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: 2004 Queen of Hearts Merlot, Santa Barbara County. Dark smoky garnet in color, this Merlot has very good clarity. On the nose, medium intensity aromas of coffee, caramel precede lighter plum aromas and notes of pencil shavings. In the mouth, intense coffee flavors are followed by spice and oak notes. Medium bodied owing to well proportioned acids and light tannins and restrained alcohol, this wine has a smooth, sleek and juicy mouthfeel. The wine concludes with a dry, modest finish of plum flavors. Cumulative Score: 87 breakdown 12.8% Alcohol $12.00 Retail (from winery);        Production volume unspecified This 2004 Merlot offers a very nice roasted coffee - dominated profile that is both interesting and intriguing. For some, the spice over fruit character might seem one-dimensional. Still, this wine is a very good value, great alone or with BBQ or other red meats - grilled or otherwise - 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: 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet franc from the Lucas& Lewellen vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos Valley. Merlot has a flavor profile similar to Cabernet sauvignon, but displays less distinctive and slightly more herbaceous aromas and flavors. Because of its lower tannins and more forward fruit, it is more approachable than Cabernet sauvignon. Although it is beloved by many for its approachability and is a dominant part of California and Bordeaux red wines, Merlot is fickle about its weather: it requires a moderate and dry growing region and climate to be at its best. Merlot shows more of the green and herbaceous characteristics when either under- or over- ripe. DNA analysis shows Cabernet franc is, along with Sauvignon Blanc, the “parent” of Cabernet sauvignon. It is one of the five main Bordeaux grapes used for making red wines. Although it tends to display more fruit and less tannins than Cabernet sauvignon, it may become more herbal depending on vineyard management practices. It is much more often used as part of a blend – most traditionally in Bordeaux or Meritage blends as well as unconventional blends with Rhône varieties, Cal-Itals and Super Tuscans. Cabernet franc displays raspberry, cherry, plum, strawberry, floral notes of violet and sometimes spice 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. 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  2 points Finish  2 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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