2011 J. Lohr Cuvée Series Cuvée St. E Red Blend
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Cuvée St. E captures the ripe but savory side of Bordeaux style wine. The 2011 is dark in color with a red hue. The initial aroma is plum confection with dark chocolate and hazelnut. Zesty pomegranate fruit and blood orange linger on the palate. The blunt texture of Cabernet Franc finishes with dark-fruited chocolate, perhaps contributed by the Malbec in the blend.
— Steve Peck, red winemaker
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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63%
Cabernet Franc
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20%
Merlot
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9%
Malbec
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8%
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Origin
Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, California
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Cellaring
Delicious now, but has the structure to improve over the next 8 to 12 years.
8 Years -
Food Pairings
Filet mignon with shallot cream sauce or Osso Bucco (braised veal shanks) over a bed of polenta.
Vintage
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.
