Dec 30, 2022
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Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards
| Owner(s) | Royce Lewellen, Louis Lucas |
| Web site | www.llwine.com |
| Link to this site |
A partnership formed in 1996 between Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas, the winery produces wines from estate vineyards at a winery in Buellton. The Pinot Noirs have been surprisingly good considering the low prices and have shown well at times at the annual Pinot Shootout event.
The winemaker is Megan McGrath Gates who oversees harvest from 400 planted acres. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Soil Science and a Certificate of Winemaking from University of California Davis, she joined Lucas & Lewellen in 2007. Previously she had worked at Flowers Vineyard & Winery where she learned how to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The winery is known for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon (20,000 cases under the Lucas & Lewellen label). Eight Italian varietals are produced for the Toccata label (10,00 cases) and a value-priced line of varietals is bottled under the Queen of Hearts label (10,000 cases). In all, 21 varieties are grown.
Articles About Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards
Reviewed Wines
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Malvasia Bianca
12.7% alc.. Off-dry style.
·
Aromas of dried hay
and nori. Subtle white peach flavors with a slight sweetness. A neutral, neutered wine that is refreshing but
lacks interest. Decent.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Moscato
12.4% alc.. Sourced from
orange muscat grapes. Slight residual sugar.
·
Appealing aromas of orange tea
and orange flower water with a hint of hay and clove. Respectable richness on
the palate of orange marmalade, orange tea, and spice flavors that are slightly
sweet. Clean and refreshing on the finish. Good.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Muscat Canelli
10.1% alc.. Italian
muscat grape that is used in stilland sparkling wines. Sourced from the winery’s
Los Alamos Vineyard.
·
The nose starts off with spices, cucumber, sawdust and
hay, developing interest over time with more fruit including peaches and stewed
apples, as well as floral lilac. Dry and tasty with juicy flavors of guava, linalool
and passion fruit that linger on the finish. Would be great with prosciuttowrapped
melon. A big plus is that you can enjoy a few glasses of this without
getting sideways. Very good.
Reviewed April 23, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
13.7% alc., pH 3.33, 1,002 cases,
$16. Sourced from younger vines of Los Alamos and Goodchild vineyards in northern Santa Barbara
County. Stainless steel fermented. Winemaker was Megan McGrath.
·
Pale yellow color. Complex
nose showing aromas of white peaches, pears, melon, lemons and spring flowers. The flavors echo
the nose with a subtle edge of herbs and resin. Soft and clean with bright acidity. Perfect with turkey.
Reviewed September 5, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
13.7% alc., $18. Stainless steel
fermented grapes from younger vines at Los Alamos and Goodchild vineyards in northern Santa
Barbara County.
·
Clear pale yellow color in the glass. A nice little Chardonnay with typical varietal
aromas of pears, white peach, melon, lemon and cut flowers. The flavors echo the aromas with a slight
grassy, herbal and resin flavor. Soft and crisp in the mouth. Good.
Reviewed May 24, 2010
ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 2,096 cases, $20. Release date is August, 2009.
Sourced from the Goodchild and Los Alamos estate vineyards.
Several clones. Crafted by winemaker Megan McGrath.
Fermentation took place in small, 1.5-ton fermenters. Aged 9
months in neutral French oak.
·
Very alluring aromas of strawberry
jam and subtle oak toast (strawberry jam on toast) which fade a bit
over time. An elegant and feminine wine which is soft and smooth with no
discernible tannins. The red berry fruit flavors are substantial and pleasing and
persist on the finish which is marked by refreshingly brisk acidity. This is an
excellent everyday drinker with low alcohol which will perform beautifully at the
dinner table. Drink up within the first two years.
Reviewed May 7, 2009
ARTICLE »
2005 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 3351 cases, $20. The grapes for this wine come from the estate Goodchild
and Los Alamos Vineyards. Aged in neutral French oak for 8 months, it is
intended to be consumed young.
·
A light-bodied Pinot Noir featuring cherries and sandalwood on the nose and spiced cherries on the palate. A decent quaff.
Reviewed May 13, 2007
ARTICLE »
2005 Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
3350 cases,
$20. A partnership formed in 1996 between Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas, Dan
Gehrs crafts the wines from estate vineyards at a winery in Buellton.
·
Light in color.
Scents of barnyard and red Pinot fruits. Light and soft on the palate with lively acidity on
the finish. Understated but attractive. Showing better than last year.
Reviewed December 16, 2007
ARTICLE »
2004 Lucas & Lewellen Hilltop Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 603 cases, $30. This is a limited bottling from the highest block of the
Goodchild Vineyard, planted with Dijon clone 667. Barrel aged for 16
months in 40% new French oak barrels.
·
This wine is a step-up with more
intense aromatics drifting towards super ripe dark cherries and prune. More body and more fruit than the
above wine, it is black cherry-driven in the mouth with toasty oak overtones. Just fine with rotisserie
chicken.
Reviewed May 13, 2007
ARTICLE »
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Malvasia Bianca
12.7% alc.. Off-dry style. · Aromas of dried hay and nori. Subtle white peach flavors with a slight sweetness. A neutral, neutered wine that is refreshing but lacks interest. Decent. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Moscato
12.4% alc.. Sourced from orange muscat grapes. Slight residual sugar. · Appealing aromas of orange tea and orange flower water with a hint of hay and clove. Respectable richness on the palate of orange marmalade, orange tea, and spice flavors that are slightly sweet. Clean and refreshing on the finish. Good. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2009 mandolina Santa Barbara County Muscat Canelli
10.1% alc.. Italian muscat grape that is used in stilland sparkling wines. Sourced from the winery’s Los Alamos Vineyard. · The nose starts off with spices, cucumber, sawdust and hay, developing interest over time with more fruit including peaches and stewed apples, as well as floral lilac. Dry and tasty with juicy flavors of guava, linalool and passion fruit that linger on the finish. Would be great with prosciuttowrapped melon. A big plus is that you can enjoy a few glasses of this without getting sideways. Very good. Reviewed April 23, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
13.7% alc., pH 3.33, 1,002 cases, $16. Sourced from younger vines of Los Alamos and Goodchild vineyards in northern Santa Barbara County. Stainless steel fermented. Winemaker was Megan McGrath. · Pale yellow color. Complex nose showing aromas of white peaches, pears, melon, lemons and spring flowers. The flavors echo the nose with a subtle edge of herbs and resin. Soft and clean with bright acidity. Perfect with turkey. Reviewed September 5, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
13.7% alc., $18. Stainless steel fermented grapes from younger vines at Los Alamos and Goodchild vineyards in northern Santa Barbara County. · Clear pale yellow color in the glass. A nice little Chardonnay with typical varietal aromas of pears, white peach, melon, lemon and cut flowers. The flavors echo the aromas with a slight grassy, herbal and resin flavor. Soft and crisp in the mouth. Good. Reviewed May 24, 2010 ARTICLE »
2007 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 2,096 cases, $20. Release date is August, 2009. Sourced from the Goodchild and Los Alamos estate vineyards. Several clones. Crafted by winemaker Megan McGrath. Fermentation took place in small, 1.5-ton fermenters. Aged 9 months in neutral French oak. · Very alluring aromas of strawberry jam and subtle oak toast (strawberry jam on toast) which fade a bit over time. An elegant and feminine wine which is soft and smooth with no discernible tannins. The red berry fruit flavors are substantial and pleasing and persist on the finish which is marked by refreshingly brisk acidity. This is an excellent everyday drinker with low alcohol which will perform beautifully at the dinner table. Drink up within the first two years. Reviewed May 7, 2009 ARTICLE »
2005 Lucas & Lewellen Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., 3351 cases, $20. The grapes for this wine come from the estate Goodchild and Los Alamos Vineyards. Aged in neutral French oak for 8 months, it is intended to be consumed young. · A light-bodied Pinot Noir featuring cherries and sandalwood on the nose and spiced cherries on the palate. A decent quaff. Reviewed May 13, 2007 ARTICLE »
2005 Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
3350 cases, $20. A partnership formed in 1996 between Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas, Dan Gehrs crafts the wines from estate vineyards at a winery in Buellton. · Light in color. Scents of barnyard and red Pinot fruits. Light and soft on the palate with lively acidity on the finish. Understated but attractive. Showing better than last year. Reviewed December 16, 2007 ARTICLE »
2004 Lucas & Lewellen Hilltop Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 603 cases, $30. This is a limited bottling from the highest block of the Goodchild Vineyard, planted with Dijon clone 667. Barrel aged for 16 months in 40% new French oak barrels. · This wine is a step-up with more intense aromatics drifting towards super ripe dark cherries and prune. More body and more fruit than the above wine, it is black cherry-driven in the mouth with toasty oak overtones. Just fine with rotisserie chicken. Reviewed May 13, 2007 ARTICLE »