Winemaker Jason Moulton has eight separate vineyards in Napa Valley to work with, and this is a limited production 100% Cabernet from a single vineyard. The historic 14-acre site was acquired by the Leonardini family in 1993 and was replanted to Cabernet in 2014 and 2016. The 2021 vintage turned out to be a warm, dry year with the fruit for this wine harvested in October. The wine was aged for 26 months in 85% new French oak, and the amazing thing is the way the oak remains in the background. Early on, the wine’s aroma gets your attention with blackberry and plum along with cedar and a floral note. On the palate it is medium-bodied but concentrated and dense with black fruit flavors rounded out by spice and an undertone recalling walnuts. The plush tannins kick in in the aftertaste and are part of the restrained, well-knit package. When tasted 24 hours later, the wine had evolved beautifully which suggests it has great aging potential.
96 Norm Roby
Whitehall Lane Winery, St. Helena, Napa Valley (California) Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($125)
By Norm Roby
