Seven Oaks

2017 will be remembered as a restorative vintage for our Paso Robles vineyards. It signaled the return of generous rainfall following an unprescedented 5-year period of drought conditions throughout California. Budbreak occurred in the normal time period, with most vines waking from dormancy by the first week of April followed by bloom in mid-May. Crop set was average at best, with overall yields of 4.1 tons per acre for the season. Early September brought an extreme heat wave, with temperatures as high as 115 degrees along the California coast from Los Angeles to north of San Francisco. Thankfully, our Cabernet crop was unharmed as it was still a month from harvest. Picking began in earnest during the first week of October, delivering a higher level of sugar and flavor ripeness since the great string of vintages from ‘12 to ‘14. I love seeing the corks go into the bottle on what will mark one of the great vintages of J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles!