This Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes carefully selected from vineyards in the Rutherford AVA in Napa Valley.
2021 was a drought year with record low rainfall for Napa Valley. Low moisture in the ground reduced yields in the vineyards, but the result was a perfect concentration of juice to skin ratio. The spring, which began in early March, saw perfect flowering and grape bunch set. The summer was very warm and long, allowing Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon to ripen in late August and early September, resulting in an early harvest.
A small portion of the fruit is destemmed, and most of the fruit is pressed as whole clusters. The grapes are left in skin contact for 18 hours, giving the grapes a thicker, more full-bodied flavor.
Prior to fermentation, a portion of the juice was cold stabilized (chilled at 40°F) for 8 days to preserve texture and aromas, then 75% of the fruit was fermented cold in stainless steel tanks and 25% was fermented in French oak barrels (15% new, 10% neutral).
Fermentation with wild yeasts, sur lie (on the lees) and batonnage (stirring) are repeated for four months.
Gorgeous aromas of white nectarine, golden delicious apple, honeysuckle, green fig, lemon curd, and white flowers. Refreshing on the palate, but with a firm, full-bodied texture. Impressive with pear, lime peel, brioche, yellow peach, spiced apple tart, toasted walnut nuances and clear acidity.
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.