
As Pinot Noir goes, this is quite simply a very pretty wine. Sure, that’s not the sort of descriptor that most reviews use, but it is accurate. Subtle, soft, almost subversive, this is a Pinot that doesn’t announce itself, it doesn’t brag, it simply waits in the glass for you to try it. There is noticeable but subdued fruit; black cherry, pomegranate, Rainer cherry, light strawberry, pomegranate but they are wonderfully melded together so that nothing stands out – except for the quality of the wine in your glass at that moment. The acidity works its way through the wine, the oak is unobtrusive - in short this is a wine that demands attention by virtue of the fact that it isn’t over the top. Four clones comprise the wine; Calera, Swan, 115, and 667. The wine was aged in French oak for 14 months, only 35% of those barrels were new, thus allowing the fruit to beautifully express itself. In a world where many California Pinot Noirs are aggressive, Whitehall Lane creates this introverted and utterly pleasurable wine.