Hilltop

A cool climate prevailed in 2011, much like the 2010 season, which had been the coolest in a decade. Low yielding secondary shoots grew to replace frost damaged primary shoots after a defining hard frost hit the Paso Robles area on April 8th, 2011. Winter rainfall had provided sufficient soil moisture for rapid springtime growth of the vines after the setback of the early frost. We saw fewer clusters with larger berries, which pushed the wines toward a softer tannin profile. Vineyard yields were down considerably, averaging just 2.5 tons per acre in most blocks. Our standard practice was to stop irrigation of the Cabernet vines just after fruitset in early June and wait eight weeks or more 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. This edition of J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon delivers on its promise to be dense and soft with a great fruit signature