2022 J. Lohr
Cabernet Franc
Home Ranch
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92 Points
James Suckling
September 2024
Fragrant berry compote, wild raspberry and mint sprig- infused aromas with hazelnut, cocoa dust and dark roast coffee. The palate is pure, with loads of fresh black cherries, blackberries, and dried herbs.
Wine Details
Cellaring
15 years
Sophisticated fruit that will evolve elegantly for 10 to 15 years.
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Origin
Estrella District, Paso Robles, CA
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Food Pairings
Perfect with honey glazed ham and scalloped potatoes.
Composition Blend
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100%
Cabernet Franc
Vineyard
Our Cabernet Franc was grown on the J. Lohr Home Ranch in the warmer Region III Estrella District of Paso Robles. The block was laid out to an east-west row orientation in 2007 at planting, with clone 327 grafted to low-vigor 420A rootstock. The vines are trained to a bilateral cordon and spur pruned, thinning to two shoots per spur annually. The soil is low water-holding, fine loamy Nacimiento - Los Osos complex. Cabernet Franc is an upright-growing variety that is very drought tolerant. Our farming plan includes removing leaves from the fruit zone on the north side of the vines in June, and reducing the crop to one cluster per shoot in late July. This practice assures small, concentrated berries that lead to a luxury level of flavor and color intensity in the wine.
Vintage
Paso Robles experienced a dry winter in 2022. Overall, rainfall for the vintage was only 65% of the 25-year historical average in the region. Weather was quite cool during budbreak in the month of April, with a few nights briefly dipping below freezing. However, plenty of warm, sunny days followed from spring through completion of veraison in early August. An unprecedented 10-day heat wave occurred in early September that accelerated berry ripeness and Brix accumulation. Thankfully, unusually cool, cloudy weather and a little bit of drizzle came in September, bringing relief to parched grapevines. Meticulously farmed by J. Lohr vineyard manager John Pierini and his team, this Cabernet Franc was hand-picked and made in our small-lot winery in Paso Robles. The fruit was sorted and fermented in small open-top tanks with delestage during peak fermentation to maximize extraction. For decades, Cabernet Franc from our Home Ranch has been one of our best kept secrets, being utilized as a component in a number of our very best blends.
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