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2018 J. Lohr

Cabernet Sauvignon

Hilltop

Currently sold out

  • 93 Points, Editors’ Choice

    Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide, April 2021

Brenden Wood smiling and holding a glass of red wine standing next to a row of wine vines in a vineyard

The 2018 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon is effusive with fresh varietal aromas of black cherry and hints of toasted pastry and baking spice on the nose. Dense and soft on the palate. Elegant layers of black and red currants leave a bright finish.

— Brenden Wood, Red Winemaker

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Wine Details

Cellaring

12 years

Bright fruit upon release, with the structure to age comfortably for 8 to 12 years.

Facts Sheet
  • Origin

    Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, California

  • Time in Barrel

    18 months in 225 liter cooperage

  • Barrel Type

    French oak, thick stave, very tight grain, 70% new

  • Food Pairings

    Delicious with rosemary-seasoned ribeye and garlic roasted potatoes with parsnips and fennel.

View Our Recipes

Composition Blend

  • 93%

    Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 5%

    Petit Verdot

  • 2%

    Malbec

El Pomar District Shotwell Vineyard

Vineyard

The 2018 Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon is primarily sourced from the relatively cool El Pomar District sub- AVA in Paso Robles, where the J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard is located. A lesser amount is from the J. Lohr Beck Vineyard, located at a 1,700 foot elevation in the Creston District. The blend also utilizes a collection of other small sites in the Paso Robles AVA. Blessed with long summer days of intense sunshine, our near 100°F daytime temperatures are followed by chilly, ocean-cooled nights in the 50s. These Cabernet vines are naturally stressed in the dry, often very gravelly, and sometimes lime shale-laden soils. Water is at a premium in these vineyards, enabling the viticulturist to fine-tune irrigation, resulting in the darkest possible fruit with resolved tannins year after year.

Vintage

Thanks to a “Miracle March,” the 2018 growing season will be remembered as the fourth in a string of normal rainfall years in Paso Robles. Over 70% of the season’s rainfall was accumulated in a 3-week period, which kicked off a vintage of exceptional quality and yield. A nice stretch of warm weather in May assured a good bloom and fruit set on the developing clusters. This was followed by an unprecedented 46-day heat spell beginning in early July. The result was an extended growing season, as vines slowed photosynthesis as a defense against the high temperatures.

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For almost fifty years, the Lohr family has been growing and crafting some of California's best-loved wines. We're proud to share our latest releases from our certified sustainable vineyards in Monterey, Paso Robles, and Napa Valley with you.

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