2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
93 Points - Robert Parker 92 Points - James Suckling 92 Points - Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
This 2016 Leonardini Estate wine is a quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon. It begins on the nose with rich, dark black fruits, blueberries, blackberry bon bons, cassis, fragrant violets, tobacco leaf, and baking spices. Its balance and mid-palate are most notable, providing long, plush tannins alongside its dense fruit character. On the palate, it delivers baked berry crisp, black and red fruits, toasted walnuts, brioche, pencil shavings, and cedar on the finish. The beautiful underlying tannin structure, complexity, and ample fruit will evolve over time and age gracefully for 15-20 years.
Vintage
The 2016 vintage began with a mild winter and not much rain, leading to an early bud break and an early start of our growing season. Spring weather was cool and summer was warm, allowing the fruit to mature at a steady pace. By September and October, the grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot in this wine were harvested from our Oak Glen, Leonardini, Millennium MM, and Fawn Park Estate vineyards.
Wine
Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, our Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot 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, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 82˚F, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins. For fermentation cap management, we pumped juice over the skins two times per day, wetting the cap evenly for a nice healthy fermentation. After fermentation and pressing, the wine was sent to 65% new French oak, and 35% neutral French oak barrels, aging for 26 months. The final blend for the Leonardini Estate is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Vintage: 2016
Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietals: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.9%
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
92 Points - Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
This beautifully blended 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is exquisitely balanced with excellent fruit concentration. On the nose, this wine offers fresh blackberries, black cherries, blueberry pie, graphite, toasted brioche, and a touch of lavender. The palate offers plush but concentrated tannins, mixed berry jam, dried black cherries, dark chocolate, toasted walnuts, cedar, and a touch of vanilla bean with a finish that softens and lingers. This offering is enjoyable today but will also evolve with cellar aging through 2030.
Vintage
The 2017 year began with abundant rainfall, followed by a mild Spring resulting in extended flowering with little shatter. The summer warmed up nicely, allowing the fruit to mature at an even rate and make optimum conditions for flavor development. A Labor Day weekend heat event kicked harvest into high gear, then cool weather allowed sugar levels to return to normal. Our Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot grapes were harvested in mid-September and the first week in October when they were in perfect balance. The fruit is predominantly from Rutherford, St. Helena, and the Oak Knoll District appellations.
Wine
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 nice healthy fermentation. After fermentation and pressing, the 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in 50% new French oak and 50% neutral oak for 20 months before bottling. The blend is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. At bottling, this wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietals: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Napa Valley
Alcohol: 14.8%
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
What’s Included
4-bottles:
1x 2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
3x 2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Case:
4x 2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
8x 2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
We are a small, family-owned winery in Napa Valley’s historic Rutherford appellation. We own approximately 110 acres of prime Valley-floor vineyards including the Leonardini Vineyard in St. Helena and are committed to making the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Reserve wine.
The winery continues to receive accolades and awards for producing some of the greatest wines in the world. In Wine Spectator’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 by the Quarterly Review of Wines and Wine and Spirits Magazine.
In our 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 we continue to make.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Mix from Napa Valley
4 bottles for $139.99 $35/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $399.99 $33.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Got the email early this week and the overnighted bottle showed up yesterday. It got to sit on the table to rest for a day and let any sediment fall back down to the bottom.
I received the 2016 Leonardini Estate Vineyard Cabernet
(although it would have been interesting to compare the two on offer!).
The bottle came with a talker sheet that told me it has 65% new oak and the rest neutral (all French) for 26 months. It also tells me the final blend was 97% Cabernet (no mention of clones) and 3% Petit Verdot. It got 92 points from Suckling and Spectator and 93 from Wine Advocate (aka Parker, even though he retired). No mention of brix at harvest or acidity measures. $85 retail on the website - not bad for a single vineyard Napa Cabernet these days, actually.
As always, molarchae and I opened the bottle while the kids eat their dinner but well before ours. That lets us taste it right on opening but also with some air over the evening and with dinner.
Pop and pour impressions
Aromas: Oak & vanilla. Flowers. Darker fruit. Hint of eucalyptus.
Taste: Oak. Butterscotch. Plum, dark cherry. Hints of baking spice. Acidity is good, nicely balanced. Tannins are well rounded and polished, moderate amount.
Finish: Butterscotch. Mint. Long and lingering finish.
Over the course of this first glass (45 min or so) it seemed to slowly open up to reveal more fresh fruit (plums, blackberries) and the oak impact became a bit less obvious over that time.
My initial impressions are that this is too oaky for my preferences, but since 45 minutes of air helped, it seems possible that the oak could better integrate with air and/or time in bottle. Strikes me that those who enjoy the bigger style of Napa Cabernet will enjoy this out of the gate.
We decided to grill up a tritip and some asparagus to go with this wine, it being a young-ish Napa Cabernet.
It didn’t evolve all that much with nearly 3 hours of air. Aromas came and went. The basics stayed the same. On the one hand, the tannins didn’t really firm up as they do in many younger wines. OTOH, the oak overtones came and went.
This paired decently well with the tritip and asparagus, but even still the oak was the most perceptible component of the wine to me. It did enhance the tritip but the reverse was less true.
This, to me, is a bit like a Ty Caton wine in personality (although obviously different since it’s from Napa) but with more obvious oak influence. It’s big and bold and fruity, but well balanced with acidity. It is good on its own and with food. We saved the last glass or two to revisit this tomorrow. Will report back then!
As for molarchae’s impressions, she thinks it’s a good example of this style of wine. Varietally correct and fairly typical for its genre.
Since it’s getting on happy hour time on the east coast, I thought I’d take one for the team and open up the remainder. This had been sitting at room temperature, about 1/5th of the bottle recorked overnight.
On opening there is clearly more fruit that’s obvious and less oak, at least initially. More nuances in the aromas came out as well, including violets and mint. It smells almost chalky, which is an odd thing to say, but there you go.
Palate is Similarly less oaky and more of the other flavours are coming out. It’s actually somewhat austere at this moment as well, as the tannins have picked up in intensity. Finish is shorter, too.
But the take home message here is that with just one day sitting on the counter, the oak is much better integrated and is no longer distracting. That makes me think that a vigorous decant or a few years in the bottle will help this wine tremendously.
Hello fine folks - Rat Deux reporting for duty with thoughts on the 2017 Napa Valley
Always appreciate the opportunity, and this week’s advance warning was especially friendly. We’ve had some UPS conflicts in the past so happy to report we confirmed availability and all arrived in good condition, on time.
Upon initial inspection - one would expect a bit of a big, bold Napa Cab. The provided notes really are delightful, with plenty of details about every aspect of what went into the bottle. I will admit seeing “will also evolve with cellar aging through 2030” had me pondering exactly how this would taste in 2022.
Day 1
We PnP’ed late in the evening after the tiny humans were asleep, so we could sit down to properly taste alongside dinner in peace.
Initial impressions were that it’s very much full-bodied, deep burgundy, with a nose that our olifactories immediately attached to plum + raspberry. Lots of fruit that fills the glass with pleasant aromas.
First sip was very dry with a flavor that I’d best describe as reserved and refined. Honestly, what stood out the most was the tannin, not the flavor. It was altogether pleasant, just muted.
Conveniently, UPS had also dropped our semi-regular meal kit delivery off with the wine - so we had some pairing choices. We opted for the steak dish, this being Cab and all.
With the food, the wine… honestly didn’t change much. I thought it cut nicely through the richness of the Parmesan + nuts in the kale salad, and it was nice alongside the steak + mushrooms. But overall I’d say it was still very reserved.
Day 2
Given the on-time delivery, we had the rare opportunity to give this 24 hours and sample again tonight. That extra air did open it up a smidge more but the flavors remained light; it really wasn’t very different from the initial PnP. The better half noticed some more sweetness on the nose but that was the only notable difference.
We made a lemon-basil caper pork over kale dish and, similar to the steak on Day 1, the wine somewhat faded into the background next to the food.
Overall Thoughts
I definitely think it will benefit from some years in the cellar. That said, I can see why this level of balanced reservation has earned high marks. I enjoyed it but felt it faded into the background with our meals, rather than boldly holding up next to the food.
Big, bold Napa Cab this is not. If you prefer a lighter, refined Cab this one’s clearly for you.
I’ve got the half bottles of the 2016 and 2017 cab and have found both good but the 16’ much more approachable. The 17 felt very closed off still, but even the 16 felt that same way up until recently.
Those who wait should be blessed with something pretty good.
Black tie Friday! Hey Alice, you missed me on this labrat I probably would’ve been sad because I would want it more, but it is above my current budget. Nice offer, though.
Wine Advocate:
93 Points. Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Leonardini Estate was aged for 26 months in French oak, 65% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, warm cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents slowly unfurl, giving way to nuances of pencil lead, mossy tree bark and truffles with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied, the palate is delivering mouth-filling black fruit and compelling tension with a plush texture and a long, savory finish.
Spectator:
92 Points. A broad, fleshy style, with warmed cassis and plum compote flavors, carried by loam and cocoa notes through the finish. A late echo of sage adds range. Best from 2021 through 2028. 1,050 cases made. — JM 6/3/20
The Man With The Scarf:
92 Points. Tons of bright berries and plums with just a hint of bitter chocolate, making this full-bodied yet fresh Napa cabernet sauvignon very impressive. I love the succulence of the long finish. Where is that steak with forest mushrooms?
Wine Enthusiast:
90 Points. This is a massive, full-bodied wine, robustly built in ripe blackberry and currant with chalky tannin and dried herb. Cedar and tobacco ring around the savory edges of toasted oak and lasting baking spice. VB 7/1/20
@kaolis I see you are just a Kickstarter backer, but not a VMP.
I am that stupid that I continue you mine from meh because I don’t want the shit icon. Apparently you still are class here. With the knowledge if you want to buy wine, just pay to become a member, cancel, and go on your way.
@kaolis meh is the “parent company/flagship” company (well, Mediocre Labs) like Woot was to Wine.Woot before the mothership took over.
There was a time when the only free shipping was available to VMP (Very Mediocre Person) people who pay $5 a month.
This “PERK” was done a bit before casemates even was a thing. You had to continually keep paying if you wanted that free shipping.
Then casemates was launched (thankfully!) and everyone who kickstarted got grandfathered into VMP. Which IRKed me, seeing as how I had done if for a few years, but whatever. I loved wine.woot.
I believed that only the kickstarters or VMPs had free shipping for the longest time. That was our perk.
If you become a “member” at any of their sites, I believe it is about 6 bucks, you get free shipping here too. So anyone who buys a case without being a member is not right. Or has so much money to burn that they can whisper me and get my shipping info for this order. Okay, I will stop. I have promised myself not to rant about the free shipping and here I am.
Back to the point of the poop icon. If you were once a VMP on meh, and let it lapse, your little flair goes from a V to a pile of crap.
@KNmeh7 Got it, well kind of… don’t believe I ever had free shipping offered here, I pay as I go. But I yak out here more than I buy here, so no biggie for me on that front.
And hey, I know someone who used to rant about summer shipping occasionally
Cheers!
@kaolis You should have had a year? If I remember, of free shipping seeing your K (kickstarter flair). I didn’t get any of the freebies but that was part of the deal, I thought?
Did you pay for shipping your first year after being a kickstarter?
And easy way to find us meh suckers is hover your mouse above the users name. VMP since Feb 19 are Kickstarters and suckers. VMP before that date, we are just suckers.
@rlmanzo While I won’t pretend to speak for rpm I can say that the 2016 is rather different than, say, Corison, well known to be one of his favourites from this site/WW.
It’s a touch more dense, and the quality of the fruit is a bit more ripe than Cathy’s Cabernets. However, that’s not to say this fruit is overripe - far from it.
The balance is still well within the good range that Corison Cabernet inhabits, but it’s a bit less acidic, less bright, and a bit more “plush”.
Lastly, the oak treatment is where this wine greatly diverges from a Corison Cab. You’d be hard pressed to note significant oak influence either in aromatics or flavours of a Corison wine, but that was not my experience with the rat bottle.
To compare to something else many of us know well, it’s structure and ripeness compare similarly to a young Wellington single vineyard Cabernet. But again, I’ve never had a Wellington where I perceived much in the way of oak.
One last comparison. We had an offer on the old site a few years ago (2016) for a 2014 Bell Cabernet. I drank a bottle in 2020, so it was at similar age to the rat bottle. It also showed a lot of oak. If you have any of that hanging out in your cellar it would be a good wine to compare with to see if this meets your bar for purchasing.
@klezman@rjquillin@rlmanzo The 2017 halves? I’m going to unscrew one tonight. I’ve only had one, shortly after delivery, so it’s been awhile. I recall liking it but thinking it needed a little time.
expressive nose, sweet cab fruit, blackberry, cherry. Dark color. Still a youngster, tannins present throughout. Decent finish but a tad short and tannic. Popped this a couple of hours ago at 60°F. Seems a bit awkward front to back. Not touching another one for a bit. The fruit is there, the tannins are not overpowering. A nice drink that I think needs a bit of time to knit together… ??
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Mix from Napa Valley - $20 = 4.75%
@chipgreen Note: this made me at first think “maybe I can get into this at a more moderate chunk of $$ than the full case,” BUT … thankfully read the comment in an earlier post that reminded us these are asymmetrical “splits,” i.e. you get 1+3 vs 4+8.
@hugues99@rubenf1@rjquillin@winedavid49 yes a start date would be nice, but holding wine shipments would be a logistical nightmare and would cause the prices to go up. There are sites out there with these services. I guess I am lucky, and generally we consider June as being still cool and wet.
@danandlisa@hugues99@LincolnMics@rjquillin@rubenf1 I’ve had quite a number of bottles delivered in this type of weather and very few issues. If there was no seepage, then I’d generally say you’re good to go. Can always pop one a few days after delivery just to confirm
@danandlisa@hugues99@LincolnMics@rjquillin@rubenf1 I haven’t had an opportunity to yet, I could probably go back through to find bottles delivered in the summer but honestly don’t think I have anything right now I’ve stored more than 3yrs currently.
@danandlisa@deadlyapp@hugues99@LincolnMics@rjquillin@rubenf1 I live in Nashville, TN and just opened our first bottle from the case. It’s off. I’ll open another tomorrow to see if they’re cooked. I really hope not, as we really enjoyed the Whitehall Lane splits we got last go round.
2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
93 Points - Robert Parker
92 Points - James Suckling
92 Points - Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
Vintage
Wine
2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
92 Points - Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
Vintage
Wine
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$724.00/Case for 4x 2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley at Whitehall Lane Winery & 8x 2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon(not for sale online)
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 27 - Wednesday, Jun 29
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Mix from Napa Valley
4 bottles for $139.99 $35/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $399.99 $33.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Whitehall Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Everybody should note that it’s 1 and 3 for the 4-pack but it’s 4 and 8 for the case!
@klezman said the rat who teases a report
@rjquillin Squeak.
If that’s a comment that I posted that before the rat report, think about the relative effort to do each of them!
Hi all! Labrat checking in!
Got the email early this week and the overnighted bottle showed up yesterday. It got to sit on the table to rest for a day and let any sediment fall back down to the bottom.
I received the
2016 Leonardini Estate Vineyard Cabernet
(although it would have been interesting to compare the two on offer!).
The bottle came with a talker sheet that told me it has 65% new oak and the rest neutral (all French) for 26 months. It also tells me the final blend was 97% Cabernet (no mention of clones) and 3% Petit Verdot. It got 92 points from Suckling and Spectator and 93 from Wine Advocate (aka Parker, even though he retired). No mention of brix at harvest or acidity measures. $85 retail on the website - not bad for a single vineyard Napa Cabernet these days, actually.
As always, molarchae and I opened the bottle while the kids eat their dinner but well before ours. That lets us taste it right on opening but also with some air over the evening and with dinner.
Pop and pour impressions
Aromas: Oak & vanilla. Flowers. Darker fruit. Hint of eucalyptus.
Taste: Oak. Butterscotch. Plum, dark cherry. Hints of baking spice. Acidity is good, nicely balanced. Tannins are well rounded and polished, moderate amount.
Finish: Butterscotch. Mint. Long and lingering finish.
Over the course of this first glass (45 min or so) it seemed to slowly open up to reveal more fresh fruit (plums, blackberries) and the oak impact became a bit less obvious over that time.
My initial impressions are that this is too oaky for my preferences, but since 45 minutes of air helped, it seems possible that the oak could better integrate with air and/or time in bottle. Strikes me that those who enjoy the bigger style of Napa Cabernet will enjoy this out of the gate.
We decided to grill up a tritip and some asparagus to go with this wine, it being a young-ish Napa Cabernet.
It didn’t evolve all that much with nearly 3 hours of air. Aromas came and went. The basics stayed the same. On the one hand, the tannins didn’t really firm up as they do in many younger wines. OTOH, the oak overtones came and went.
This paired decently well with the tritip and asparagus, but even still the oak was the most perceptible component of the wine to me. It did enhance the tritip but the reverse was less true.
This, to me, is a bit like a Ty Caton wine in personality (although obviously different since it’s from Napa) but with more obvious oak influence. It’s big and bold and fruity, but well balanced with acidity. It is good on its own and with food. We saved the last glass or two to revisit this tomorrow. Will report back then!
As for molarchae’s impressions, she thinks it’s a good example of this style of wine. Varietally correct and fairly typical for its genre.
Forgive the composition of my photo!
@klezman You’d never make it on Cougartown with a glass that empty.
@klezman yum! And look at that color (in the glass), wowzer.
@klezman @stinks Looks like a proper gentleman’s pour to me. Someone who would be welcome at an offline, ensuring the bottle makes it 'round the table…
@kaolis @stinks you’re only supposed to pour to the wider pose of the glass! That’s 2-3 oz in my glasses, and I like it that way!
Since it’s getting on happy hour time on the east coast, I thought I’d take one for the team and open up the remainder. This had been sitting at room temperature, about 1/5th of the bottle recorked overnight.
On opening there is clearly more fruit that’s obvious and less oak, at least initially. More nuances in the aromas came out as well, including violets and mint. It smells almost chalky, which is an odd thing to say, but there you go.
Palate is Similarly less oaky and more of the other flavours are coming out. It’s actually somewhat austere at this moment as well, as the tannins have picked up in intensity. Finish is shorter, too.
But the take home message here is that with just one day sitting on the counter, the oak is much better integrated and is no longer distracting. That makes me think that a vigorous decant or a few years in the bottle will help this wine tremendously.
On the last glass now, and it’s continued to open up pretty nicely. It’s enjoyable now with this much air and likely has a long life ahead of it!
Hello fine folks - Rat Deux reporting for duty with thoughts on the
2017 Napa Valley
Always appreciate the opportunity, and this week’s advance warning was especially friendly. We’ve had some UPS conflicts in the past so happy to report we confirmed availability and all arrived in good condition, on time.
Upon initial inspection - one would expect a bit of a big, bold Napa Cab. The provided notes really are delightful, with plenty of details about every aspect of what went into the bottle. I will admit seeing “will also evolve with cellar aging through 2030” had me pondering exactly how this would taste in 2022.
Day 1
We PnP’ed late in the evening after the tiny humans were asleep, so we could sit down to properly taste alongside dinner in peace.
Initial impressions were that it’s very much full-bodied, deep burgundy, with a nose that our olifactories immediately attached to plum + raspberry. Lots of fruit that fills the glass with pleasant aromas.
First sip was very dry with a flavor that I’d best describe as reserved and refined. Honestly, what stood out the most was the tannin, not the flavor. It was altogether pleasant, just muted.
Conveniently, UPS had also dropped our semi-regular meal kit delivery off with the wine - so we had some pairing choices. We opted for the steak dish, this being Cab and all.
With the food, the wine… honestly didn’t change much. I thought it cut nicely through the richness of the Parmesan + nuts in the kale salad, and it was nice alongside the steak + mushrooms. But overall I’d say it was still very reserved.
Day 2
Given the on-time delivery, we had the rare opportunity to give this 24 hours and sample again tonight. That extra air did open it up a smidge more but the flavors remained light; it really wasn’t very different from the initial PnP. The better half noticed some more sweetness on the nose but that was the only notable difference.
We made a lemon-basil caper pork over kale dish and, similar to the steak on Day 1, the wine somewhat faded into the background next to the food.
Overall Thoughts
I definitely think it will benefit from some years in the cellar. That said, I can see why this level of balanced reservation has earned high marks. I enjoyed it but felt it faded into the background with our meals, rather than boldly holding up next to the food.
Big, bold Napa Cab this is not. If you prefer a lighter, refined Cab this one’s clearly for you.
@sdilullo interesting! It sounds like the two bottles are made in rather different styles. Or maybe it’s the vintage?
@sdilullo Just double checking… your rattage says 2017 Leonardini, but I’m thinking it’s the regular Napa Valley in the offer?
@kaolis @sdilullo
Agree, based on the vintage and photos.
Fixed the Rat Report header.
The 2017 was offered here just about a year ago as a Friday deal. However it was half bottles under a screwcap. Notes/rats/reviews:
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/whitehall-lane-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-half-bottle-1
I’ve got the half bottles of the 2016 and 2017 cab and have found both good but the 16’ much more approachable. The 17 felt very closed off still, but even the 16 felt that same way up until recently.
Those who wait should be blessed with something pretty good.
Black tie Friday! Hey Alice, you missed me on this labrat
I probably would’ve been sad because I would want it more, but it is above my current budget. Nice offer, though.
The pros (clearing throat) on the 2016:
Wine Advocate:
93 Points. Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Leonardini Estate was aged for 26 months in French oak, 65% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, warm cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents slowly unfurl, giving way to nuances of pencil lead, mossy tree bark and truffles with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied, the palate is delivering mouth-filling black fruit and compelling tension with a plush texture and a long, savory finish.
Spectator:
92 Points. A broad, fleshy style, with warmed cassis and plum compote flavors, carried by loam and cocoa notes through the finish. A late echo of sage adds range. Best from 2021 through 2028. 1,050 cases made. — JM 6/3/20
The Man With The Scarf:
92 Points. Tons of bright berries and plums with just a hint of bitter chocolate, making this full-bodied yet fresh Napa cabernet sauvignon very impressive. I love the succulence of the long finish. Where is that steak with forest mushrooms?
Wine Enthusiast:
90 Points. This is a massive, full-bodied wine, robustly built in ripe blackberry and currant with chalky tannin and dried herb. Cedar and tobacco ring around the savory edges of toasted oak and lasting baking spice. VB 7/1/20
fwiw
@kaolis
Did they all drink from the same bottle?
@kaolis I see you are just a Kickstarter backer, but not a VMP.
I am that stupid that I continue you mine from meh because I don’t want the shit icon. Apparently you still are class here. With the knowledge if you want to buy wine, just pay to become a member, cancel, and go on your way.
@KNmeh7 I rarely look at meh, have never bought anything from meh, not sure what a VMP is and not sure what you mean by becoming a member…
@kaolis meh is the “parent company/flagship” company (well, Mediocre Labs) like Woot was to Wine.Woot before the mothership took over.
There was a time when the only free shipping was available to VMP (Very Mediocre Person) people who pay $5 a month.
This “PERK” was done a bit before casemates even was a thing. You had to continually keep paying if you wanted that free shipping.
Then casemates was launched (thankfully!) and everyone who kickstarted got grandfathered into VMP. Which IRKed me, seeing as how I had done if for a few years, but whatever. I loved wine.woot.
I believed that only the kickstarters or VMPs had free shipping for the longest time. That was our perk.
If you become a “member” at any of their sites, I believe it is about 6 bucks, you get free shipping here too. So anyone who buys a case without being a member is not right. Or has so much money to burn that they can whisper me and get my shipping info for this order. Okay, I will stop. I have promised myself not to rant about the free shipping and here I am.
Back to the point of the poop icon. If you were once a VMP on meh, and let it lapse, your little flair goes from a V to a pile of crap.
@KNmeh7 Got it, well kind of… don’t believe I ever had free shipping offered here, I pay as I go. But I yak out here more than I buy here, so no biggie for me on that front.
And hey, I know someone who used to rant about summer shipping occasionally
Cheers!
@kaolis You should have had a year? If I remember, of free shipping seeing your K (kickstarter flair). I didn’t get any of the freebies but that was part of the deal, I thought?
Did you pay for shipping your first year after being a kickstarter?
And easy way to find us meh suckers is hover your mouse above the users name. VMP since Feb 19 are Kickstarters and suckers. VMP before that date, we are just suckers.
Need to hear from RPM.
His approval is necessary for Cab purchases.
@rlmanzo the half bottles of this offered before got an “rpmAutobuy”…
@rlmanzo While I won’t pretend to speak for rpm I can say that the 2016 is rather different than, say, Corison, well known to be one of his favourites from this site/WW.
It’s a touch more dense, and the quality of the fruit is a bit more ripe than Cathy’s Cabernets. However, that’s not to say this fruit is overripe - far from it.
The balance is still well within the good range that Corison Cabernet inhabits, but it’s a bit less acidic, less bright, and a bit more “plush”.
Lastly, the oak treatment is where this wine greatly diverges from a Corison Cab. You’d be hard pressed to note significant oak influence either in aromatics or flavours of a Corison wine, but that was not my experience with the rat bottle.
To compare to something else many of us know well, it’s structure and ripeness compare similarly to a young Wellington single vineyard Cabernet. But again, I’ve never had a Wellington where I perceived much in the way of oak.
One last comparison. We had an offer on the old site a few years ago (2016) for a 2014 Bell Cabernet. I drank a bottle in 2020, so it was at similar age to the rat bottle. It also showed a lot of oak. If you have any of that hanging out in your cellar it would be a good wine to compare with to see if this meets your bar for purchasing.
@klezman @rlmanzo My location note for the Bell is wonderfully helpful; just “delivered” might make it interesting to attempt to locate.
Wish some that purchased those 375s would comment…
@klezman @rjquillin @rlmanzo The 2017 halves? I’m going to unscrew one tonight. I’ve only had one, shortly after delivery, so it’s been awhile. I recall liking it but thinking it needed a little time.
@klezman thanks for your thoughtful response.
I had a feeling it was that type of cab and as such, not really in RPMs wheelhouse(or mine).
I personally had a hard time drinking the Bell. A bit too much oak for me; not unlike oak tea.
Alas, I miss the days of Corison on the old site.
@rlmanzo Happy to help. That’s why we have rats!
It sounds like the 2017 might be more in your wheelhouse, but I didn’t taste it.
@klezman @rjquillin @rlmanzo
2017 half bottle Napa Cab
expressive nose, sweet cab fruit, blackberry, cherry. Dark color. Still a youngster, tannins present throughout. Decent finish but a tad short and tannic. Popped this a couple of hours ago at 60°F. Seems a bit awkward front to back. Not touching another one for a bit. The fruit is there, the tannins are not overpowering. A nice drink that I think needs a bit of time to knit together… ??
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Mix from Napa Valley - $20 = 4.75%
@chipgreen Note: this made me at first think “maybe I can get into this at a more moderate chunk of $$ than the full case,” BUT … thankfully read the comment in an earlier post that reminded us these are asymmetrical “splits,” i.e. you get 1+3 vs 4+8.
Great deal and I want to order but it’s 95 in dallas, my home, next week. Is there anyway to hold the shipment for a fee?
@hugues99 @winedavid49
Don’t we all wish for that…
Summer shipping is likely still a ways off, but confirmation on a start date would be appreciated.
@hugues99 I agree. I’m in san Antonio and would be more than willing to pay a fee for temperature controlled shipping
@hugues99 @rubenf1 @rjquillin@winedavid49 yes a start date would be nice, but holding wine shipments would be a logistical nightmare and would cause the prices to go up. There are sites out there with these services. I guess I am lucky, and generally we consider June as being still cool and wet.
@danandlisa @hugues99 @rjquillin @rubenf1 case just arrived, it’s > 90ºF out there, bottles were hot but corks didn’t bulge… hope they’re ok
@danandlisa @hugues99 @LincolnMics @rjquillin @rubenf1 I’ve had quite a number of bottles delivered in this type of weather and very few issues. If there was no seepage, then I’d generally say you’re good to go. Can always pop one a few days after delivery just to confirm
@danandlisa @deadlyapp @hugues99 @LincolnMics @rubenf1
Have you ever done longer term (~5+ years) storage to see if you can detect anything that may get ugly over time?
@danandlisa @hugues99 @LincolnMics @rjquillin @rubenf1 I haven’t had an opportunity to yet, I could probably go back through to find bottles delivered in the summer but honestly don’t think I have anything right now I’ve stored more than 3yrs currently.
@danandlisa @deadlyapp @hugues99 @LincolnMics @rjquillin @rubenf1 I live in Nashville, TN and just opened our first bottle from the case. It’s off. I’ll open another tomorrow to see if they’re cooked. I really hope not, as we really enjoyed the Whitehall Lane splits we got last go round.