Hensel West Riverbound Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2025

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.