2014 J. Lohr Cuvée Series Cuvée PAU Red Blend
Library Selection. This wine will be included in your Fall 2023 selection.
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Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
- An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines. “A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Malbec, with splashes of Petit Verdot and Merlot, the 2014 Cuvée PAU reveals rich notes of crème de cassis, sweet spices and lavish new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, plush and velvety, with a juicy core of fruit, good balance and some chewy tannins that make themselves felt on the finish. Enjoy this crowd-pleasing red over the next 3 or 4 years to take advantage of its youthful fruit.”
The 2014 J. Lohr Cuvée PAU shows savory cassis, blue fruits and earthy forest notes on the nose with a rich, round, fruited palate that speaks to the high percentage of Malbec in the blend. Open and decant an hour before serving for full expression.
— Steve Peck, Director of Winemaking
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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68%
Cabernet Sauvignon
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14%
Malbec
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11%
Petit Verdot
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7%
Merlot
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Origin
Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, California
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Cellaring
Fruit driven at release, with a structure that should peak at 10 to 12 years of age
11 Years -
Food Pairings
Delicious with grilled rosemary lamb chops, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted beets.
Vintage
The third in a trio of strong vintages for Paso Robles, the wines of 2014 are showing dense and aromatically expressive, and are reminiscent of 2004. With less than half of the usual winter rainfall in the ground, spring growth rocketed as degree days racked up at a faster pace than we’ve seen in a decade. A somewhat warm veraison period at the end of July pushed tannin levels upward, and led to the earliest picking dates on record for Cuvée PAU. Achieving sugar ripeness was never in question during this warm vintage, but we certainly benefited from the J. Lohr “early water deficit” farming practices that hasten seed ripeness and achieve early phenolic maturity.
Cuvée PAU
The inspiration for this blend comes from the Grand Cru wines of the Pauillac district of Bordeaux which are composed primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with occassional acccents from Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Winemaking is 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.
