2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 1.5L

Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine
91 Points
-December 2008

Wine News
90 Points
-October 2008

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Vintage:
A cool, wet spring was followed by mild summer months in 2005. This weather pattern allowed the grapes to grow slowly and evenly through the year. The grapes developed marvelous flavors and the tannin in the skins matured nicely as the grapes ripened to perfection in October.

Winemaking & Tasting Notes:
For 15 years Whitehall Lane has used fruit harvested from select vine rows in the Leonardini Vineyard in St. Helena and the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford. In 2005, a small vineyard block on the eastern hills of Napa Valley was also included. This wine displays the finesse, smoothness and power that have become the signature for Whitehall Lane Cabernet. It's a wine with aromas and flavors of ripe wild blackberries, cassis and an underlying spiciness from French and American oak. Since 2003 the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been sealed with a revolutionary glass closure, the Vino-Seal.