What can I say? Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart . . . I emailed Dave Wight owner and wine maker of Lewelling suggesting that we get together to do a vertical of all his wines. Now for those that have followed my wine exploits over the last few years, it is no surprise that I would contact Dave. Lewelling wines are some of the best produced in Napa, extremely well priced and made by some of the nicest people you will ever meet (Dave's brother Doug does the vineyard management for Lewelling as well as numerous other wineries and growers in the Valley). Dave has been making Lewelling since 1992 and except for 1994 (vines were being pulled out due to phylloxera) has produced at least one and since 1997 often two wines a year (the Estate and the Wight Vineyard). I suggested that I bring half the bottles and perhaps Dave could supply some of the more scarce early bottlings. Dave being Dave quickly said no he would supply all the wine! Who am I to disagree? The vertical was a good marker for the wines as Dave usually tells people to drink the wines within 7-10 years. With the '92 having 14 years of bottle age, this was a good time to see how the older vintages are holding up.

The catch for the event was that Dave actually had to drink for a change, and we had to meet his wife Susan and finally share a proper meal. Dave offered to BBQ lamb, veggies and other assorted goodies. Being the good vegetarian that I am, I offered a few salads (of course, Lilian and her mom actually had to make them) and other items. The plan was for us to first taste in a casual way and then proceed to lunch. We tasted every vintage made except for the '93 which made for a total of 15 wines. I have posted my tasting notes about the bottles at the bottom of the page. For those that own Lewelling wines, you will be pleased with the results and for those that are not on the mailer, I would suggest getting on the list ASAP. The next mailer is for the '04 (Estate and Wight Vineyard) which Dave is very high on and which mark a departure for Lewelling as all the wines were raised in 100% new oak (Dave likes a mixture of toasts and coopers). Click on any of the photos for a larger version.

The tasting was conducted inside and after the heat wave in Napa the week before (three days around 107), we were fortunate to have lovely weather. The tasting was a relaxed, non-blind format in which everyone determined their pace with the wines (Doug is the Olympic champion of tasting going through all the bottles in record time!). After the tasting, we had lunch outside and relaxed and drank for most of the day. Later, Doug's daughter Haley (standing in the bottom photo) who works at Terra Valentine (another winery we really like). Her husband, Erik, works with Doug in the vineyard management side of the business. A former coworker of Haley's dropped by to taste as well. Rounding out the group was the lovely and charming Susan (who makes a killer lentil salad) and Lilian's parents and brother Pablo.

On to the tasting notes . . .

1992 Lewelling Estate (13.5%): This wine was a bit of an accident. The Wights had been selling fruit to Caymus for years and in 1992 Chuck Wagner offered Caymus facilities to make the wine in exchange for some fruit. The wine shows bricking and maturity. Somewhat earthy nose with a stewed tomato odor. Nice entry with red fruit and cherry cola. Fairly short finish. This was the only wine we tried that was made prior to the re-planting. Drink Now.

1995 Lewelling Estate (13.5%) Nice lovely garnet color with no noticeable bricking. Sweet cherry nose with red fruits. Unlike the '92, plenty of stuffing left with chewy tannins which somewhat overwhelm the fruit. A bit higher acidity. Drink Now-2 years.

1996 Lewelling Estate(13.5%): A bit lighter in color than the '95 with more of an earthy, mushroom nose. Nice entry with resolved tannins but brighter fruit than the '95. To me, a bit like the '92 and '95 combined and a very nice wine for the near drinking. Drink Now-3 years.

1997 Lewelling Estate (14.2%): Dave indicated that this was the only wine that he has made in which he finished the wine in new heavy toast barrels. This wine also shows a departure in terms of alcohol levels. A dark magenta color. Much darker than any of the previous bottlings. A nose of tobacco and cedar. The wine has good grip with a great red fruit profile. Now-5 years.

1997 Lewelling Wight (14.2%): This was the first Wight Dave made. As I have indicated before in earlier postings, the Wight does not represent a different vineyard than the Estate but is made-up of barrels that are judged to be superior and generally see all new oak. This is the reason why the alcohol levels in the Estate and the Wight are almost always identical. Fantastic vibrant nose of cherry pie and raspberry. Unlike previous bottlings, I found more of a black fruit profile with an intense cassis and licorice finish. Good grip promises a long life. Drink Now-10 years.

1998 Lewelling Estate (14.3%): Deep purple color and a very sweet nose with pronounced butterscotch. Great red candied fruits with a nice finish. Considering the year, a real achievement. Drink Now-7 years.

1998 Lewelling Wight (14.3%): Opaque color with a nice toasty nose of almonds and coconut. Red and black fruit profile that was simply luscious. I thought that the '98 was drinking better than the '97 at this point. Drink Now-10 years.

1999 Lewelling Estate (14.8%): After making the Wight for two consecutive vintages, no Wight was produced in '99. This is the only Lewelling that contains Merlot (about 10% or so). This wine was totally unique in the tasting and has long been a favorite of mine. The wine is opaque and black as night. The Merlot gives the wine a very distinctive flavor from other Lewelling bottlings. The wine has a mocha and chocolate covered cherry profile. The wine at first tasted very young with noticeable toast and coconut. A really fun wine. Drink Now-9 years.

2000 Lewelling Estate (14.6%): This was a wine which when I first tasted it was a ringer for a left bank Bordeaux. Initially, the wine was a bit tight and closed, but it has come around beautifully. The wine is not as deep colored as previous bottlings. Perhaps this is because the '00 comes from a fairly cold vintage. The nose smells earthy with spice and a touch of tapenade. A bit bretty with red cola and slight blackberry fruit. A wine that I continue to enjoy. Drink now-7 years.

2001 Lewelling Estate (14.5%): Beautiful dark purple color. A complete nose and a wine that is still a bit primary. The entry is a step up from previous bottlings. This is a full-bodied wine with a seductive sweetness. Just a great wine. Drink now-10 years.

2001 Lewelling Wight (14.8%): This was the wine that Parker gave all the accolades to and that caused a rush on Lewelling. I had tried the '01 Estate on many occasions but this was my first time with the '01 Wight. Wow! This wine is as black as night with so much complexity. It takes the great '01 Estate and adds a few layers--the wine had an incredible mid palate and finish that just went on and on. Drink Now-15 years.

2002 Lewelling Estate (14.8%): The '02 Estate is a wine I have had a couple of times, and it needs a bit more bottle age to really come around. Similar in style to the '01 with perhaps not as much going on and less full-bodied. More along the red fruit spectrum. Drink in a year-10 years.

2002 Lewelling Wight (14/8%): Much darker in color than the '02 Estate with a very spicy nose. Still very young and needs time to develop in the bottle. Drink in a year-13 years.

2003 Lewelling Estate (14.8%): This was a wine that I had immediately after bottling which was a bit tight. Six months later I re-tasted it and it has begun to blossom and was fantastic. Incidentally, this wine is the first with a Cab Franc component (I believe that the '04 also has a bit of Cab Franc). This wine still tastes young and primary with the typical red fruit profile. Drink in a year-10 years.

2003 Lewelling Wight (14.8%): I tasted this wine in December and loved it. Perhaps because it was at the end of a long tasting, but it did not stand out as much. Perhaps it is going through a bit of a dumb phase (or was that me?). The wine aromatically was closed down and not giving much on the palate. Given what I tasted in December, I am sure that this wine will come around. Drink in a year-10 years.

Concluding Thoughts:

I think that Dave's rule of thumb to hold them no longer than 7 to 10 years is true for some bottlings, but other bottles have the stuffing to go even further. If you have the '92 and '95, drink them up now. The '96 still has some time to go. As for the modern period of Lewelling wine making, some tasters thought that '99 marked a change while others saw '00. As a pair, the '01s were perhaps drinking the best followed for me by the surprising '98s. I think that the wines from '97 onward show a consistent style.

I find that I enjoy the cooler climate years (e.g., '98 and '00) as much as the heralded vintages (e.g., '01 and '02). I find that typically, Lewelling wines display a red fruit profile but in cooler years take on more of a black fruit profile.

While Dave releases the wines usually three years after the vintage (the '03s will be released in October 2006), the bottles really need an additional year or more to show their stuff. While some bottles are fun to drink immediately, in most cases additional bottle age is rewarded.

Re-tasting the wines throughout the day shows that they change not only with time in the bottle but as they sit in the glass. I find that the wines gain greater complexity with additional air time.

The Wight bottling is normally my favorite, but depending on the year, the Estate can actually drink better (the '97 Estate for example bested the '97 Wight). I think that Dave's policy of offering the bottles in pairs is great as it gives the purchaser a chance to taste the two bottlings side-by-side over time. The Wight is not a "superior" wine but is a different wine due to the oak treatment. Depending on the year and age, the Estate can give the Wight a run for its money.

As someone who has been purchasing and drinking Lewelling for years, the tasting confirmed Dave and Doug's commitment to produce the best wine possible. Given the amazing heritage of the family and the vines, I hope to be drinking Lewelling for many years to come.