This got an hour decant before being returned to the bottle for a rare BYO find in North Dallas; drinking 3 hrs after first pulling the cork. Blueberry, caramel, black cherry and cassis on the nose.
While the fruit at first is more extracted than I'd prefer, the wine comes better into balance 30 mins after reopening at the restaurant and further improves w time. Given its balance today and lack of tannins, i do wonder about its longevity but have to imagine theres no issue for the next 4-6 years.
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Massive wine with beautiful texture, but too fruity and sweet without enough savory complexity to warrant a higher score. Alcohol is also noticeable in a liqueur like way.
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Needs min 30 mins air and a slight chill which takes the edge off. It's a bit extracted/syrupy but not to the degree of the non-vineyard designate. Beautiful viscosity and the syrupy nature is mitigated by the acidity and tannins. It's blackberry liquer-like on the palate. Meets a need for sure and very enjoyable. My score is held down due to a lack of complexity and nuance. Still, a nice wine that has many years left.
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Couldn't keep my hands off these after my August bottle. Starts out good but with a couple hours of air, it gets much more complex and harmonious. There is so much going on -- flavor profile is similar to a stellar 2016 B Cellars Ehrich Vineyard cab (dark fruit, milk and dark chocolate, coffee, earthiness) I had recently but has a smoother, glassier texture. Just a fantastic QPR showing all the strengths of that fantastic 2016 vintage.
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Just a beautiful Napa cab. It strikes the balance of tasty (open red and black fruit with layers of secondary flavors) and classy (heavenly mouthfeel and body). Very nice dusty minerality adds depth. Smooth, tasty finish. Top notch QPR!
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Dinner with Dan (Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY): [Open for an hour or so before I tasted it.] Gorgeous nose of red and black fruit. Elegant, classy. Napa cab that's not overdone. Balanced, elegant, delicious.
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Purchased from the mailing list. Not sure of the cost, since it's part of the twin pack they offer. I've said it before, Lewelling is it favorite. Just what I needed on this difficult afternoon. Inky black, opaque purple in color. Unbelievable nose of dark berry pie, vanilla, oak and hints of smoke. The sweet vanilla blueberry and blackberry just jump from the glass. The palate is an unbelievable complex mix of sweet blueberries, blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, oak and chocolate. Wine just doesn't get any better than this. Thank you, Lewelling. Grade: A+
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Still really big and lucious. Needs more time but not sure it will mellow much more. Need to read my notes before opening wine in the future as my last note said to wait a few years. And other people said the same. Still a great wine.
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This isn't ready; all blueberries and and sweet spice. Not sure if this will ever be my style, but no way I would touch another bottle of this until it's 10 years old and had some time to resolve.
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Glad I "only" paid $75 for this bottle. I had a love/hate relationship with this wine. At times it seemed so sweet and heavy that it couldn't get out of its own way. Sappy and cloying. I liked the '15 better, but as I said with that wine it's a meal all by itself, it doesn't need food. Same with the '16. I'm hesitant to put a number score on this wine, but I will, a generous 91pts. I wouldn't buy again. Drink now is my advice.
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A big sturdy Cab with plenty of flavor, will be 95 in a year or two, maybe higher. Well worth the $70 I paid on a local deal, glad I took four. Will hold the other three a while to see how it develops. A delicious wine.
Day one, decanted for one hour and it came across quite rich/sweet and a little over the top. Planned to revisit on day two but unfortunately I didn’t revisit until day three - improvement on day three. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, red & black currants, and blackberry. Really smooth with a nice purity and decent depth/concentration - medium/medium plus body. Nice flavors of dark berries, some spice/licorice, and a little graphite component. Fairly long finish. Once again, the Winery typically recommends giving their entry level cab five years from the vintage date and another year or two for their Wight cab. I believe that makes sense with this vintage - a couple more years for the Wight to soften/develop further. Low 90s on day one and 93 on day three. 100% cab.
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Oh my. Where do I even begin? I just love Lewelling. Dark, inky purple almost black. Amazing nose of blue and black fruits. Sweet vanilla and Kirsch liquor. More of the same on the palate with sweet blackberry liquor, vanilla, creme de cassis, spice and plum. I get something different with each whiff and sip. Doesn't get much better than this. Grade: A
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Great black and blue fruits, sweet kirsch liquor, cinnamon, vanilla, background currant flavor, velvety texture, great balance. Love this wine. Second bottle of the night as the first one was corked pretty badly.
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Red and blue fruits, classic Napa flavor profile, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, vanilla, cinnamon, spice, very good overall, lacks the complexity right now of the great wines. Was approachable from the start, but not as good as previous vintages.
12/16/2023 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
This got an hour decant before being returned to the bottle for a rare BYO find in North Dallas; drinking 3 hrs after first pulling the cork. Blueberry, caramel, black cherry and cassis on the nose.
While the fruit at first is more extracted than I'd prefer, the wine comes better into balance 30 mins after reopening at the restaurant and further improves w time. Given its balance today and lack of tannins, i do wonder about its longevity but have to imagine theres no issue for the next 4-6 years.
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8/5/2023 - JeremyBernton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Massive wine with beautiful texture, but too fruity and sweet without enough savory complexity to warrant a higher score. Alcohol is also noticeable in a liqueur like way.
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7/16/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big guy but smooth and integrated. Needed two hours in decanter to fully open, but worth it. A lovely Napa heavyweight.
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4/27/2023 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs min 30 mins air and a slight chill which takes the edge off.
It's a bit extracted/syrupy but not to the degree of the non-vineyard designate.
Beautiful viscosity and the syrupy nature is mitigated by the acidity and tannins. It's blackberry liquer-like on the palate. Meets a need for sure and very enjoyable.
My score is held down due to a lack of complexity and nuance.
Still, a nice wine that has many years left.
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2/10/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 95 Points
A real beauty, big and bold, a mouthful of Cab flavor. No rush to drink this one, it has plenty of life ahead... should be good ten years from now.
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12/11/2022 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Couldn't keep my hands off these after my August bottle. Starts out good but with a couple hours of air, it gets much more complex and harmonious. There is so much going on -- flavor profile is similar to a stellar 2016 B Cellars Ehrich Vineyard cab (dark fruit, milk and dark chocolate, coffee, earthiness) I had recently but has a smoother, glassier texture. Just a fantastic QPR showing all the strengths of that fantastic 2016 vintage.
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9/12/2022 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a beautiful Napa cab. It strikes the balance of tasty (open red and black fruit with layers of secondary flavors) and classy (heavenly mouthfeel and body). Very nice dusty minerality adds depth. Smooth, tasty finish. Top notch QPR!
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9/7/2022 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner with Dan (Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY): [Open for an hour or so before I tasted it.] Gorgeous nose of red and black fruit. Elegant, classy. Napa cab that's not overdone. Balanced, elegant, delicious.
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3/14/2022 - sroux Likes this wine: 93 Points
Silky smooth. Jam jar fruit forward. Not a lot of tannins. Ready to drink NOW.
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2/27/2022 - mwagner7700 wrote:
Purchased from the mailing list. Not sure of the cost, since it's part of the twin pack they offer. I've said it before, Lewelling is it favorite. Just what I needed on this difficult afternoon. Inky black, opaque purple in color. Unbelievable nose of dark berry pie, vanilla, oak and hints of smoke. The sweet vanilla blueberry and blackberry just jump from the glass. The palate is an unbelievable complex mix of sweet blueberries, blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, oak and chocolate. Wine just doesn't get any better than this. Thank you, Lewelling. Grade: A+
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12/25/2021 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine:
Still really big and lucious. Needs more time but not sure it will mellow much more. Need to read my notes before opening wine in the future as my last note said to wait a few years. And other people said the same.
Still a great wine.
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3/14/2021 - Mtpisgah wrote:
As a few others have said, this is a big wine and needs time. I will hold the others for a few more years.
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3/8/2021 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 90 Points
This isn't ready; all blueberries and and sweet spice. Not sure if this will ever be my style, but no way I would touch another bottle of this until it's 10 years old and had some time to resolve.
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3/1/2021 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
Glad I "only" paid $75 for this bottle. I had a love/hate relationship with this wine. At times it seemed so sweet and heavy that it couldn't get out of its own way. Sappy and cloying. I liked the '15 better, but as I said with that wine it's a meal all by itself, it doesn't need food. Same with the '16. I'm hesitant to put a number score on this wine, but I will, a generous 91pts. I wouldn't buy again. Drink now is my advice.
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10/15/2020 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big sturdy Cab with plenty of flavor, will be 95 in a year or two, maybe higher. Well worth the $70 I paid on a local deal, glad I took four. Will hold the other three a while to see how it develops. A delicious wine.
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6/10/2020 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Day one, decanted for one hour and it came across quite rich/sweet and a little over the top. Planned to revisit on day two but unfortunately I didn’t revisit until day three - improvement on day three. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, red & black currants, and blackberry. Really smooth with a nice purity and decent depth/concentration - medium/medium plus body. Nice flavors of dark berries, some spice/licorice, and a little graphite component. Fairly long finish. Once again, the Winery typically recommends giving their entry level cab five years from the vintage date and another year or two for their Wight cab. I believe that makes sense with this vintage - a couple more years for the Wight to soften/develop further. Low 90s on day one and 93 on day three. 100% cab.
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5/29/2020 - mwagner7700 Likes this wine:
Oh my. Where do I even begin? I just love Lewelling. Dark, inky purple almost black. Amazing nose of blue and black fruits. Sweet vanilla and Kirsch liquor. More of the same on the palate with sweet blackberry liquor, vanilla, creme de cassis, spice and plum. I get something different with each whiff and sip. Doesn't get much better than this. Grade: A
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4/28/2020 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great black and blue fruits, sweet kirsch liquor, cinnamon, vanilla, background currant flavor, velvety texture, great balance. Love this wine. Second bottle of the night as the first one was corked pretty badly.
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4/28/2020 - pakabear wrote:
Corked unfortunately.
Update: Great customer service from Lewelling as expected from a classy operation.
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1/19/2020 - jjschneider Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fruit forward, smooth, enough acid to be balanced. Some oak, but moderate.
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12/26/2019 - DBenke wrote: 93 Points
Drank great. Better acidity than the standard bottling. Great fruit. Solid tanning
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11/29/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red and blue fruits, classic Napa flavor profile, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, vanilla, cinnamon, spice, very good overall, lacks the complexity right now of the great wines. Was approachable from the start, but not as good as previous vintages.
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