Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah 2009

Lewis Cellars Ethan's Napa Valley Syrah 2009

Son Alec and Viv are home, visiting from NYC. We grilled filet steaks with baked potatoes and opened this Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah. Our normal go-to wine with Alec is his signature namesake Alec's Blend from Lewis. Trolling the cellar, adjacent to the Alec's blend rack was the column of Ethan's so he pulled that to introduce this Lewis label, another of our favorites. 

Lewis Cellars are one of our favorite Napa producers with their 'L' branding and labels named for their grandkids, and their Indiana 500 racer heritage. 

Founded in Oakville, Napa Valley, in 1992 by Debbie and Randy Lewis, they own no vineyards but source their grapes from contract growers around the region from Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oak Knoll, and Carneros in Napa Valley to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma. The Oak Knoll estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Lewis produce 9,000 cases annually. Paul Hobbs was their original winemaker, but today the winemaker is Brian Mox. 

Despite not owning their own vineyard sources, they hold long-term contracts so they have developed a top reputation as California wine writer James Laube cites "all the estate’s wines are of unusually high quality.” 

Indeed, Lewis Napa Valley Cabernet 2013 was the Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year in 2016. That vintage also received a 100 point Robert Parker rating, the first wine to accomplish both accolades in the same year

Our visit and private tasting at the Lewis Estate Chateau was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2017. 


Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Ethan's Syrah 2009

Like Alec's Blend, this is named for one of Lewis' grandsons. Unlike Alec's Blend, it is 100% Napa Valley Syrah. 

This is bold, fruit forward and concentrated in the full throttle style that we love.

This release got 94 points from Wine Spectator. Four hundred and seventy five cases were produced. 

This is dark inky blackish purple colored, full-bodied, intense, concentrated, rich, briary black fruits accented by mineral, vanilla, nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon spice leading to ripe but firm tannins that linger with the spice on the finish. This lacks finesse or polish as there is a slight edge to this that detracts a bit from the overall experience.

Ironically, according to our Cellartracker tasting notes, the last time we tasted this was a year ago to this day, on Father's Day weekend when I wrote, "At ten years, this is starting to show its age a bit with a slight bit of an edge and alcohol heat, hence deducting a point from my previous score. I attribute this to age although it could be a bottle variation but I doubt it." 

As is so often the case, my tasting notes were consistent and I gave this the same score as earlier. 

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/06/fathers-day-special-dinner-features.html

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1190459&searchId=2459

Lewis Ethan's Syrah - Piazza Del Dotto Sangiovese

Lewis Cellars Ethan’s Syrah 2016 Del Dotto Sangiovese 2015 Angeli's Italian

As a warmup, but prior to going into the city for our anniversary weekend getaway, we dined at our favorite local neighborhood trattoria Angeli's Italian. We took BYOB two of our favorite easy drinking wines for the occasion. We were joined by son Sean and Michelle. 

The two of our favorite wines that we took are both drinking superbly at this time and while young, they will not likely improve significantly with further aging. I wrote recently about the joy's and challenges of selecting wines at the right time during their aging profile.

Piazza Del Dotto Napa Valley Sangiovese 2015 

We tasted and acquired this wine during our Del Dotto Estate Cave Tour and Tasting last year. 

A perfect complement to the Angeli's Italian cuisine, this Italian varietal Sangiovese from Napa Valley has become our 'go-to' wine as our regular BYOB selection when dining there. It goes especially well with two of my favorite regular dishes there, the Veal Marsala and the Portabello Mushroom Ravioli, both with a brown sauce.

This was delicious and everyone loved it making me wish I had more than the single case we  acquired on release.

I did acquire more, albeit of the follow on 2016 vintage during our visit to Piazza Del Dotto during our Napa Wine Experience 2018. 

Our first recorded tasting note of the 2015 was when we first took it BYOB to Angeli's. 

My notes from a previous tasting three months ago. "This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this was delicious with sweet ripe raspberry fruits accented by notes of vanilla and almond with supple smooth silky tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 92 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2579868

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/08/del-dotto-piazza-sangiovese-at-angelis.html

We added another favorite wine to the special evening ...

Lewis Cellars, Ethans Syrah 2016. 

Wine Buddy and fellow Pour Boy Bill, and Beth, visited from Charlotte and brought this wine BYOB for our dinner together at Angeli's. We enjoyed it so much I picked up some for the cellar and brought this tonight for our dinner. 

We visited Lewis Cellars together during our  Pour Boys' 2017 Napa Wine Experience . 

I've often written in these pages about the fun we have with this branding, with its signature 'L' on the label, ala Laverne and Shirley, or wife Linda, or her mother Lucy, or our daughter Erin Leigh, or her daughter, our first grandchild/daughter Lucy!

That coupled with the Hoosier heritage of Randy Lewis, Indy 500 race driver from our native Indiana, and, their affinity to family, naming labels after their grandkids - Alec, Ethan and Mason,  we adopted Alec's Blend as a signature label for son Alec and feature it at family celebrations, we more often than not open Lewis wines for family occasions, such as tonight.

This label, Ethan's Syrah, is made from cooler-climate vines, from mountain fruit crafted from small lots selected from Mt. Veeder and Pritchard Hill at the south end of the Vaca range on the eastern range, and Mayacamas range, respectively, on the western range forming and overlooking Napa Valley in between. 

Lewis Cellars Syrah is a nod to the great Rhône wines it's modeled after. It is aged in American oak. 

We love Lewis' style of big, spicy, concentrated wines that are balanced, yet full of black fruit and mature, mouth-coating tannins.

This was stunningly good. Dark inky blackish purple, full bodied, concentrated, rich, the 100% Syrah fruit explodes in the mouth with flavors of ripe blackberries and blueberries, notes of spice, smoke and toast. and spice, tongue coating, chewy tannins on the long finish. Spectacular! 

RM 94 points. 

Winemaker's notes on this wine, "Savory  and  sweet  with  ripe  boysenberry  and  blue  fruit, lavender,  pancetta  and  white  truffle,  it  exudes  an  earthy,  engaging  character.  Vivid,  clean  and focused   on   the   palate,   the   wine  finishes   with  a  flourish  of  mineral   and  white  pepper."

Wine Spectator also gave this 94 points; "Plush yet well-structured, with luxurious blackberry, mocha and smoky spice flavors that build richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. — T.F."

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3060607

https://www.lewiscellars.com/

Father's Day Special Dinner features favorite BBQ Ribs, Syrah and Zin

Father's Day Special Dinner features favorite BBQ Ribs, Lewis Ethan's Syrah and Robert Biale Black Chicken Zin

For Father's Day family dinner, Linda prepared one of my favorite summer dishes, BBQ ribs, with corn on the cob, baked beans, mashed potatos and green beans. I pulled from the cellar a family oriented Lewis Cellars Ethans Syrah, named for producers' grandson.

I've written much in these pages about the fun we have with Lewis Cellars wines and their named labels for grandkids and signature 'L' label. Also, to accompany the ribs, I opened a classic Robert Biale 'Black Chicken' Napa Valley Zinfandel.

Prior to dinner we had a broad selection of artisan cheeses including some favorites - ten year old aged cheddar, havarti, bellavitano merlot, Gruyere, and cheddar, with fresh berries and peaches fruits.

For the cheese course we opened a Chateau St Michelle Rose'.

Chateau St Michelle Washington State Rose 2018

Robert Biale Vineyards Napa Valley Black Chicken Zinfandel 2011

I consider Zinfandel as a go-to wine for zesty tangy BBQ and always keep some on hand for summer barbecues. Robert Biale specialize in Zinfandel with over a dozen different labels. The Biale Family have been growing Zinfandel along with assorted other varieties on their farm just outside the town of Napa since 1937.

This historic whimsical label "Black Chicken" gets its name from founder Aldo Biale, who used the name as a code word when he started making the wine on the sly in the '40s and didn't want other members of his family to know. He obfuscated the activities by referring to his wine as 'Black Chickens' or poultry as an alias and front for the business.

Biale produce several premium and ultra-premium Zins that are famous for a certain breed of intensity and power they obtain by restricting yields to only the best, most concentrated, fully ripe fruit each vintage.

Black Chicken is primarily sourced from Biale's Oak Knoll District ranch estate from the family vineyard that Aldo, Nonna, Bob Biale and the Biale family have farmed their whole lives, with additional grapes from our neighboring winery vineyard in the Oak Knoll winegrowing district. It is aged for fourteen months in 25% new French oak.

We have a half dozen vintages of Biale labels in our cellar and I pulled the oldest for today's dinner as part of rudimentary cellar management as it is most likely ready to drink and certainly not to improve with further aging, and at risk of passing its apex or prime drinking window.

Bright garnet colored, medium bodied, ripe cherry fruits with brambly blackberry and black raspberry notes accented by cinnamon and brown spices, hints of pepper vanilla and bacon fat with a moderate tannin, tangy finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1575870

https://biale.com/


Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah 2009

Named for Randy and Debbie Lewis' grandson Ethan, we salute the family affiliation and attribution on Father's Day. We also have fun with the 'L' on the label - we dedicate as a tribute to family members, Linda, grand-daughter and her namesake great-grandmother Lucy, and Erin Leigh.

We often serve Lewis Cellars Alec's Blend, named for the producers' oldest grandson, and a fitting tribute to our son.

 Our visit to the Lewis Cellars Estate was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2016.

This Napa Valley Syrah is big, bold, concentrated and complex in the style that we love.

Dark inky purple color, full bodied, concentrated supple tongue coating fruit filled ripe blackberry and black raspberry, ripe plum with tones of vanilla, spice, tar and sweet oak with hints of licorice before yielding to a layer of mineral on the lingering smooth tannin finish.

At ten years, this is starting to show its age a bit with a slight bit of an edge and alcohol heat, hence deducting a point from my previous score. I attribute this to age although it could be a bottle variation but I doubt it.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/barcode.asp?iWine=1190459

https://www.lewiscellars.com/

Syrah, Syrah for Family Birthday Dinner

Syrah, Syrah for Family Birthday Dinner

For Linda's birthday dinner with family we served two of her favorite wines - Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah, with its distinctive 'L' label, and Rosemount Balmoral Syrah.

As I've written in these pages, we have fun with the 'L' label for Linda, ala the old Laverne and Shirley shtick, but also we love Lewis wines.

This one, like their Alec's Blend, which we serve for our son Alec's occasions, is named for a their grandson, so it makes it special for such family occasions.

We gathered at daughter Erin's, and son Ryan brought simmered beef brisket which was ideally matched with the hearty Syrahs, and a hearty cheeses and charcuterie beforehand.

Pictured is Linda with the grandkids (left), and note soon to be seven!

Lewis Cellars Ethan's Syrah 2013

Our visit to Lewis Cellars was one of the highlights of our Napa Valley trip this fall.

We love this style of thick chewy unctuous forward fruit, blackish inky purple colored, full bodied,  rich concentrated core of black and blue fruits give way to a layer of vanilla, spice, and a hint of what Lewis calls 'bacon fat', and a bit of alcohol heat that softens over the course of the evening, finishing with tongue coating tannins.

This was great with the hearty cheeses and beef as well as the fresh fruits and birthday cake dessert!


RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2163857

Rosemount Balmoral McLaren Vale Syrah 1996

We are being rewarded for having acquired cases of this wine back upon release. We still hold a dozen or so bottles from those early vintages from 1992 through 2002 that we're working through as they approach end of life. See our tasting notes of the 2000 just the other evening.

This '96 is holding up well at two decades plus, moreso than near vintages, dark garnet colored medium bodied, this has a more moderated subdued palate compared to the other near vintages, nicely integrated blackberry and black raspberry with some notes of blue fruits, tones subtle white pepper, tobacco and leather with subtle soft smooth approachable tannins.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12023

Do I dare post this picture? Its a family milestone. Soon to be seven!