Tasting Notes
“The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc offers a great deal of complexity. On the nose, it evokes fresh peaches, honeysuckle, fresh figs, sweet tarts, and fragrant white flowers. Though crisp upfront, the mid-palate offers a medium-bodied texture. Its flavors include Bartlett pears, fruit cocktail, fresh croissant, baked apple pie, and a touch of toasted walnut. The finish has a beautiful length with fresh acidity and subtle toasty notes.”

Vintage 

The 2020 vintage was considered a very warm growing season. Budbreak began in mid-late March, leading to a Spring that had few showers and was relatively dry. Summer was also quite warm and long, leading into a steady Autumn harvest season. The consistent summer weather encouraged our Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes to ripen in mid to late August.

Winemaker Notes

Whitehall Lane is known for a Bordeaux style, fruit-forward, and crisp Sauvignon Blanc. A majority of the fruit used for this wine was whole-cluster pressed. A small portion of the fruit was destemmed and pumped as whole berries directly into the tank for 18 hours of grape skin contact. This process creates a big, fleshy mid-palate weight to enhance the wine. Before fermentation, a portion of the Sauvignon Blanc juice underwent cold stabulation (chilling at 40 F) for 8 days, increasing the texture and aromatics. 75% of the fruit was cool fermented in stainless steel tanks while 25% was fermented in French oak barrels (15% new, 10% neutral). Native yeast fermentation took place in barrel, with sur lies (on the lees) and battonage (stirring) for four months. All these winemaking techniques create a unique Sauvignon Blanc with enhanced flavors and aromas, whilst offering a bold, round mid-palate and long, lingering finish.