head wondering how this wine garnered such a fat rating from Wine Enthusiast. We were clearly drinking two different wines.....
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