Wilson Daniels
Whitehall Lane Rassi Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 750ml
Whitehall Lane Rassi Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 750ml
USA : CALIFORNIA : SONOMA VALLEY
SUSTAINABLE : Cabernet Sauvignon
FULL-BODIED, CASSIS, BLACK CHERRY, DARK PLUM, OAK
The Rassi Vineyard sits on the eastern slope of Sonoma Valley at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains — a hillside site in gravelly, sandy loam that gets full afternoon sun throughout the long, warm growing season. The Leonardini family purchased the 16-acre parcel in 2012; Whitehall Lane has been family-owned since 1979, with Tom Leonardini Sr. and his son and daughter running the operation today. All Whitehall Lane vineyards are farmed sustainably using no-till practices and sheep grazing.
The 2020 vintage in Sonoma was defined by drought stress, heat spikes, and early harvest — 25–30% of the regional crop was lost to smoke taint. The fruit that made it through is dense and concentrated. Grapes were destemmed, hot-fermented at 82°F for full extraction, then aged 20 months in 30% new French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The result has the structure of a Napa cab in a Sonoma body — dark fruit, silky tannins, cedar-edged finish — at a price that reflects the valley, not the other side of the mountains.
PAIRINGS :
| Beef tenderloin with blackberry dressing | dark fruit mirrors the berry reduction; tannins handle the protein |
| Braised short ribs | full extraction and 20 months of oak give this enough weight for long-cooked beef |
| Aged cheddar or manchego | fat cuts the tannins; cedar-oak register matches the nutty texture of aged hard cheese |
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