Hensel West Riverbound Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2024

Some wines carry their history quietly. Others announce a new chapter the moment you pull the cork. Hensel West, Will Phelps’ debut project, does both. After the 2022 sale of Joseph Phelps Vineyards to LVMH, Will stepped away from the family estate and into uncharted territory. For a third-generation vintner whose childhood was shaped in the vineyards and cellars of one of Napa’s most influential wineries, this was more than a career shift. It was an inflection point; a chance to honor his lineage without being defined by it. What emerged is Hensel West: a project built not on nostalgia, but on purpose.

Working alongside acclaimed winemaker Ashley Hepworth, herself a pillar of the Phelps legacy, Will sought out parcels of land that hold deep family resonance. The Riverbound Vineyard in the heart of Yountville, owned by Tom Gamble, has long been a quiet source of beautifully expressive fruit.

The 2024 West Riverbound Sauvignon Blanc is a striking debut. Tension and texture are the pillars here: citrus blossom, white peach, and cool river-stone minerality layered over a core of vibrant acidity. There's a precision to the wine that feels unmistakably Ashley—but also a freshness and lift that signals Will's vision for the future. It's Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with intention: sleek, energetic, and beautifully balanced. What we love most is how the wine bridges eras. It nods to where the Phelps story began while pointing decisively to where it's headed: historic land, a renewed purpose, and a new voice rising from one of Napa's foundational families.