2015 | Levy & McClellan | Ampersand Red

It reveals notes of wild blackberry, ripe cassis and small notes of wild raspberry associated with fine touches of flowers, Cuben pepper and very discreet hints of nutmeg. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers an acidulous frame, a beautiful definition as well as dynamism.

Reviews:

• Vinous: The nose is fruity, elegant and offers subtilty as well as elegance. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, ripe cassis and small notes of wild raspberry associated with fine touches of flowers, Cuben pepper and very discreet hints of nutmeg. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers an acidulous frame, a beautiful definition as well as dynamism. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of ripe raspberry, ripe cassis and small notes of ripe blackberry associated with small red berries, flowers (iris, violet and small wild flowers) as well as fine touches of tonka bean and chocolate. Good persistence. Tannins are elegant, fine and offer a subtle chew on the finish.

Producer Information

LEVY & MCCLELLAN was founded in 2004 by long time Napa winemakers and husband and wife, Bob Levy and Martha McClellan. Bob is a 4th generation Californian who grew up in Culver City (Los Angeles County). He remembers the first time he was introduced to wine – at age 17 by a brother-in-law – bottles became something he could collect, and he started doing so. His first wines weren’t the best wines as he admits, but invariably when you are new to the world of wine, they often become your most memorable wines. After applying to a number of colleges he chose UC Davis not initially for wine studies but rather as a pre-med student. By the time of his junior year, he had an epiphany, he could see himself practicing medicine for some time but then perhaps wanting to do something else – but with wine, he knew his interest already was such that it was a passion he could dedicate the rest of his life to. And he knew he did not want to live in an urban environment (which would probably be the case if he went into medicine). Despite growing up in a very urban environment he realized he preferred being outdoors in the natural world. He changed career paths and began to study winemaking. It was a good time to be at UC Davis with a number of his classmates at the time eventually having long and storied careers in Napa including Mike Martini, Tim Mondavi, Randy Dunn, and Tom Rinaldi. While at UC Davis Bob joined a number of tasting groups – both in Davis and in Napa including one hosted by Alex and Gayle Dierkhising (one of the valley’s long-time restaurateurs and current owners of the All Seasons Bistro & Wine Shop in Calistoga – which unfortunately permanently closed in 2020).

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