Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Sauvignon, Valley View, Santa Ynez Valley 2019
Overview
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The core of this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, with small percentages of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The result is a distinctive and refined wine with layers of blackberry and fig jam notes, with silky tannins and a long finish. |
Wine Facts
VITICULTURE: The vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen are located in the three principal wine grape growing regions of Santa Barbara County. These valley vineyards benefit from a transverse mountain range topography, and an east-west orientation that channels cool ocean air from the Pacific into the coastal valleys. Warm days and cool nights produce a long and gentle growing season. The warm- climate Valley View Vineyard slopes gently toward the Santa Ynez River and features well-drained fine sand and gravely loam soils.
VINIFICATION: The wine is ultimately barrel-aged for 21 months in French Oak (40% new, 60% neutral).
FAMILY: Louis Lucas and Royce Lewellen were friends before they were ever business partners. One of their common interests was their love of Santa Barbara County. Louis had been a successful grape grower for many years, and had the reputation to match, while Royce was a judge and dreamer who imagined what Santa Barbara could be as a wine region. They banded together to create Lucas & Lewellen Wines. Today, Michael Lewellen, Royce’s son, is the managing partner, making Lucas & Lewellen a second-generation family-owned winery. The Lucas & Lewellen vineyards have become legendary for lovers of premium wines from Santa Barbara County since 1975.
Santa Barbara’s topography is unlike any other wine region. The east-west orientation of the mountain range forms a valley opening directly to the Pacific Ocean. That cool ocean breeze is a hallmark of the Santa Barbara climate, and one that Louis and Royce wanted to highlight in their wines. They acquired the three vineyards that have myriad microclimates, from cool Santa Maria Valley to moderate Los Alamos Valley, known for fresh and vibrant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to warmer Santa Ynez Valley, which produces stellar Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Producer: Lucas & Lewellen
Region: Santa Ynez Valley, California
Country: United States
Wine Composition: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: .06 G/L
pH: 3.68
Press Highlights
2019: 94 Pts - Tasting Panel, Jan 20242019: 90 Pts - Wine Enthusiast, Apr 2023
2016: 90 Pts - Wine Enthusiast, May 2019
2015: 91 Pts ‘Editor's Choice’ - Wine Enthusiast, July 2018
2013: 91 Pts ‘Editor's Choice’ - Wine Enthusiast, Dec 2016