Lewis Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 Front Label
Lewis Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The 1998 harvest took some of those same steely nerves required for an Indy 500 qualifying run. In early October many predicted it would rain out the rest of harvest and many wineries picked. We looked at the maturity of our grapes and reasoned: if we pick now, we'll make an ordinary wine; if we wait and get rained out, we'll make an awful wine; BUT, if we wait and gain further ripening, we'll make an exciting wine! We waited, and the weather held, giving the grapes long hang-time, mature seeds, soft skins and truly ripe fruit. Our 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is dark, concentrated and rich, with mouth-coating, mature tannins and lots of spicy oak.

Professional Ratings

    Lewis Cellars

    Lewis Cellars

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    One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.

    Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.

    TOM39412_1998 Item# 39412