2015 J. Lohr Cuvée Series Cuvée St. E Red Blend
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Meridith May, The Tasting Panel
- The Right Bank’s Saint- Émilion appellation inspired this blend of 80% Cabernet Franc (from J. Lohr’s Home Ranch in the Estrella District) and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, lilacs and cherries come alive with ripe boysenberry and maple-coffee. Tightly wound tannins open slowly in this creamy, full-bodied red, whose pleasing, caressing texture is further accentuated by cassis and blueberry.
The 2015 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E captures the ripe but savory side of the Bordeaux varieties. This wine is dark in color with a bright garnet hue. Aromas of red currant, coffee bean and dark chocolate lead to a palate of ripe plum and cassis. Tightly wound tannins are typical in Cabernet Franc and present the greatest reward after a few years of bottle age.
— Steve Peck, director of winemaking
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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80%
Cabernet Franc
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20%
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Origin
Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, California
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Cellaring
Structure to improve through 2022 to 2027.
12 Years -
Food Pairings
A perfect pairing for filet mignon with a shallot cream sauce or Osso Bucco (braised veal shanks) over a bed of polenta.
Vintage
Paso Robles saw a fourth consecutive year of below normal rainfall in 2015. The dry conditions experienced locally mirrored the extreme climatic trends witnessed across the entire state of California. Budbreak was early, as is typical in dry years, with vines coming out of dormancy in mid-March. Good growing conditions in April brought rapid shoot growth, and were followed by an unusually cold period during the early May bloom that reduced crop yield by roughly 40% due to shatter. This lighter crop of Cabernet Franc was harvested in the early morning of October 8th, with the fully-ripened skins and seeds that are essential to taming the potentially grippy tannins of this cultivar. The 2015 Cuvée St. E blend harnesses that unique and ageable texture along with its savory fruit characters.
Cuvée St. E
The inspiration for our J. Lohr Cuvée St. E comes from the Grand Cru wines of St. Émilion from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These memorable wines are composed primarily from Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with rare 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.
