Cuvée St. E

A cool climate prevailed in the 2011 vintage, much like the 2010 season which had been the coolest in a decade. The crop was supported by low-yielding secondary shoots which grew to replace damaged primary shoots after a defining hard frost hit the Paso Robles area in early April. Above average winter rainfall fueled rapid vine growth after the setback of early spring frost. We saw fewer clusters with larger berries, which pushed this wine toward a softer tannin profile. Vineyard yield was down considerably, at just 1.6 tons per acre in this Cabernet Franc block. We used our standard practice to stop irrigation of the vines just after fruitset in early June and waited 8 weeks until the soil ran out of moisture in early August. This prompted seeds to harden and brown early and perhaps more importantly shifted flavor in the berries from herbal to fruity in this distinctly cool 2011 vintage.

CUVÉE ST. E

The inspiration for our J. Lohr Cuvée St. E comes from the Grand Cru wines of St. Emilion from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These memorable wines are composed primarily from Cabernet Franc and Merlot with touches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We are given the freedom to emulate these great wines without the restrictions of varietal percentages, instead keenly focusing on the texture and complexity of the blend that nature delivers with each vintage.