Cuvée St. E

Generous rains fell prior to the 2017 vintage, ending an unprecedented 5-year drought throughout California. Budbreak occurred on March 28th in our Cabernet Franc block on the Home Ranch in the Estrella District of Paso Robles. Crop set was strong, with shoot thinning and a green drop at veraison bringing the yield down to 3.6 tons per acre to achieve the best quality. An unusual heat event in early September brought temperatures as high as 115° F. along the California coast. Thankfully, our Cabernet Franc was more than six weeks away from harvest and came through the heat spike unharmed. In this vintage we saw the highest level of tannin structure and flavor ripeness since the string of great vintages from ‘12 to ‘14.

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, often with touches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We are given the freedom to emulate these great Bordeaux wines as seen through the prism of our world-class Paso Robles fruit.