Bruce Patch cut his teeth in the music industry — having once met the Beatles and helped to discover the famous 80’s band, The Cars. Bruce moved to the Russian River Valley in the late 1990’s, and transitioned his sales and marketing background into a successful distribution business representing small independent wineries in Sonoma County. Bruce Patch Wines sources grapes from throughout Sonoma County, including many notable vineyards like Coffaro, Harris-Kratka and Carreras.
The winery recently sent me their new releases to sample.
2015 Harris Kratka Vineyard Zinfandel – Purple in color. 15% ABV. 85% Zinfandel, 10% Carignane and 5% Petite Sirah. Riveting nose of black fruits, lavender, licorice and white pepper. Full bodied with ample acidity. Rich and lush. Blackberries, raspberry compote, pepper and a hint of earth on the palate. The finish is long and spicy. Delicious Zinfandel. Best over the next 2-4 years. Attractively priced at $35 from the winery. My rating: 93 points.
2016 Equanimity Bordeaux Blend – Purple in color. 14.9% ABV. Predominantly Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Sourced from David Coffaro Vineyard. Pretty nose of red fruits, earth and bay leafs. Medium body with perfect acidity. Rather big and concentrated. Cassis, currants, plums and minerals on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Really well made Bordeaux blend from the Dry Creek Valley. Best over the next 6-8 years. $48 at the winery. My rating: 92 points.
As an aside it is cool to see Bruce working with David Coffaro. I started buying the Coffaro Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 90’s but it had long since fallen off my radar.
Bruce Patch is honing his craft, making wines from tremendous vineyards and selling them at fair prices. These are some of the best wines I have tried from the winery. Worth your attention!