Lewis Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2021

Lewis Cellars is best known for its bold, racy, and over-the-top reds but this Napa Valley sauvignon blanc is a beauty! Super limited, but if you’re looking for a luxurious, bright, fresh, and juicy wine – look no further!

In 1992, former Indy Car superstar Randy Lewis, alongside his wife, Debbie, established a small family winery in Napa smack dab in the center of Napa’s valley floor. Just like his driving days, he created a style of full-throttle, push-it-to-the-limit wines that have become some of the most consistently revered wines in Napa Valley’s storied history. More recently, the Lewis family sold to Paso Robles Justin Winery, but the family has stayed on – continuing to lead the team to create memorable, small-production wines that showcase tremendous Napa vineyard sources from Calistoga, Saint Helena, Rutherford, and beyond.

We would be hard-pressed to find a more consistent producer in the Napa Valley. Lewis delivers the goods year after year without fail – always earning top scores from critics, and metric tons of praise and awards across the industry. This sauvignon blanc undergoes a whole-cluster pressing before fermenting and aging in a combination of French oak and stainless steel for about 10 months. No malolactic fermentation keeps everything zippy and crisp, but there is considerable ripeness to the fruit. The resulting wine is a balance between lush, tropical fruit flavors and sharp, bright citrus notes, with a perfume of aromatic spices overall. The texture is velvety smooth, with a sappy richness that delicately coats the palate, and a finish that is all crunchy flint, extra long, and deliriously refreshing. We got all we could, but this wine (and rightly so,) has a bit of a cult following – so hop to and grab some for yourselves!

PAIRING IDEAS: Fig season is popping off here in California – but I’m using the leaves here. Take a handful of the biggest fig leaves from the tree and lay them out overlapping to create a sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and lay a piece of white fish (mahi mahi or halibut works great) on the leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then top with thin slices of lemon and wrap it all up. Tie the packets with butcher’s twine and grill for about 15 minutes over medium heat. You’ll be blown away by the nutty, coconut flavors and the meltingly tender fish.