I bought 2 2-packs. First vintage for me was 2010 and have bought ever since (although feel like I was ripped off for 2011-even though there was no Wight cab and just the regular release).
How do you break out the price of the wines, to determine that the Wight Cab has to be the best QPR in Napa (note sure about that one). $40 and $64? $50 and $54?? $52 and $52?
The thing is, the regular cab is no slouch, so I don’t like to under-value it. However, the Wight is an exceptional wine. I think $65 / $39 is fair.
IMO, the non-Wight is just as good, if not better than, Chappellet Signature which is a $50+ wine today, and I personally prefer the Wight to Chap’s Pritchard Hill, which is a $150+ wine these days.
I have a hard time thinking of a Napa Cab I like more for $65, especially one being produced by a small family with a relatively low production. Even with $7 shipping and buying a year out, I just can’t think of an alternative I prefer for the price.
Good point, CJ. However, Wine-searcher shows the 2012 Wight ranging from $70 - $130 and the regular cab from $48 - $90, so something is a little off there.
However, the 2007 non-wight bottling is truly awful. Somehow the Wight bottling from the same year is very good. Not sure what happened to cause that difference, but it is definitely there.
The Wight family has owned the land for quite a while and maintains incredibly fair prices. For me, it is absolutely an amazing QPR. In addition, they have barely raised the prices over the last few years. They sell the vast majority of their grapes to many premium producers who charge far more for the finished product than Lewelling does. I feel, personally, that they could charge the pair price for the Wight bottling independently and yet they don’t. That is the beauty of owning the land for many years and not being obsessed with pulling out every possible dollar for their wine. Again, I am amazed as to how people trip all over themselves to buy XYZ first vintage Napa cab for crazy prices and yet seem to overlook the Napa veterans. Again just MNSHO and YMMV. As an aside, I just opened a 2004 regular bottling and it was drinking beautifully.
I guess it is quite obvious that I am a fan!!
We got our 2 cases ordered up of this. I can’t say enough great things about the people behind the operation.
For a couple of tasting notes, we opened a 99 Lewelling last Friday, and while clearly starting to show it’s age, and on the slope to becoming a very mature and aged wine, it still showed classic Lewelling fruits, with tannins that will allow the wine to go a few more years without risk of fading away. That being said, for my tastes, the wine probably peaked 2 years ago or so. On the flip side, we had an 04 Wight vineyard last night at House of Prime Rib, and it was simply amazing. At 12 years, showing no signs of entering mid-life. Color was still very dark, no signs of bricking. The tannins and fruit were coming together nicely, and it held up great to the Prime Rib. Easily a 40+ second finish.