This Chardonnay is made from 100% Wente clones grown in our own vineyards in the cool Sonoma Valley. The beautiful acidity and smooth flavor make this the finest California Chardonnay.
Bud break began in early March, allowing perfect flowering and fruit set in the grape clusters. The summer was also very warm and long. The drought continued, resulting in low yields in the vineyards, but the skins were also affected. The ratios were perfect, resulting in a wonderfully concentrated flavour.
Blessed with mild weather, the grapes were fully ripe in mid-September and were hand-picked on September 7th.
100% of the Chardonnay clone is used, which has long been popular as a clone of Wente. After hand-picking, the grapes are hand-selected and gently pressed whole bunches in a champagne press. The juice is settled at low temperature and racked. Barrel fermentation with natural yeasts in 100% French oak barrels (35% new barrels). 50% malolactic fermentation is performed to enhance the firm body and smooth mouthfeel. The lees are stirred every three weeks to enhance the body, texture and structure. The wine is aged on the lees for 14 months before filtering and bottling.
The aroma of Golden Delicious is captivating, with hints of raisins, almond croissants and orange marmalade. Flavors of pineapple, pear and vanilla. The smooth mouthfeel and lingering aftertaste of fragrant hazelnuts are irresistible.
Those who have visited Napa Valley may recognize the modern yellow winery building in the town of Rutherford along Route 29. Whitehall Lane is a historic and prestigious winery that has been producing high-quality wines using grapes mainly from its own vineyards on the valley floor since the winery was established in 1979. The vineyard itself was cultivated in the late 1800s, and Whitehall Lane, named after the area to the south of the vineyard, was inherited by the Leonardini family in 1993.
When the winery was put up for sale, owner Tom Leonardini, a wine lover, was convinced of the quality of the vineyards and immediately decided to purchase it. He vowed to make this business a success and expanded it with his family. Aiming for higher quality wine, they adopted various methods such as using the latest technology to analyze the soil of their own vineyards, measuring the water retention of the soil, and measuring the growth and maturity of the grapes using aerial photographs with infrared cameras. In addition to information from these high-tech technologies, vineyard managers and winemakers visit the vineyards daily to actually check the quality and growth of the grapes, which allows them to produce high-quality grapes. Their tireless efforts have been widely recognized, with the winery being ranked in Wine Spectator's Top 5 three times out of five years and selected as Wine & Spirits' Best Winery of the Year.
Whitehall Lane's own vineyards, five of which are located on the valley floor, centered around Rutherford, where the winery is located. Taking advantage of the warm climate and gravelly soil, the company carefully selects clones and varieties suitable for each field, cultivating a variety of grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Orange Muscat.
Jason Moulton, who became winemaker in 2016, studied winemaking in New Zealand and then worked in various regions such as Canada, France (Bordeaux), and South Africa in addition to Napa Valley. He has experience with famous wine consultants such as Philippe Melka and David Ramey, and will use his knowledge and experience of both the Old World and the New World to lead Whitehall Lane's wines to even greater heights.