Home Wine U The Buzz Wine Reviews   Review Archive   Rating System Calendar Fun Stuff About Us Key Contacts Search FAQ Links		June 2007 Wine Tasting Notes: 2003 Queen of Hearts Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Barbara County. This Cabernet sauvignon is inky garnet in color. The nose starts with medium intensity coffee, smoky caramel and pencil lead. Light aromas of fleshy black currants and spice follow. On the palate, medium intensity coffee flavors are backed by light spice and vague berries. Supple and taut tannins and juicy acidity make for a sleek, smooth and velvety mouthfeel in a medium - bodied wine. A medium finish delivers black currant flavors and a bit of heat. Cumulative Score: 89 breakdown 13.9% Alcohol $12.00 Retail (from winery);        Production volume unspecified This wine offers a good juxtaposition of roasted coffee and caramel over black berries in a profile that emulates the style of Saint-Emilion. An excellent social wine as well as a pairing with red meats over the next 3 to 4 years.       Detail Tell a friend about this wine Cite this review More Queen of Hearts reviews. More on the Santa Barbara County AVA Composition: 100% Cabernet sauvignon from the Lucas& Lewellen vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos Valley. One of the 'big five' of Bordeaux reds, Cabernet sauvignon is the most widely planted of the group and over 40,000 acres are planted in the state of California. Until the 1970s, Cabernet Sauvignon was produced as a varietal wine in California. With its reputation for longevity and aging, California winemakers began to take example from their Bordeaux counterparts and blend it with other varietals. Soon, the Meritage Association was formed to foster this movement. It usually usually shows black currant, blackberry and black cherry flavors backed by cedar characteristics. Like Cabernet franc, it is not at its best in excessively cool or excessively warm climates or very rich soils. In such conditions, (and with certain vineyard practices) it tends to express more vegetative qualities and less fruit. Bell pepper and asparagus characteristics can dominate. In some cases, some relate an aroma similar to camphor, asparagus and green olive as well as spices: ginger, green peppercorn, pimento. With bottle aging, it takes on aromas of cedar, olive, cigar box, musk, mushroom, earth and leather. It is also more tannic (which in youth can give a graphite-like characteristic), longer lived and less approachable in youth than Cabernet franc. Cabernet sauvignon is known for its high levels of extract and tannin. Young varietal wines have very tight, dense structure with powerful tannins which soften somewhat with age. The 2003 year presented challenges to wine growers all over California in the form of recurring unseasonable weather and resulted in a smaller yield. The growing season started with unusually heavy spring rains, temperate weather in the summer and early autumn heat. Excessive heat affected fruit development for some. Summer cool spells also delayed maturation in other regions. Early autumn rains followed by cooler temperatures delayed harvest for some growers. This resulted in a leaner crop and red wine variety yields 10% lower than in 2002 (according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture in its Preliminary Grape Crush Report). Nevertheless, the fruit was reported to be particularly dense in flavor and expectations were high for the vintage. Over a mile long, and running along Highway 101 south of Los Alamos, the Los Alamos Valley Vineyard is planted with Rhône, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Italian varieties on soils with thick layers of clay and loam soils resembling those of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion (Bordeaux). Cooler than the Santa Ynez valley but cooler than the Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Valley's intermediate climate is ideal for growing quality grapes. Some of the vines, originating from cuttings brought over from Europe, are 25 over years old. Lucas & Lewellen also grow Cabernet sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc in the lower elevations of the south-facing Valley View Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. Total Lucas & Lewellen acreage in Santa Barbara County exceeds 400 acres. Queen of Hearts is the second wine for Lucas & Lewellen with a line of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir wines aimed at the $10 price point. “We know that 11% of the American public purchases 88% per cent of all wine. I think Queen of Hearts fits in to today’s trend of where wine consuming is and where it is going.” says winemaker Daniel Gehrs. Louis Lucas says these wines are made for "fun loving wine drinkers" and this is reflected in the label design by Bob Johnson. Sourced from Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley, the Los Alamos Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley the wines benefit from a palette of three different climate zones of Santa Barbara County.   Color  5 points Nose  3 points Palate  3 points Finish  3 points Tannins  5 points Acidity  5 points Alcohol  5 points Aging potential  2 points Overall quality  8 points Rating System explained Back to top Tell a friend about this wine! Your name: Your e-mail: Your friend's name: Your friend's e-mail: Your message: 100 character limit Send me a copy of this email redwinebuzz.com respects your privacy. The information you enter here will not be used to send unsolicited mail and, in accordance with our Privacy Policy, it will not be disclosed to any third party. Back to top. Search our wine reviews archive by: review date, vintage and winery.			Get the buzz: Wine reviews Great stories Interviews Wine education tools New content every month It's FREE! Click here
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