The Rassi Vineyard is located on the eastern slope of Sonoma Valley, at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. The Leonardini family purchased the Rassi vineyard in 2012 and added it to their portfolio. The vineyard is mainly gravelly loamy sand, with excellent well-drained soil that is ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2020 vintage had a fairly long and warm growing season. Budbreak began in late March and the spring was relatively dry with little rain. Summer saw a sudden rise in temperature but remained stable thereafter. As the fall approached full ripeness, we moved early and harvested quickly.
The grapes were hand-picked early in the morning, carefully destemmed, and fermented whole bunch in tank. The grapes were cold soaked at 45°F for 4-7 days to extract color, aroma, and flavor. After adding selected yeast, the juice, skins, and seeds were fermented at 82°C. The must was pumped over twice a day to promote even and healthy fermentation. After fermentation and pressing, the wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, including 30% new barrels. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Rich berry aromas such as blueberry candy, blackberry tart, and dark cranberry compote with hints of fig and brioche. Fresh blueberries, black cherries, toasted walnuts, and cedar spread, and delicate tannins linger on the finish.
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.