2016 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
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Wine Enthusiast
- “Black cherry, smoke and a hint of caramel make for a very familiar and satisfying nose on this well-priced bottling. There is a deep core of black currant fruit, with chalky tannins, a dense mouthfeel and abundant acidity that drives into the finish.” -Matt Kettmann
The 2016 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon is dark and dense to the rim of the glass. Layered aromas of black currant, blueberry and cherry are accentuated by an authentic barrel bouquet of hazelnut, cocoa powder, and dark roasted coffee. High-toned red berry fruit strikes the fore-palate, and follows with bright acidity and a full structure that is both dense and soft at once.
— Steve Peck, Director of Winemaking
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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80%
Cabernet Sauvignon
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7%
Petite Sirah
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6%
Petit Verdot
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3%
Merlot
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4%
other red varieties
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Origin
Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, CA
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Cellaring
Balanced upon release, with adequate structure to hold five years or longer.
5 Years -
Food Pairings
Delicious paired with wild mushroom risotto or an herb encrusted rack of lamb with creamy parmesan polenta.
Vintage
While preseason and early season rains were short of average, the timing was ideal for vine health and wine quality in 2016. Every phenological marker including budbreak, bloom, and veraison occurred 1 to 2 weeks earlier than normal. Buds pushed around the 17th of March in our Cabernet vineyards near the winery, following heavy rains earlier in the month. Vine canopy growth propelled throughout the spring, bouyed by light rains in April and a pleasant bloom period in early May. Tannin structure was amplified by a warm veraison period beginning the third week of July. Good ripening weather brought the peak Cabernet harvest in early, between October 1stand 15th at brix levels over 25° with great wine color.
Vineyards
The predominant fruit for our J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in our estate vineyards located directly opposite our J. Lohr Paso Robles Wine Center and at two newer sites just north on the J. Lohr Sinclair and J. Lohr Jones Ranches. The Seven Oaks vineyard was originally planted on its own rootstock, utilizing some of the original plantings from indigenous Estrella clones widely planted in Paso Robles. The soils in our vineyards vary from gravelly clay loam to limestone-based soils over a relatively small parcel of land, and various rootstock and clonal combinations have been used to maximize the expression of each individual site. The different soil types and planting combinations add to the palate of Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pure Paso
Our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard blocks in Paso Robles were some of the original sources for this iconic wine more than 30 years ago; they featured views of a stand of seven majestic oak trees, which still thrive today.
