{"id":2713,"date":"2026-04-15T23:56:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=2713"},"modified":"2026-04-15T23:56:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:56:38","slug":"winemaker-interview-series-james-mcceney-of-patz-hall-feb-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=2713","title":{"rendered":"Winemaker Interview Series &#8211; James McCeney of Patz &#038; Hall &#8211; Feb 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/James-McCeney-Patz-Hall-Winemaker.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2714\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/James-McCeney-Patz-Hall-Winemaker.gif\" alt=\"James McCeney - Patz &amp; Hall Winemaker\" width=\"300\" height=\"308\" \/><\/a>On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, we interviewed <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patzhall.com\/story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James McCeney<\/a><\/strong>. James is the winemaker at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patzhall.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall Winery<\/strong><\/a>. We covered eight wines during our visit. We started with four 2022 single vineyards Chardonnay wines. Then we tried four 2022 single vineyard Pinot Noirs. It was a terrific portfolio tasting. In this post, you can learn what we learned about James, the Patz &amp; Hall Winery and read our reviews of all of these impressive wines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Before we get to the wines, I thought I would share some tidbits that James McCeney shared in the interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tell us a little bit about the Patz &amp; Hall history?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James Hall joined Flora Springs Winery in 1983 as an assistant winemaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He spent four years there developing his expertise crafting barrel-fermented, small-lot Chardonnays.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James developed a close friendship with sales manager, Donald Patz.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1988, while working as the winemaker and estate manager for Honig Winery, James teamed up with Donald and Heather Patz, and Anne Moses to make and release Patz &amp; Hall\u2019s inaugural Napa Valley Chardonnay.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1990, they submitted their \u201cHyde\u201d Chardonnay to Robert Parker\u2019s Wine Advocate. It drew such acclaim that their New York distributor bought it all.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the early years they needed to sell the wine to make the next year\u2019s vintage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Donald was still in sales at Girard Winery at the time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James Hall was the Patz &amp; Hall winemaker for three decades.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He built lasting relationships with such renowned growers such as Larry Hyde, Charlie Chenoweth, Gary Pisoni and Joe and Steve Dutton to create his acclaimed portfolio of single-vineyard wines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1997 they started working with Dutton Ranch<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Adam Lee called James and introduced him to Gray Pisoni for some of his Pinot.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James Hall was working for Acacia 2010. In 2012-2013 he brought James McCeney on as an assistant winemaker. That link continues below.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The wines were made via custom crush until 2007.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then Patz &amp; Hall built a 1,000-ton winery designed by James Hall.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was built to suit for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">All open top, just like in Burgundy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2016 they were approached by Chateau St. Michelle (CSM) to sell.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was a very good deal, so they sold the winery.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James Hall stayed on as winemaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">CSM did not change much.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Eventually Sycamore who owned (CSM) started selling off assets. They eventually sold Patz and Hall back to James Hall in March of 2024.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now they have the same great wine, controlled by them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tell us about you, James McCeney? How you got into wine and eventually made it to Patz &amp; Hall.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From ages 13-22 James worked at a winery in Maryland each summer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James played lacrosse at Boston College. He worked at Martignetti Liquors on Soldiers Field Road. This job cemented his love for wine!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2003 he moved to California. Working wine on the east coast was too hard.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He got into Davis in 2008.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He did a world tour of 10 vintages over the course of 5 years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2017 he worked for Dan Goldfield at Dutton Goldfield.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2018 he worked for Donum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">From 2019 thru 2022 he was the winemaker at Lewis Cellars.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James started at Patz &amp; Hall in April of 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tom Klassen and James McCeney finished the 2022\u2019s that we covered. Before James took over.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tell us about the vintages 2022-2025?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2022 \u2013 All the grapes were harvested before the heat spike. It was a great vintage. It was good to make wine from early ripening grapes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2023 \u2013 Harvest was 3-4 weeks late. You were in control. Chard allowed for optimal picks times to control alcohol. A lot of whole cluster Pinot. Long hangtimes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2024 \u2013 Is a warmer vintage. Both Pinot and Chards are luxurious.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2025 \u2013 Bright fruit!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any tidbits on the Single Vineyards?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hyde Chardonnay<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They get 3 different parcels which are blended.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They are in between Ramey and HdV.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bootlegger\u2019s Hill<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">James introduced Charlie Chenoweth to Larry Hyde. This vineyard has budwood from Hyde.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Soberanes Vineyard is 3 hours from the winery.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They rely on Mark Pisoni for a lot of the vineyard management and updates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is a lot of wind. Skins are thick.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Chenoweth Ranch<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Less water. Less Ripeness. Surrounded by redwoods.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Gap&#8217;s Crown \u2013 James thinks he has the best parcel.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They are next to Kistler.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Fairly high up.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Entirely 667 clone.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What is new?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They will have an \u201cEstate\u201d Pinot and Chard in 2023.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was planted in 2019.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They lease and control the whole vineyard.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Pinot will be both Calera and 115.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lastly, here is the link to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetastewithdougshafer.com\/podcasts\/james-hall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>The Taste<\/u><\/strong><\/a> podcast interview with Doug Shafer and James Hall that inspired me to reach out and set up this interview.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Below is a summary of the wine offerings from Patz &amp; Hall that we covered with James. The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find some of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. You can also purchase these wines on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patzhall.com\/collection\/wines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Patz-and-Hall-Logo.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2715\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Patz-and-Hall-Logo.gif\" alt=\"Patz and Hall Logo\" width=\"290\" height=\"155\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Hyde-Vineyard-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Chardonnay &#8220;Hyde Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Carneros) $65 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 92<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Durell-Vineyard-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Chardonnay &#8220;Durell Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Sonoma Valley) $55 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Bootleggers-Hill-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Chardonnay &#8220;Bootlegger&#8217;s Hill&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (RRV) $70 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Soberanes-Vineyard-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Chardonnay &#8220;Soberanes Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Santa Lucia Highlands) $70 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 94.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Jenkins-Ranch-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Pinot Noir &#8220;Jenkins Ranch&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Sonoma Coast) $65 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Chenoweth-Ranch-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Pinot Noir &#8220;Chenoweth Ranch&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (RRV) $70 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Bootleggers-Hill-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Pinot Noir &#8220;Bootlegger&#8217;s Hill&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (RRV) $70 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Gaps-Crown-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Pinot Noir &#8220;Gap&#8217;s Crown&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Sonoma Coast) $70 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 94.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Additional Patz &amp; Hall Wines Covered In Other Tastings<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"9\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-and-Hall-2023-Dutton-Ranch-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2023 Chardonnay &#8220;Dutton Ranch&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (RRV) $45 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 92.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2023-Sonoma-Coast-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2023 Chardonnay &#8220;Sonoma Coast&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> $35 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Ken 92.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-Hall-2022-Sonoma-Coast-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2022 Pinot Noir &#8221; Sonoma Coast&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (RRV) $45 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Ken 90.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Patz-and-Hall-2017-Brut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Patz &amp; Hall 2017 &#8220;Brut Sparkling Wine&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (North Coast) (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 91<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can find reviews of past and future Patz &amp; Hall wines that we cover on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine.php?winery=337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Patz &amp; Hall KWG winery page<\/u><\/strong><\/a> on our website. We hope you enjoy these terrific wines as much as we did. Cheers! &#8211; Ken<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, we interviewed James McCeney. James is the winemaker at Patz &amp; Hall Winery. We covered eight wines during our visit. We started with four 2022 single vineyards Chardonnay wines. Then we tried four 2022 single vineyard Pinot Noirs. It was a terrific portfolio tasting. In this post, you can learn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1883,3083,1245,86,1476,92,1544,13,3394,3399,2423,159,1457,871,2485,2049,3398,88,3353,3397,3395,11,123,3396,12,253,102,1893,1890,1120,2070,37,107,1256,126,8,6,1292,1288],"tags":[3392,3098,3383,1865,3372,3390,674,2497,1479,1697,1551,491,3066,3384,3391,3385,2297,3374,3388,1468,628,2336,3371,1448,3024,3379,3389,3375,3376,1763,3380,3369,3393,3382,3381,1351,3387,507,1226,686,3370,492,569,3377,1469,373,3373,1875,1124,268,521,2400,3386,1481,3378],"class_list":["post-2713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-lee","category-bootleggers-hill-vineyard","category-brut","category-burgundy","category-calera","category-california","category-carneros","category-chardonnay","category-charlie-chenoweth","category-chenoweth-ranch","category-dan-goldfield","category-donum","category-durell-vineyard","category-dutton-goldfield","category-dutton-ranch","category-gaps-crown","category-gary-pisoni","category-high-end-wines","category-hyde-vineyard","category-james-hall","category-james-mcceney","category-kens-wine-guide-tasting-panel","category-napa-valley","category-patz-hall","category-pinot-noir","category-ramey","category-russian-river-valley","category-santa-lucia-highlands","category-soberanes-vineyard","category-sonoma-coast","category-sonoma-valley","category-sparkling-wine","category-vineyards","category-virtual-wine-tasting","category-wine-ratings","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews","category-winemaker","category-zoom-wine-tasting","tag-3392","tag-667-clone","tag-acacia","tag-adam-lee","tag-barrel-fermented","tag-bootleggers-hill","tag-brut","tag-burgundy","tag-calera","tag-california","tag-carneros","tag-chardonnay","tag-charlie-chenoweth","tag-chateau-st-michelle","tag-chenoweth-ranch","tag-csm","tag-dan-goldfield","tag-donald-patz","tag-donum","tag-durell-vineyard","tag-dutton-goldfield","tag-dutton-ranch","tag-flora-springs-winery","tag-gaps-crown","tag-gary-pisoni","tag-girard-winery","tag-hdv","tag-honig-winery","tag-hyde","tag-hyde-vineyard","tag-james-hall","tag-james-mcceney","tag-jenkins-ranch","tag-joe-dutton","tag-larry-hyde","tag-lewis-cellars","tag-martignetti-liquors","tag-napa-valley","tag-north-coast","tag-patz-hall","tag-patz-hall-winery","tag-pinot-noir","tag-ramey","tag-robert-parker","tag-russian-river-valley","tag-santa-lucia-highlands","tag-small-lot-chardonnay","tag-soberanes-vineyard","tag-sonoma-coast","tag-sonoma-valley","tag-sparkling-wine","tag-steve-dutton","tag-sycamore","tag-uc-davis","tag-wine-advocate"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2713"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2719,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions\/2719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}