Wine Advisor
Inglenook, Blancaneaux 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 36% Viognier, 32% Marsanne and 32% Roussanne, the 2016 Blancaneaux delivers subtle notions of Bosc pears, Golden Delicious apples and honeysuckle with touches of coriander seed and white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with a lovely satiny texture and a fantastic line of freshness lifting the delicately played fruits with a persistent, perfumed finish. 912 cases produced.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
A Rhône-inspired blend of 36% Viognier, 32% Marsanne and 32% Roussanne, the 2016 Blancaneaux was fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel and oak, spending seven months on the lees prior to racking for bottling. Scents of struck match and pencil shavings mark the nose, joining aromas of toasted marshmallow, pear and citrus. In the mouth, this medium-bodied effort is nicely textured, then adds notes of citrus pith and seems almost a bit salty on the finish. It appears to have several good years still ahead of it.
About the Producer
Inglenook's Chateau winery is completed. Conceived to be a state-of-the-art facility, the Chateau's design is based on gravity-flow, one of the first of its type in Napa Valley, and includes an early form of rebar—using cable from cable-cars in San Francisco—to stave off earthquake tremors and to help the building shift safely during the crush process. True to his fastidious nature in each step of the winemaking process, Niebaum devises California's first grape-sorting table and also installs the state's first bottling line to ensure the wines' provenance from growth to bottle, the latter always bearing the California Pure Wine Stamp and secured with an intricate wire maze to guarantee the wine's integrity.
