2002 Lewis Cellars Barcaglia Lane Chardonnay, 6-bottle Lot

Lewis Cellars in Oakville, Napa Valley, was founded in 1992 by Debbie and Randy Lewis. They own no vineyards but source their grapes from Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oak Knoll, Carneros and the Russian River Valley. The estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Total production is 9,000 cases annually. The Lewises originally hired Paul Hobbs as winemaker, but today the winemaker is Brian Mox. California wine writer James Laube has written that all the estate’s wines “are of unusually high quality.”

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.