INGLENOOK
Blancaneaux
2014
About this winery
Founded by a successful Finnish sea Captain, Gustave Niebaum, in the 1880’s, Inglenook Estate in Rutherford California was once the most highly regarded of the earliest, great Napa Valley estate wineries. Over the years the estate passed through the hands of Niebaum’s descendants. Eventually the family started to sell off plots of the historic homestead. Even the proud name was put on the market in 1964 and sold to a corporation as merely a brand name. But in 1975, Francis Ford Coppola...
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Product notes
Blancaneaux, a white Rhone-style blend of estate-grown Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier, was created in 1999 as the partner to Rubicon, Inglenook’s premier red wine. Produced in extremely limited quantities from the 6.5 acres of white grapes grown on the property at the base of Mt. St. John, all three varietals come from vines that are more than ten years old and now showing signs of maturity by revealing more profuse aromatics, richer textures, and complex flavors.
Production notes
Blancaneaux grapes are harvested by hand early morning in order to preserve the fruit’s natural acidity and delicate fragrance. A high percentage of the first pressed juice was used in the blend, which we fermented cold in small stainless steel vessels.
Tasting notes
2014 Blancaneaux is extremely expressive. This year’s blend is made up of more than 50% Viognier, which creates a heightened fragrance of exotic flavors that include pineapples and white peaches. Round in the mouth and almost bold in its delivery of aromatics, the wine exhibits a freshness from the ideal balance of natural acidity. Enjoy impressions of Meyer lemon, papaya, and tropical fruits along with a hint of minerality from the Roussanne and Marsanne.