Cuvée St. E

Paso Robles saw a fourth consecutive year of below normal rainfall in 2015. The dry conditions experienced locally mirrored the extreme climatic trends witnessed across the entire state of California. Budbreak was early, as is typical in dry years, with vines coming out of dormancy in mid-March. Good growing conditions in April brought rapid shoot growth, and were followed by an unusually cold period during the early May bloom that reduced crop yield by roughly 40% due to shatter. This lighter crop of Cabernet Franc was harvested in the early morning of October 8th, with the fully-ripened skins and seeds that are essential to taming the potentially grippy tannins of this cultivar. The 2015 Cuvée St. E blend harnesses that unique and ageable texture along with its savory fruit characters.

CUVÉE ST. E

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