Lewelling Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley
Vineyard Site: 1/2 mile south of St. Helena on Lewelling Lane, an alluvial fan at the base of the western foothills
Soil: Bale gravelly loam
Vines: Cabernet Sauvignon on 110R rootstock
Trellis: Vertical, 7-wire; 5’ x 9’ vine spacing; cane pruned
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Case Production: 708 Cases
pH: 3.90
TA (g/100ml): 0.57
Harvest Date: October 3, 2016
Brix at Harvest: 27.0
Aging: 20 months in 70% new French oak barrels
Finishing: Bottled unfined and filtered on May 2018
Release Date: September 15, 2019
Tasting Notes
This precocious vintage leaps from the glass with a flourish of dark berry, plus cocoa, vanilla, pencil shaving, and tarragon, then finishes with a gripping spice.
Review
“Starting with the larger production (but we're only talking 700 cases), the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon comes all from the estate and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in 70% new French oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. This sensational effort's purity and balance is something to behold, offering a smorgasbord of creme de cassis, blueberries, tobacco leaf, lavender, damp forest floor, and spring flower-like nuances that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Full-bodied, multi-dimensional, concentrated yet weightless, it's a stunning Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that does everything right. Drink it any time over the coming 15+ years.”
Jeb Dunnuck | January 2019 | 94 pts