Whitehall Lane Winery Pinot Noir Sonoma Stage Vineyard Petaluma Gap 2023

Viticulture

Winter and Spring brought roughly forty inches of rain, which provided a boost for the Petaluma Gap AVA. This vintage moved California out of a drought and into a good position for years to come. Budbreak arrived 2 weeks later than 2022 due to the spring rain events. The moisture in the soil led to a perfect flowering condition in the vineyard. The vines, as a result,provided an even crop, with perfect fruit set for the grape clusters. Summer was moderately warm, allowing the grapes on the vine to develop slowly. Autumn had a few hot days that pushed the vines into maturity, leading to a late harvest season. The consistent summer weather encouraged our Pinot Noir Swan clone grapes to ripen in mid to late September.

Vinification

The Pinot Noir harvested from the Sonoma Stage Vineyard in 2023 are Calera, Swan, 667, 115 and Pommard clones. Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, our 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 healthy fermentation. This was aged in French oak barrels (35% new) for 14 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting notes

Aromatic layers of red cherries, fresh raspberries, cherry lollipop, toasted brioche, vanillin and a touch of licorice undertones. On the palate, bright acidity intermingles with strawberries, red currants, wild game, forest floor, baking spices and hints of earthy notes. 

Winery Description

Whitehall Lane is a small, family-owned winery in Napa Valley's historic Rutherford appellation. Estate vineyards are comprised of approximately 140 acres of prime Valley-floor vineyards including the Leonardini Vineyard in St. Helena.

Whitehall Lane has received accolades and awards for producing some of the greatest wines in the world. In Wine Spectator Magazine's year-end ranking of wines, Whitehall Lane has been honored an unprecedented three times in five years for producing wines rated among the top five in the world. The winery has also been voted Winery of the Year from the Quarterly Review of Wines and Wine and Spirits Magazine.

Whitehall Lane was founded in 1979 but the history of soil cultivation dates back two centuries. In the mid-1800s, Napa Valley settlers were drawn to the deep, loamy soils and ideal climate, planting high-quality grape vines at the Whitehall Lane Winery site. A barn constructed in the early 1900s for equipment storage is still used today. In 1979, two brothers started the winery and directed their winemaking efforts successfully to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They named the winery after the road that runs along the southern border of the property, Whitehall Lane.

In 1993, the Leonardini Family of San Francisco took control of the Whitehall Lane estate. They updated the winemaking, instituted a new barrel-aging program and continued sourcing the finest vineyards. What started with only one vineyard is now seven prime vineyards that are the cornerstone on which the wines are made and include the Whitehall Lane Estate Vineyard, Millenium MM Vineyard and Bommarito Vineyard in the Rutherford Appellation, the Leonardini Vineyard and Fawn Park Vineyard in St. Helena, Oak Glen Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District and Rassi VIneyard in Sonoma. The Estate Vineyard is 25 acres of "Rutherford Dust" offering beautiful Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The Millenium MM Vineyard offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon fruit while the Bommarito Vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Leonardini Vineyard is 14 acres of gravely soil yielding powerful Cabernet Sauvignon fruit and elegant yet intense Merlot grapes that go into the "Leonardini Vineyard" vineyard-designated wine. The Fawn Park Vineyard is on a gentle slope of the eastern hillside and produces intense Cabernet Sauvignon. The 25-acre Oak Glen Vineyard produces flavorful Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

In its short history, Whitehall Lane has developed into a world-class winery. The efforts of the Leonardini Family are evident in the recent run of accolades from wine publications but are even more apparent in the beautifully made, elegant wines they continue to make.