Maybe you and your frat brothers are ready to move up to a more mature kind of 12-pack. Maybe you pretended to be European nobility to land a date with some fine-looking gentleman (or lady), and you need props to pull off the ruse. Maybe, like the germophobic Howard Hughes, you take one sip from a wine bottle before you throw it away.
There are all kinds of reasons why this case of Mandolina Italian-style varietals might find a home with you, along with the included wooden 12-bottle wine rack. What matters is, every bottle bears the stamp of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards of Santa Barbara County. And if you’ve ever sampled any wines from this Wine.Woot favorite, you know that’s a very good stamp to bear.
Alas, space permits only a brief glance at this extensive assortment. The prestigious Super Tuscan-style blends are represented by the 2003 Toccata Reserve, with its earthy, dewy, spicy berry character, and the 2004 Toccata Classico, laden with strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry. Single-varietal reds include the untamed, brooding 2005 Barbera; the soft, chewy, jammy 2004 Nebbiolo; the tea, leather, and strawberry flavors of the 2005 Sangiovese; and the medium-bodied, food-friendly 2007 Dolcetto. Fans of the obscure, take note of the 2006 Freisa, a versatile, easy-drinking red from a tiny planting of a grape almost unseen in California.
On the whiter side, we find the aromatic, complex 2007 Malvasia Bianca, another grape rarely seen in California. Although Italians usually use it for light, sweet wines, Mandolina made it in an off-dry style, with a slightly sweet, perfumey quality that’s not really like anything else we’ve ever had. Other whites in this case include the delicately floral and sunny 2007 Moscato and the crisp, subtly fruity 2007 Pinot Grigio.
Finally, add a dry, smooth rosé (the 2007 Rosato) and a sparkling wine with distinctive melon, quince, and coriander flavors (the 2004 Metodo Classico Bianco de Bianco), and you’ve got yourself a virtual master class in the California approach to classic Italian varietals.
No, we don’t really care what personal interest, unfortunate circumstance, or strain of madness leads you to buy this 12-bottle Mandolina collection. All that matters to us is that you enjoy it in good health. And that your credit card goes through.
2003 Toccata Reserve:
2004 Metodo Classico Sparkling-bianco de bianco:
2004 Nebbiolo:
2004 Toccata:
2005 Barbera:
2005 Sangiovese:
2006 Freisa:
2007 Dolcetto:
2007 Malvasia Bianca:
2007 Moscato:
2007 Pinot Grigio:
2007 Rosato:
Louis “The Dirtman” Lucas isn’t an NFL linebacker or a Delta blues legend. He’s been growing wine grapes in California since the Nixon administration, and supplying them to wineries all over the state. With his partner Royce Lewellen and winemaker Megan McGrath, they bring their superlative wines to the world from a tasting room in the village of Solvang, under the Lucas & Lewellen, Mandolina, and Queen of Hearts labels.
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