Whitehall Lane Winery of Napa Valley: Current Releases
We recently had the opportunity to taste through the current releases of Whitehall Lane Winery and were very impressed with their quality. The wines are also quite affordable relative to many other wines in Napa Valley. See our tasting notes below.
Located in the Rutherford AVA, the Whitehall Lane Winery is a small family owned and operated winery. It was founded in 1993 by Tom Leonardini Sr. and is currently managed by Tom Sr, his son Tom II and daughter Katie.
The Leonardini family currently owns eight primary vineyard properties in Napa Valley and Sonoma County totaling 200 acres. They include two vineyards in the St. Helena AVA, three vineyards in the Rutherford AVA, one vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, one in Sonoma Valley and the most recently acquired vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA. [See vineyard map below.] All vineyards are farmed utilizing sustainable green practices to produce the finest grapes, and all wine is made at the winery in St. Helena.
Winemaker Jason Moulton
The winery produces small quantities of premium Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends. The wines are handcrafted under the direction of veteran winemaker Jason Moulton, an enology graduate of New Zealand’s Lincoln University who has a wealth of experience making wine at Whitehall Lane and at wineries in Napa Valley and around the world.
Starting with the 2014 vintage, the winery also launched New Era handcrafted wines which are the best Whitehall has to offer. The wines are being produced in secrecy by winemaker Jason Moulton and proprietor Tom Leonardini. There are two wines in the New Era program, a single varietal and two varietals I de V and II de V.
Sonoma Stage Vineyard
The Wines
Whitehall Lane 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford ($30) 91 The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc displays a fresh floral nose with hints of citrus and wet stones. It has good density on the palate with lingering citrus, excellent balance and lime like acidity. Blended with 20% Semillon. 13% alc.
Whitehall Lane 2022 Semillon Rutherford Napa Valley ($34) 92+ The 2022 Semillon has a pleasant nose of ripe stone fruit with good acidity and freshness. It is beautifully balanced with a lovely creamy mouth feel and finish. It is a blend of 88% Semillon and 12% Sauvignon Blanc, whole cluster pressed and native yeast fermented in neutral oak and aged sur lies with battonage for 5 months. 13.2% alc.
Whitehall Lane 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Stage Vineyard Petaluma Gap ($55) 93 A delicious Pinot Noir with aromas and flavors of ripe cherry and light toast. Nicely balanced with good acidity and a persistent finish. All Swan Clone cold soaked and whole berry fermented with inoculated yeast; aged in 35% new French oak for 14 months. 14.2% alc.
Whitehall Lane 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) 92 The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon offers an opaque ruby color and lovely black current and cassis aromas on the nose. It has concentrated dark fruit flavors on the palate and is nicely balanced with good richness, firm tannins and a very long finish. Aged 20 months in 50% French oak, it is a tasty wine despite the problems of smoke and ash that plagued many wines in the 2020 vintage. 14.8% alc.
Whitehall Lane 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Leonardini Vineyard St. Helena ($125) 96 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Leonardini Vineyard is a superb wine. It has a dense opaque ruby color and is rich on the nose with scents of cassis and black pepper. It has a silky mouthfeel, savory flavors with notes of dark chocolate, excellent balance and good concentration without being heavy. The Leonardini Vineyard is 14 acres of sandy loam and gravel with lots of rock and yields of 3 to 4 tons to the acre.
Whitehall Lane 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Millenium MM Vineyard Rutherford Napa Valley ($225) 95 The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Millenium MM Vineyard is a young wine. It is soft and silky on the palate and has aromas and flavors of black currents and cassis. It is rather earthy and tannic at this stage of development with good concentration and balance. It is a wine with great potential and longevity and needs time in the bottle to show its superb qualities.
