91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Juicy, yet sophisticated stuff, with Calera, Swan, 115 and 667.
14 months in French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. BOOM!
This 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.
Recently 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.
VINEYARD
The Petaluma Gap AVA is one of the newest grape growing regions in California. The region is known for its naturally formed 15-mile-wide "gap" in the coastal range mountains that pulls cool coastal air in when the inland valley air heats up. The wind comes in from the ocean off Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay, bottlenecks as it goes through the gap, building up speed, and empties into the San Francisco Bay. It consistently produces powerful, concentrated Pinot in the New World-style. The Petaluma Gap moderates warm spells in the summer and fall, and enables the fruit to hang into late September and October for optimal ripening and balance.
WINEMAKING
The Pinot Noir harvested from the Sonoma Stage Vineyard are Calera, Swan, 115, and 667 clones. Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, 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 with a select yeast, 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. This small lot was aged in French oak barrels (35% new) for 14 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
VINTAGE
The 2020 vintage in the Petaluma Gap AVA was considered a warmer season than usual for a cool grape growing appellation. Bud break began in early March, leading to a Spring that had few showers and was relatively dry. Summer was also quite warm and long, leading into a steady Autumn harvest season. This consistent weather encouraged Pinot Noir grapes to ripen into early October.
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
Vintage: 2020
Appellation: Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Valley
Vineyard: Sonoma Stage Vineyard
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir (Calera, Swan, 115 and 667 clones)
Aging: 35% new French oak, 14 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered
Alcohol: 14%
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.
94 Points
Deep garnet in color from the ripe 2018 vintage, with open aromas of lush fruit – plum, blackberry, and cherry, and notes of cedar, vanilla, and white pepper. Across the palate it's quite seamless and silky, rich and concentrated. The fruit flavors are bold and vibrant. Mouth-filling with smooth tannins, great texture and a long delicious 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.
93 Points
Dark fruit with blueberry fruit aromas and notes of mocha and cassis. The texture is silky, rich and mouth-filling with berry pie, black tea, exotic spice and notes of chocolate fudge on the palate. Fine grain tannins lengthen the finish with dark fruit flavors mingling with just a hint of mint.
92 Points
Deep garnet core with aromas of crème de cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate and licorice mingle and swirl on the nose. The palate is equally gorgeous with extremely rich cookie, walnut, plum and cassis with a long smooth creamy vanilla finish. This one is aged to perfection and ready to show off.
90 Points
Deep garnet in color, with enticing aromas of brandied cherry, lavender, and forest floor. The palate is juicy and engaging with blueberries coursing through with depth and keeps you running back for more. Pure and balanced with perfect levels of acidity with notes of salted caramel, and cocoa. It's ripe silky tannins lead to a long supple finish that just keeps on giving.
97 Points
Aromas of blackberries, graphite, and crushed rock, along with cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and a medley of dry herbs and spice. A substantial mouthfeel, full-bodied structure, firm tannins gracefully interweave, establishing a flawless equilibrium of acidity and pleasing fruit. Well-balanced acidity collaborate harmoniously to accentuate the intricate flavors of berry compote, spices, and oak nuances reminiscent of mocha.
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 exotic cassis, black cherry, cola and plum flavors knitted together in a creamy, velvety texture with nice layering, finishing with delightful notes of spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
92 Points
Rich, bold & spicy. Deep garnet colored in the glass. The nose gives loads of blackberry, plum, fresh raspberry and peppery aromas, while the palate delivers juicy berry compote, cassis, caramel and black pepper flavors before a rich, tannic finish. Four to five years in the cellar will round this out nicely.
100+ Year Old Vines!
Deep crimson in color with aromas of black raspberry, cassis, strawberry compote, and licorice. The palate is full of black raspberry and pomegranate fruit, cassis, honey, earth and black pepper. This Zinfandel shows a great structure and balance of tannin and acid. Finishes big with raspberry and more notes of black pepper.
Exceptional!
Reddish-purple in color with aromas of blackberry, plum, pomegranate, herbs de Provence, and licorice. The palate is full, structured and balanced with blackberry, currant, black cherry, cassis, and licorice that carries through, with notes of black pepper, mocha and chocolate. Very long, spicy, with a fruit-driven finish. Great aging potential.
Gold Medal
Aromas of white peach, melon, and orange blossom complemented by bright citrus and lemon zest. Notes of kiwi, pineapple, lemon, mango and papaya introduce a rich palate and a persistent mineral finish.
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.
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