Lucas and Lewellen

Pinot Noir ($20)

If you are new to wine tasting, this pinot noir will give you an excellent idea of what pinot noir should taste like and feel like. Viticulturist Louis Lucas can coax the best out of a vineyard.

After forty years of nurturing his fields, Lucas knows every nuance of the land, the soil, the climate and the vines. The result is a classic wine.

Lucas and his business partner, Royce Lewellen, grow 60 acres of Chardonnay and 120 acres of Pinot Noir, the varietal which they call their “bread and butter.”

Affectionately known as “Dirtman” in the vineyards, Lucas said, “In Santa Barbara County there’s a new climate zone every four miles. To see that up close you’ve got to get out and be in the vineyard.”

I sampled this pinot noir, grown in Lucas’s Goodchild and Los Alamos Vineyards in the Santa Barbara County AVA.

I’m serious when I tell you that this wine is truly what a pinot noir should taste like. I save this expression for truly special interpretations of the pinot noir varietal.

Lucas and Lewellen pinot noir is full bodied, with raspberry, clove, cinnamon stick and exotic spice flavors. There’s a quality depth to the flavors that makes for a long-lasting experience and hints of fresh brewed tea as well. This is the total package with long lasting juicy raspberry flavors that refuse to quit. In three words this pinot is classic, special and affordable.

Cheers.