2005 Cuvée St.E

The inspiration for J. Lohr Cuvée St. E comes from the Grand Cru wines of St. Emilion from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These memorable wines are composed primarily of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with touches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We give ourselves 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.

VINTAGE
The 2005 vintage proved a remarkable challenge for our J. Lohr Cuvée program. Despite a return to healthy rainfall, berry size was larger than average in 2005, which delayed ripening. We bled our best blocks of Bordeaux varietals to concentrate the flavors, but with the exception of Cabernet Franc, the sole cuvée to meet our quality standards was Cuvée St. E. Cabernet Franc typically is one of the first Bordeaux varietals to ripen, and although finicky, continues to surprise us with its consistent finish each year as one of our top wines.

TECHNICAL DATA

Origin:	Paso Robles
Composition:	45% Cabernet Franc, 44% Petit Verdot, 5.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.4% Merlot
Harvest Dates:	Cabernet Franc - October 3rd, 2005 Petit Verdot – September 24, 2005
Process:	Harvest late-morning, destemmed and crushed to stainless steel fermenters
Harvest Chemistries:	25.7º Brix average, pH=3.59, Total Acidity=0.45 g/100 ml
Vinification:
Yeast:	Lalvin D254
Fermentation:	Stainless steel fermented
Temperature:	87ºF
Extended Maceration: 7 Days
Malolactic:	Inoculation in stainless steel and completion in 100% New French oak barrels.
Maturation:	21 Months in 80% New French oak barrels
Barrel Type:	80% New French oak barrel Bordeaux Chateau Ferré-style barrels (60.9 gallons)
Forests:	Center of France
Cooper(s):	Tonnellerie Sylvain, Tonnellerie Vicard and Tonnellerie Bel Air, Bordeaux, France
Post-Maturation:	Bulldog rack from barrels, membrane filtered to bottle
Bottling Date:	July 16, 200
Bottle Aging:	13 months in bottle prior to release
Bottling Chemistries:
pH:	3.65
Total Acidity:	0.65 g/100
Alcohol:	14.99% by volume
Production	1,200 6-bottle cases

WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
The 2005 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E is dark red-purple in color with aromas of sour cherry, coffee and violet, with touches of chocolate, vanilla, honey and toasted oak from twenty one months aging in new French oak barrels. The wine displays the true varietal nature of Cabernet Franc, with ample weight and mid to rear structure from both the fruit and the maturation time. On release, this wine will already have one year of bottle age but will develop additional complexity well into the future. In its youth, it should be enjoyed with pan-seared filet mignon, or ribeye steak with a berry-infused reduction sauce. We recommend decanting one hour prior to serving.

Jeff Meier, winemaker

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