Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Lewis adds to its portfolio of success in 2006 with yet another rich, wonderfully deep and highly characterful Chardonnay. This one comes with all of the extract and lavish oak shown by its siblings, and it shows a singular spark of brightness that speaks to its cool-climate origins. It is quite full-bodied but is very vital as well and never so much as hints at heaviness. It firms up at the finish and shows the kind of structure that we look for in ageworthy wines, and, as tasty as it is now, it seems destined to improve for several more years.
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Wine Spectator
Smells rich and perfumed, with intense, elegant pear, honeysuckle and honeydew melon flavors that turn sleek and refined on the long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2011. 400 cases made.
For more than 30 years, Lewis Cellars has handcrafted wines that epitomize the intense flavors and bold character of the world-renowned Napa Valley. Opulent, voluptuous, and unapologetically provocative, their wines are for the true connoisseur who isn't afraid to go big. Guided by a meticulous, hands-on approach, Lewis has perfected the art of sensory winemaking, ensuring each bottle is both distinctive and unforgettable. To taste a Lewis Cellars wine is to immerse yourself in a multi-sensory experience—where sight, aroma, flavor, and finish intertwine in a seamless dance of complexity and intrigue, compelling you to take another sip. With a legacy built on excellence, Lewis Cellars has earned its place among Napa's finest, with – as Wine Spectator notes – "a record of excellence that few California wineries can rival."
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.