TN: 2006 Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)

WINE TALK
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  • 2006 Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (12/25/2009)
    My first Lewelling. An outstanding but young California Cabernet, surprisingly easy to drink despite its young age. Red fruit and roasted meat with a smooth mouth feel and nice pure dark red color. No mouth-imploding tanins. A tiny bit of chocolate and vanilla bean on the palate but no obvious oakiness. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Bottle variation, possibly…I said before that I recall the first bottle not being so oaky, while the second was an oakshake…ugh.

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It would not surprise me to see btl variation of some sort on the regular lewelling cabernet.

Not on the Wight Vyd wine, just the regular stuff.

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I opened a bottle of this last night and thought it was a pretty damn good cab for the price point. It also needs a few years.

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It would ruin Pobega’s signature, but I can’t see any other way to explain it either. However, this would be the first time I’ve experienced bottle variation in terms of oak…

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Convenient untruisms.

[basic-smile.gif]

Listen, you had it (the first) with wonderful company and food, then you had the second and approached it from a more scientific angle. Thats when it went pear-shaped.
I am a believer that ‘tasting’ wines ruin them from actually drinking them.

I am working an the corresponding thesis.

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You go, boy!

I had the second with company and food, too, btw - just making sure you had the correct data for your ‘thesis’…

neener

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Gotta give a guy some credit for trying. headbang

Anywho, I have adjusted my sig line.

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OK Todd, in the interest of science I will kill one tonight to see about this Oak shake you bemoan.

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Better open two - they might be vastly different…

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I will start with one. You need a base to have a successful comparison.

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Jack, open two, mix them in a magnum decanter and see if they are only 50% as oaky as Todd says they are. OCA-Oak Cost Averaging

Man, I wish I had one to try tonight as well. This could be fun. Maybe aven beat Victors Negami thread.
Open That 2006 Lewelling Night!

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Where’s that ban button again?

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OK I have a handle on this oak issue now.
When I was poured this wine at the Vineyard in August, Haley had both the regular and Wight bottles previously decanted for over two hours waiting for me. That was the suggested means of preparation for serving all young wines at the vineyard. I don’t know if you decanted Todd or how long you decanted if you did, but I tasted a small amount of the wine when I opened it and the fruit was lush and fresh but the mocha infused wall of oak was very prevalent and detracting from the wine. I would not have wanted to drink it then.
With over two hours in an open decanter, not a slow ox, the oak merged into the wine nicely adding only a lovely and tolerable mocha and vanillin flavor. This is a brand new wine and the oak will integrate in a year or two as it has in other vintages.
I don’t doubt that if not properly decanted, some bottles will show less of the oak due to the enormous presence of the dark fruit in this regular bottling. thereby giving a perception of bottle variance. The wine should not be consumed at this stage without a proper decanting. I realize that Jay ordered the wine from a restaurant list so that ideal decanting cannot be given under that circumstance.
Ideally give this and all other Lewelling regular Cabs a year or two before opening.
JB flirtysmile flirtysmile flirtysmile flirtysmile

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Thanks, Jack.

Mystery solved. Todd needs a decanter an some patience. [swoon.gif]

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Patience is for the weak!!!

Oooo rah!!!

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Hooyah!

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Todd, the regular bottling is 100% used oak, wimp. Oooo rah this. pepsi

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Friggin classic. [winner.gif]

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