93 Points - James Suckling
92 Points - Wine Spectator
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
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.
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.
WINEMAKING
Harvested in the early morning hours, this Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot were carefully destemmed and sent to tank for a whole-berry fermentation. The grapes were cold-soaked in tank at 45 degrees for 4-7 days, allowing for increased color, aroma, and flavor extraction. After inoculation, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 82 degrees, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins. For fermentation cap management, we pumped juice 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 65% new French oak, 35% neutral French oak barrels, aging for 26 months. The final blend for the Leonardini Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
VINTAGE
The 2017 year began with abundant rainfall, followed by a mild Spring resulting in extended flowering with little shatter. The summer warmed up nicely, allowing the fruit to mature at an even rate and make optimum conditions for flavor development. A Labor Day weekend heat event kicked harvest into high gear, then cool weather allowed sugar levels to return to normal. The grapes were harvested in mid-September and the first week in October. The Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine was harvested from our Leonardini, Millennium MM, and Fawn Park estate vineyards.
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
Vintage: 2017
Appellation: 100% Napa Valley
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%
All Wines
90 Points
Ruby-plum core with a light purple rim in the glass. The palate opens with cranberry, cherry fruit and wood spice dominate. Cherry and plum notes pump through with a medium-bodied texture. Smooth tannins and soft finish showcase its layered complexity.
92 Points
Aromas of red raspberry, jammed dark fruit, cinnamon spice and clove. Hints of sliced ripe plum, black tea and lavender oil adds to its complexity. Flavors of blueberry, elderberry, and cranberry are enhanced with oak spice and baking notes from the barrels. These flavors marry with soft tannins for a long and mouthwatering finish.
92 Points
Juicy blackberries and black cherries accented by mint and chocolate. Full-bodied, deeply colored, with a hint of white pepper, dried herbs and toasted bread. Delivers a substantial mid-palate of dark fruits, black tea, baked cherry, fruit preserves and licorice. Sophisticated and sumptuous. A great example of the varietal, brooding with depth and complexity. Notes of toast and oak, with integrated tannins and textural polish on the finish.
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