2018 L’Atelier White Field Blend,Yountville, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
The DeSante 2018 L’Atelier is a field blend of organically-farmed Semillon, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is a celebration of summer with its aromas of nectarine, key lime and green gage plum. The palate shows a deft balance with its crisp spiced apple and peach flavors turning gently to a succulent finish of bruleéd red grapefruit. For a wine, this is a fancy balancing act of fresh acidity turning to a richly textured finish. Cheers!
The concept of a field blend is ancient. At DeSante, we believe that asking Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Vert to “get along nicely” is enhanced by fermenting them together, especially when these grape varieties are planted side-by-side in the same vineyard. It seems that when they share the formative experience of fermentation, these aromatic varieties have more to contribute. They bring out the best in each other, resulting in a better balance and a more complex wine. This marriage of diversity brings about complexity and fulfillment.
After years of honing our skills in the culinary arts and winemaking trade, we finally could not resist the opportunity to create our own wine from the Napa Valley. We envisioned wines that would be fresh, fragrant, elegant and flavorful – wines that we hope will be enjoyed among friends, telling stories and sharing dreams.
Nearly a decade later, we would love to share the story of these wines that come from the very special vineyards we have discovered on our journey.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
DeSante L’Atelier Napa Valley White Blend
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 DeSante L’Atelier Napa Valley White Blend - $50 = 27.76%
Hey all, labrat here!
(Note: This was all written before seeing the actual writeup. Opinions after I peeked at that are at the bottom)
I was excited to get a white wine, as they’re more to my tastes as a whole. Soon as my front desk notified me that I had a delivery, we popped it in the fridge. Left it there for a couple hours, but it wasn’t quite as chilled as I normally like in summer when we tried it first.
Very light, smells bright and floral. Maybe jasmine green tea sorta taste. Definitely dry, pinot blanc/gris, maybe verdechio? It seems more European white than California. Don’t think it’d hold up to much in the way of food, other than maybe some creamy grassy goat cheese with figs, dates, or persimmons. For sure would not have worked with the indian filled pastilles we had for dinner! It’s sorta growing on me as I drink it though, once my tongue gets used to the sharpness. Left the other half of the bottle in to chill until the following evening. My roommate liked it better than I did this way, but not enough to grab a second glass the following night.
Day 2: The extra chilling did it much better. It’s still very bright, with a lemony-mineral taste coming through. I grabbed a bit of goat chevre, and that really brought out the grassy flavors. It worked better with some white cheddar, as that sorta tamed the acidity and brought out more of an almost peachy note, but still not sweet. Being a little extra cold softened the acidity and the floral notes, so somewhere between the two would probably be ideal (Sorry, I didn’t stick a thermometer in to check temps, you’ll just have to trust your instincts)
Looking at the writeup-Oh, that makes sense. You definitely get the Sémillon floralness and the Pinot Blanc. Would NOT have called chard. Price is about what I’d expect. I feel like this one would make a really amazing stone fruit late summer sangria.
@davirom My go to white sangria- Frozen fruit (this summer I’ve been doing a lot of peaches and blackberries, just because they were more often in stock.)+ bottle white wine+ 1/2 cup brandy. Stir together/let sit overnight at least. Perk of using frozen fruit, not only is less work, but it releases a lot more juice as it thaws.
A great way to wrap up a crappy week is to get the lab rat email!
Unboxing and pouring impressions:
A classy textured label combined with a screwtop. It pours a pale yellow, the color of most Sav Blancs.
It is allergy season and I am a bit congested, so I am not detecting much of a nose, but it is probably me.
Tasting:
I cooked up some veal piccata to pair with the wine.
This is a pretty complex white. It goes from a heavy mineral taste to apples and limes to a creamy finish. Although, the minerality lingers on the palate. I’m guessing it is a blend of Sav Blanc, Chard, and Semillon. (Per the description, I was close. It also has a decent percentage of Pinot Blanc.) I would normally try to do a re-taste tomorrow, but it is gone already.
PQR:
My fiancee said this was the best white wine she has ever had. I would not go that far, but it is in my top 5%. Getting it for $11 is a steal. I grabbed two cases, and I’ve never bought more than one at a time. Given the limited production of 10 barrels, I suggest getting some ASAP, as I doubt they have a ton for sale.
I’ve openned a few and a bit underwhelmed. Was hoping for much better QPR. Can’t pinpoint what it is maybe lack of freshness? Fruit is muted and a slight vinegar quality
2018 L’Atelier White Field Blend,Yountville, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$406.00 at DeSante Wines for 12x 2018 L’Atelier White Field Blend,Yountville, Napa Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 21 - Wednesday, Sep 23
DeSante L’Atelier Napa Valley White Blend
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 DeSante L’Atelier
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 DeSante L’Atelier Napa Valley White Blend - $50 = 27.76%
Hey all, labrat here!
(Note: This was all written before seeing the actual writeup. Opinions after I peeked at that are at the bottom)
I was excited to get a white wine, as they’re more to my tastes as a whole. Soon as my front desk notified me that I had a delivery, we popped it in the fridge. Left it there for a couple hours, but it wasn’t quite as chilled as I normally like in summer when we tried it first.
Very light, smells bright and floral. Maybe jasmine green tea sorta taste. Definitely dry, pinot blanc/gris, maybe verdechio? It seems more European white than California. Don’t think it’d hold up to much in the way of food, other than maybe some creamy grassy goat cheese with figs, dates, or persimmons. For sure would not have worked with the indian filled pastilles we had for dinner! It’s sorta growing on me as I drink it though, once my tongue gets used to the sharpness. Left the other half of the bottle in to chill until the following evening. My roommate liked it better than I did this way, but not enough to grab a second glass the following night.
Day 2: The extra chilling did it much better. It’s still very bright, with a lemony-mineral taste coming through. I grabbed a bit of goat chevre, and that really brought out the grassy flavors. It worked better with some white cheddar, as that sorta tamed the acidity and brought out more of an almost peachy note, but still not sweet. Being a little extra cold softened the acidity and the floral notes, so somewhere between the two would probably be ideal (Sorry, I didn’t stick a thermometer in to check temps, you’ll just have to trust your instincts)
Looking at the writeup-Oh, that makes sense. You definitely get the Sémillon floralness and the Pinot Blanc. Would NOT have called chard. Price is about what I’d expect. I feel like this one would make a really amazing stone fruit late summer sangria.
@Jamileigh17 Thanks for the write-up! definitely helpful.
@Jamileigh17 Do you have a recipe for the sangria?
@davirom My go to white sangria- Frozen fruit (this summer I’ve been doing a lot of peaches and blackberries, just because they were more often in stock.)+ bottle white wine+ 1/2 cup brandy. Stir together/let sit overnight at least. Perk of using frozen fruit, not only is less work, but it releases a lot more juice as it thaws.
@Jamileigh17 Thank you for reporting. Sounds like a very interesting wine.
A great way to wrap up a crappy week is to get the lab rat email!
Unboxing and pouring impressions:
A classy textured label combined with a screwtop. It pours a pale yellow, the color of most Sav Blancs.
It is allergy season and I am a bit congested, so I am not detecting much of a nose, but it is probably me.
Tasting:
I cooked up some veal piccata to pair with the wine.
This is a pretty complex white. It goes from a heavy mineral taste to apples and limes to a creamy finish. Although, the minerality lingers on the palate. I’m guessing it is a blend of Sav Blanc, Chard, and Semillon. (Per the description, I was close. It also has a decent percentage of Pinot Blanc.) I would normally try to do a re-taste tomorrow, but it is gone already.
PQR:
My fiancee said this was the best white wine she has ever had. I would not go that far, but it is in my top 5%. Getting it for $11 is a steal. I grabbed two cases, and I’ve never bought more than one at a time. Given the limited production of 10 barrels, I suggest getting some ASAP, as I doubt they have a ton for sale.
@kookie00 Great write-up! Thank you.
I love blends like this. order now, think later.
/giphy incandescent-knitted-mage
Even though I’m a bit overloaded with whites from this summer…
/giphy graphic-raging-willow
If anyone in the atl area wants a few of these or (even better) a mixed case of these and some other whites from this summer…
Thrilled about this one!
/giphy intelligent-choosy-pine
@erisire well, maybe here, a little bit.
other places: yeah, nada, zilcho.
Anyone in the SF or the Bay Area interested in a split? I could go for 4 or 6 bottles but do not have room or need for a full case. Any takers?
@davidj94112 I was thinking along the same lines, would be happy to grab 4-6 off your hands (depending if there is a third person). I’m in SF
@grohotanie Can I get your e-mail address so that I have any easy means to contact you to coordinate once I receive the wine? Thanks.
Cool. I am happy to order unless you would prefer to do so. LMK.
Sure, I’d be interested. We’re in Cole Valley. Happy to take 2, 3, or 4.
@michaepf @grohotanie Look like we’ve got a trio. I just ordered the case. We can coordinate the split when the wine arrives.
/giphy murky-minute-mimosa
yay!!
/giphy unforgiving-yucky-wax
Great labrats on this one. Definitely pushed me over the edge
/giphy surprised-sloppy-fruit
In for a case
/giphy soaked-abject-wilderness
I’ve openned a few and a bit underwhelmed. Was hoping for much better QPR. Can’t pinpoint what it is maybe lack of freshness? Fruit is muted and a slight vinegar quality
Anyone else care to share your thoughts?