Whitehall Lane Winery has wines that are reasonably priced and quite drinkable without aging. Whitehall Lane Winery is right on St. Helena Hwy outside St. Helena heading towards Napa. It was founded in 1979 and is owned by the Leonardi family who own 125 acres in Rutherford, St. Helena and Oak Knoll. Service was friendly.
Our tasting began with the Whitehall Lane 2008 Carneros Pinot Noir ($48). It was fairly good with a decent nose, well balanced with cherry on the palate and a rather short finish. We both liked the Whitehall Lane 2007 Merlot ($28). This Merlot is blended with 10% Cab and 9% Syrah. It had a great cherry aroma with a nice mouth feel and some complexity, along with a long finish. It seems like a bargain at that price. We also enjoyed the very affordable Whitehall Lane 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon which retails at $40. This has 8% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot along with the Cab. It was cherry on the nose with good fruit, balanced nicely with tannin. Our favorite, though, was the Whitehall Lane 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $75. It as 4% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot added and spends 25 months in oak, with 80% if that being French and 20% American oak. It is a big, ripe cab, very nicely balanced with a long finish. It is very drinkable now.
Our tasting began with the Whitehall Lane 2008 Carneros Pinot Noir ($48). It was fairly good with a decent nose, well balanced with cherry on the palate and a rather short finish. We both liked the Whitehall Lane 2007 Merlot ($28). This Merlot is blended with 10% Cab and 9% Syrah. It had a great cherry aroma with a nice mouth feel and some complexity, along with a long finish. It seems like a bargain at that price. We also enjoyed the very affordable Whitehall Lane 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon which retails at $40. This has 8% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot along with the Cab. It was cherry on the nose with good fruit, balanced nicely with tannin. Our favorite, though, was the Whitehall Lane 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $75. It as 4% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot added and spends 25 months in oak, with 80% if that being French and 20% American oak. It is a big, ripe cab, very nicely balanced with a long finish. It is very drinkable now.
Whitehall Lane also has a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay and a Belmuscato dessert wine which we did not try. With easy access and good wines, it a good winery to visit. They also have an appealing wine club.
Date of visit: 12/14/2011
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