When longtime grower Louis Lucas and wine enthusiast Judge Royce Lewellen established the Valley View Vineyard, their ambition was to grow the five classic red varieties of Bordeaux. But history revealed a sixth.
Carménère is one of Bordeaux's ancient grapes, with roots reaching back to Roman times. Once widely planted in France, it nearly disappeared from its homeland and today remains one of the rarest members of the historic Bordeaux family.
In 2015, we planted just three acres at our meticulously managed Valley View vineyard, leveraging optimal terroir conditions to maximize its potential. Now in its fifth vintage, our Carménère is co-fermented with Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6, a low-yielding clone selected for its concentrated fruit and structural integrity and one of the most distinctive Cabernet selections grown on the estate. The co-fermentation process integrates Carménère’s herbaceous and spicy characteristics with Cabernet Sauvignon’s robust tannins and dark fruit profile, yielding a wine with a complex sensory profile, deeply colored, richly textured, with earthy complexity, dark fruit, and an unmistakable savory spice. Bold yet supple, it is particularly expressive in its youth.
This wine’s bold structure and intricate flavor matrix make it a distinguished addition to our portfolio.
