2021 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E Red Blend
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Wine Enthusiast, March 2024
J. Lohr Cuvée St. E captures the savory side of the classic Bordeaux varieties. Sophisticated blueberry and raspberry compote aromas mingle with wild sage, cacao nib, and espresso. On the palate, fresh plum and black cherry flavors wrap around a dusty tannin core leaving a long, pleasing finish.
— Brenden Wood, red winemaker and Steve Peck, vp winemaking
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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80%
Cabernet Franc
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20%
Merlot
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Origin
Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, California
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Cellaring
Structure to improve through 2033
12 Years -
Food Pairings
A perfect pairing for filet mignon with a shallot-cream sauce or braised veal shanks over a bed of polenta.
The inspiration for our J. Lohr Cuvée St. E comes from the Grand Cru wines of St. Émilion on Bordeaux’s famed Right Bank region. These memorable wines are primarily composed of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with accenting touches of the other Bordeaux red varieties. 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.
Vineyard & Vintage
The 2021 vintage delivered unparalleled quality to the Paso Robles region. We received generous preseason rainfall in January 2021, but an especially dry late winter and spring followed. The dry conditions forced the vines to produce small but concentrated berries, typical of drought years in Paso Robles. Happily, consistent mild daytime temperatures paired with cool nights kept berries fresh and allowed Paso Robles winegrowers the luxury of patience to harvest grapes at optimal ripeness. As a result, extractable anthocyanin content from red grapes in Paso Robles reached an all-time high in 2021, with resulting wines handily eclipsing color density levels of the acclaimed 2007, 2013, and 2019 vintages. Cabernet Franc grown on Block 60 of our J. Lohr Home Ranch was farmed by vineyard manager John Pierini specifically for the Cuvée St. E program. This block consistently provides fruit of deep color, polished tannins, and the complex, savory elements cherished by Cabernet Franc fans worldwide. Clusters were hand-picked on October 21st and 23rd, 2021 and sorted using our Pellenc Selective system.
