Full-bodied, with creamy, mocha-laced oak, currant, mineral, tobacco and plum flavors that are bold yet elegant, focused and polished, ending with a long, lingering finish.
Reviews:
- Decanter: Deep, extracted and very much the brooding young Cabernet, this latest from Lewis makes no pretense to prettiness or near-term enjoyment at this point, but it has all of the pieces in place and is sure to grow into a real stunner with age. Its generous fruit, loamy soil spice and creme brulee oak are backed up by plenty of nerve and lots of stern tannins, yet it is always rich, never overly tough or harsh, and its taming is certain to come with time. Five to seven years seems the minimum, but there is room here for at least a decade of positive growth.
- James Suckling: Offers wonderful complexity, richness, depth and finesse. Full-bodied, with creamy, mocha-laced oak, currant, mineral, tobacco and plum flavors that are bold yet elegant, focused and polished, ending with a long, lingering finish.
Producer Information
Lewis Cellars is a winery in California’s Napa Valley, producing around 9000 cases of wine a year. Its wines, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, have attracted a small but devoted following for the winery, and consistently high scores from wine critics. Lewis Cellars was founded in 1992 by by Randy and Debbie Lewis. Randy Lewis fell in love with wine during his time as a race car driver in Europe and, after crashing into a wall during a qualifying trial at the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, decided to pursue winemaking full time. He founded Oakville Ranch Vineyards with Bob Miner, co-founder of Oracle and a former sponsor. However, when Miner was diagnosed with cancer in 1994, he suggested Lewis create his own winery. Lewis’s son Dennis joined the team in 1999. The Lewis portfolio has a range of wines sourced from select vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma. Its most famous wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon – the Reserve Cabernet has won numerous accolades and the Cuvee L, a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, serves as Lewis’s flagship wine. There is also a range of highly regarded wines made from Chardonnay, the most notable of which is the Barcaglia Lane cuvée sourced from Russian River Valley. All of the Chardonnays see 100-percent new French oak and go through 100-percent malolactic fermentation, creating creamy, full-bodied wines.
