95 Points - Wine Enthusiast
92 Points - James Suckling
91+ Points - Wine Advocate
The winery continues to receive accolades and awards for producing exceptional world-class wines. In Wine Spectator Magazine’s year-end ranking of wines, Whitehall Lane has been honored three times for producing wines rated among the top five in the world.
Voted Winery of the Year from Quarterly Review of Wine & Spirits Magazine. Napa Valley Life Magazine has also rated their tasting room as Best Tasting Room in Napa Valley.
WINEMAKING
The 2020 Mancino Lanciatore is a stunning wine of power and concentration. Its name translated from Italian means “left-handed thrower” and is an ode to the proprietor, Thomas Leonardini, Sr. and several other left-handed Leonardinis. Upon hand-harvesting in the early morning hours, our grapes were carefully destemmed and sent to tank for a whole-berry fermentation. The grapes were cold-soaked in tank at 45˚F for 4-7 days, allowing for increased color, aroma, and flavor extraction. After inoculation, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 82˚F, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins. For fermentation cap management, the juice was pumped over the skins two times per day, wetting the cap evenly for a nice healthy fermentation. After fermentation and pressing, the wine was sent to 55% new French oak, 45% neutral oak barrels, aging for 26 months. The final blend for the 2020 Mancino Lanciatore is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. At bottling, this wine was unfined and unfiltered.
VINTAGE
The 2020 vintage was a long and warm growing season, seasoned by a drought, which can often lead to a fantastic vintage. Bud break began in late March, leading to a Spring that had few showers and was relatively dry. Summer was steady, with heat spikes that pushed the vintage closer and closer. As we headed into Autumn, harvest was upon us quickly and we moved swiftly to bring in all our grapes to process and finish the season and bring in our Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit is from our Estate vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena appellations. This 2020 wine was made from hand-selected grapes from our Cabernet Sauvignon small blocks of clone 15, clone 30 and clone 337.
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
Vintage: 2020
Appellation: 100% Napa Valley
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
92 Points
Inviting aromas of ripe cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate. The palate unfolds with layered flavors of black cherry, raspberry cordial, vanilla bean and spice, where focused tannins envelop, leading to a rich red fruit finish with blue fruit undertones.
Chewy & Ripe!
Dark purplish-black with aromas of ripe black plums, bacon, blackberry jam, and black tea. Dense, chewy and ripe across the palate with a nice mid-palate texture and weight. Rich, structured, and complex, with a long evolving finish.
95 Points
Lofty aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, and plum mingle with hints of baking spices and a touch of violet. The palate reveals luscious flavors of ripe berries, complemented by notes of black pepper and a subtle earthiness. With well-integrated tannins and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep red-purple with aromas of black currents, blackberry, plum, chocolate, earthy forest floor, licorice, graphite, and subtle floral notes of violet, spice and cracked pepper. The palate is full, structured and balanced with blackberry, currant, black cherry fruit with notes of earth, firm acid and silky tannins. Finishes big with blackberry fruit and peppery spice.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
94 Points
A classic expression of coastal influenced Chardonnay with aromas of honey, apple chutney, lime blossom, and gentle Indian spice box undertones. A big juicy entry on the palate, showing a silky texture with excellent tension and structure, ending with a complex, layered finish.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
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