Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Franc Santa Barbara County 2020
Overview
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Cabernet Franc is a very old variety which is still dominant in parts of the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Warm summer temperatures allowed these grapes to fully ripen, giving this wine color, body, flavor and aroma. This Cabernet Franc offers a beautiful, deep-ruby color and is slightly oaky. It exhibits notes of warm earth, dark chocolate, and sage, followed by ripe, chewy tannins and a long rich finish. |
Wine Facts
VITICULTURE: Cabernet Franc is grown in the winery’s 40-acre Valley View Vineyard. This warm climate vineyard slopes gently toward the Santa Ynez River and features well drained fine sand and gravely loam soils. The lower elevation of this south-facing vineyard produces some of Santa Barbara County's best Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
VINIFICATION: The wine is ultimately barrel-aged for 22 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: 100% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: 0.6 G/L
pH: 3.72
Region: Santa Ynez Valley, California
Country: United States
Wine Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: 0.6 G/L
pH: 3.72
Press Highlights
2021: 91 Pts - Wine Enthusiast, Nov 20242017: 91 Pts 'Cellar Selection' - Wine Enthusiast, June 2020
2016: 90 Pts - Wine Enthusiast, Sept 2019