Louis Lucas | Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

WWC21 – Julia's Vineyard, California

Clayton Fox

August 29, 2021

Jancis Robinson

'Hello again! My name is Clayton Fox and I wrote about Frog's Leap last year and the inimitable John Williams. I recently left my position in sales at Winebow to focus more on writing and I really enjoyed working on this piece about Julia's Vineyard, Louis Lucas, and Lane Tanner.' See our WWC21 guide for more old-vine competition entries.

June, 2021

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

This is a critical time for sunshine, moderate to warm temperatures, not too much heat, and not too much fog. So far, everything is on track.

April, 2021

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

In the past couple of weeks, the buds on the vines have swelled and some are beginning to open.

February, 2021

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Welcome to another year! One thing about the grape business is that we always have something to look forward to and that is next year’s grapes and last year’s wines.

July, 2021

From the Ground Up

When we go through and hedge, we remove about a foot from the shoots which redirects the energy from the growth of the wine to caring for the grapes. It also tells the vine that we are reaching another level of maturity. I never read this in a book.

May, 2021

From the Ground Up

April showers bring May flowers, but where are the showers? Last year we had seven inches of rain in April. This year we had none in March or April and it doesn’t look like we have any more coming. Grapes are not big users of water but they do need it.

March, 2021

From the Ground Up

The most important task that we do in the vineyard is pruning. This morning I was driving my 2004 Ford F-150, “The Dustmobile”, through two rows of grapevines, admiring the pruning job. What we do in January and February determines what kind of grapes we get in September and October