July 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Lucas & Lewellen Brut Sparkling Wine, Santa Barbara County.
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This brut sparkling wine is deeper golden colored with a fine perlage and foam. On the nose, it offers light citrus and notes of creamy yeast and mineral. The palate continues the same profile of light citrus, yeast and somewhat more prominent mineral. Light bodied and delicate, with zingy acidity and a fine effervescence for a soft, plush mousse. The medium finish delivers plenty of citrus. |
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Cumulative Score: 89 breakdown 12.3% Alcohol $28.00 Retail (from winery); Total production unknown. |
This is a classic dry sparker done with a light touch. Delicate, sleek and velvety, it is very nicely put together. This is a very good food companion - particularly for sushi and other seafood. Kept in the proper environment, it should keep for 3 to 4 more years. |
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Production: A 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot noir, the still wine underwent the second fermentation by the classic or Champenoise method at Domaine Carneros.
Read more about the production of Sparkling Wines.
Varieties:
DNA profiling at UC Davis indicates Chardonnay ranges from subtle to distinct – depending on winemaking style. It displays crisp aromas and flavors of apples, apricots, citrus, peaches, pears as well as tropical fruit. Floral notes of acacia are also common. Terroir can gain distinct expression in the form of flint, mineral or mint characteristics. The small, thin-skinned Chardonnay grapes tend to make wines that express traits acquired during vinification. Depending on the degree of malolactic fermentation allowed and cooperage selection, butter, cream, vanilla and hazelnuts come forward. Chardonnay also is apt to take on oak characteristics during barrel aging. Perhaps this characteristic may be the reason for the current trend of departure from an overly oaky style which were initially intended to mimic great Burgundian whites. (read more)
Pinot Noir, the noble Burgundian grape, is often described as "difficult" to grow but the wine is beautiful and complex when circumstances are favorable. It is one of the oldest grape varieties to be vinified. The tiny (~60 square miles) Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France has been the benchmark for Pinot Noir for centuries. Nonetheless, it is planted worldwide. It is often described as delicate and light bodied and having a soft texture. The aromas and flavors are the most distinct and identifiable and most complex of all varieties. Common fruit aromas are: cherry, raspberry, ripe tomato and strawberry. It can express floral notes or rose or violet. Spice is a big element of Pinot Noir: cardamom, caraway, cinnamon, cola, clove, nutmeg, pepper, rosemary and sassafras. Most California Pinot noirs made today (with some exceptions) rarely have the make up to last past a decade but with age they can show tobacco and smoke characteristics. (read more)
Vintage:
The hot 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. However, red wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This results from variables in farming, winemaking techniques (particularly the heavy-handed approach to over-the-top extraction), and AVA.
Vineyards:
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.
The 67-acre Goodchild Vineyard lies along both sides of the acclaimed Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. The vineyard soils vary from clay and gravel river deposits to more sandy or rocky hillside and hilltop sites. The cool climate of he Santa Maria Valley allows those two varieties to excel and this vineyard has been producing high quality and prize-winning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from vines planted 25 years ago. Total Lucas & Lewellen acreage in Santa Barbara County exceeds 400 acres.
Winery:
Mandolina is the line of Lucas & Lewellen wines made from Italian varieties. The fruit is sourced their Los Alamos Valley Vineyard. Daniel Gehrs is the Lead Winemaker for Mandolina - one of the three Lucas & Lewellen labels. He brings 30 years of wine making experience in northern and central California. Most notably, Daniel was head winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery. After four years, he left Zaca Mesa to focus on consulting and his own label. He currently makes wines for several labels in addition to his own (including Lucas&Lewellen, Mandolina and Queen of Hearts) and is an active consultant to other producers in the area. He sources the fruit for his grapes from all over California. Stylistically, Daniel believes wine should be a companion to food and strives to make his wines food-friendly, with with lower alcohol levels than most producers today.
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5 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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