Cuvée POM

The 2009 growing season in Paso Robles started dry and finished wet. Winter rainfall was well below normal for the third year in a row, recording just half of the 12-inch annual average at our home ranch weather station. Merlot responded to the dry conditions by setting smaller, more intense berries with berry weights averaging under 1 gram. Chilly April temperatures limited vine growth in the first month after budbreak but were followed by a warmer month of May with a one-day temperature spike reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit just after bloom. Our best merlot block is planted to Italian clones 9 and 10 and was allowed to reach a luxury level of ripeness, and even sat through an unlikely storm on October 13th that delivered over 6 inches of rain before picking. Cuvée POM is the most aromatic wine in the Cuvée Series. The 2009 delivers intense red fruit fragrance, refreshing acidity and a restrained tannin structure.

CUVÉE POM

The inspiration for J. Lohr Cuvée POM comes from the Grand Cru wines of Pomerol in the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These legendary wines are composed primarily of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with sparse additions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Winemaking is 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.