With BBQ'd ribs last night:

'99 Caymus Cab.

Corked

'03 Lewis Napa Chard.

This was my first visit back to this wine since release. Closed in. Maybe in a dumb phase? Mineral, white flowers, light pineapple notes, and plumeria. Medium bodied on the palate. Not a whole lot of prescence. Medium finish. Good, but not great. 92 pts.

'89 Suduiraut Creme de Tete

Thick. Honeyed. Apricot pie, creme brulee, and nectarine. Finishing with a lovely toastiness. Lower on the acidity than I would prefer. My first experience with this wine was the best and subsequent impressions have been slightly less impressive. 94 pts. solid.

Cheers,

-DRAB

The 03 Lewis is way shut down Drab, it's not just you. I have made a promise not to return to this until next year. On release this was an awesome wine, tons of mineral and floral notes. Meursault like. Thanks for the notes !!

Thanks Flubis. I totally agree. Not as showy as on release. But then I felt like it wasn't showing everything on release either? I hope it comes around...

Drab, I also thought this wine was not as good as the reserve even though it got the higher score. Here are my notes. How was the clarity on your bottle ?

quote:

Meursault like.

I've got to disagree with that one. I've had this twice and it was always way over the top - thick, sweet and full of butter. Not my cup of tea.

Interesting. In the two times I've had it I thought it was on the lighter side, and more elegant than an Aubert, Peter Michael, or Staglin style Chard. Not much butter last night. When I think of butter I think Rombauer Chard!

Flubis...it was slightly cloudy. And it doesn't surprise me that Laube rated it higher than the reserve even if the reserve is better. He's been on a mission to try and prove that reserve wines aren't necessarily better than the regular at double the price. I see a possible battle to fight on this front, but he shouldn't have used the '02/'03 Lewis product as the posterboys for the campaign. The reserves are definitely better, and it's just another shot at his integrity IMHO.

I didn't get the butter in either bottling. I got streamlined mineral and fruit notes. I agree with Drab that is alot like the Aubert and Peter Michael. I had the Aubert just last weekend at the offline and it was very similar in style. I think Laube did it to the reserve reds too right ?

Hmmm...I'll have to try thins again. The last one I opened, about 4 months ago, reminded me more of Rombauer than anything French. I had it with 2 winemakers, 2 chefs, 1 wine buyer and my NorCal brokers. None of them could finish the 1-2 oz pour. I've got one left and it's scheduled for X-mas eve. I'll report back then.

It's a small world. . .

It just so happens I opened a bottle of the '03 Lewis Chardonnay Napa for lunch yesterday at Bistro Jeanty, which I enjoyed with duck/goat cheese pate and mussels:

My bottle was a shadow of the last one I had. Not that it was bad, but it certainly came off as somewhat closed down as others suggest. FWIW, this particular bottle was stored at room temperature (never above 73f) for the last three weeks, which I originally thought may have had something to do with the change. Still very nice flavors hidden within, and I suspect I will heed the advice of others and hold off on opening any more.

In the meantime, we're off to try the 2002 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. Anyone have any TN's?

quote:

Originally posted by Grape Ape:
It's a small world. . .

It just so happens I opened a bottle of the '03 Lewis Chardonnay Napa for lunch yesterday at Bistro Jeanty, which I enjoyed with duck/goat cheese pate and mussels:

My bottle was a shadow of the last one I had. Not that it was bad, but it certainly came off as somewhat closed down as others suggest.BTW sediment was evident in glasses #3 onward. FWIW, this particular bottle was stored at room temperature (never above 73f) for the last three weeks, which I originally thought may have had something to do with the change. Still very nice flavors hidden within, and I suspect I will heed the advice of others and hold off on opening any more.

In the meantime, we're off to try the 2002 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. Anyone have any TN's?

DRAB -

Question - How can Laube "be on a mission" with reserves/regular bottlings if everything is tasted blind?

I don't want to get into the whole Laube '01 Cab rating game, but your assertation in this case doesn't make any sense. Unless you are saying that WS does not, in fact, taste blind.

Help me understand....

1st...In a conversation I had with him at another forumites house party, he made a big stink about reserve wines being so much more expensive (on average) than the regular bottlings, and that he didn't think they were worth it in a lot of cases (mind you, this was while we were sipping an '02 Lewis Reserve Cab.). Suspicion #1.

Next...Go taste the '01 Montelena and tell me if in your right mind you think anyone on earth would rate it 69 in a blind tasting (and, I think most would agree that a 69 pt wine is not drinkable, by todays standards). Then, try the '02 and '03 Lewis product, and tell me that the reserves aren't better than the regulars.

They can say they taste "blind" all they want. And, I'm sure they do blind tastings every day. Does it mean that those results are the only thing they use for reporting on the wine? Not IMHO, and granted it's only my opinion. But when someone says they use deoderant, and they smell a like fish, I'd say something is fishy!

I understand your point in suspicion #1 - didn't he even write a column about it? (Although I may be confusing this with something else I read).

This board has discussed the '01 Montelena issue (and BV GdL, Forman, et al) ad nauseum. As many have stated, maybe he simply has a higher sensitivity to TCA. The "o

Whoops... I shall continue.

His sensitivity to TCA is what sent the ratings spiraling. Not the fact that it was a "reserve" bottling.

My Lewis wines are resting comfortably, thank you. I will be happy, however, to test the theory with yours

And finally, Please don't go all Terrell Owens/Jeff Garcia on me .

It might be semantics here, but saying that he is on a mission regarding the reserves and saying that you have your suspicions are two decidedly different things. One is clearly impugning his character (based on WS's tasting policy), and the other is expressing your opinion without doing so (impugning his character, that is).