Winemaker Notes
A perfect pairing for filet mignon with shallot cream sauce or Osso Bucco (braised veal shanks) over a bed of polenta.
Blend: 63% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8%Merlot, 4% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The most easily accessible of J. Lohr's Bordeaux series, this Cabernet Franc-led ode to Saint-Émilion opens with caramel, vanilla and crème de cassis on the lavish nose. There is ample structure on the palate, with medium tannins, but it's soft enough to enjoy now, with rich fudge, clove and chai flavors laid across tasty black fruits.
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Tasting Panel
An homage to St. Emilion that is predominantly Cabernet Franc; smooth and lush with generous style; deep and rich with lovely depth and balance; long and showing notes of chocolate. 63% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Malbec.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A straight up terrific wine is the 2013 Cuvee St E, which is a more Cabernet Franc-dominated wine that incorporates 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 4% Malbec. Aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, this medium-bodied, textured, layered and balanced beauty offers outstanding notes of cassis, plums, flowers and earth. I'm a fan and would happily drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.
For more than fifty years and through two generations, the Lohr family and their team have been leaders in the California wine industry. Founder Jerry Lohr and his three children Steve, Cynthia, and Lawrence oversee one of the country's most successful and trusted fine wine labels. With first plantings in Monterey in 1972 and then in Paso Robles in 1986, the team helped write the book on sustainable winegrowing on the Central Coast.
Today, J. Lohr farms more than 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in Monterey's Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. They produce eight tiers of award-winning releases: J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Gesture, J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine, J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Monterey Roots, and ARIEL Vineyards.
J. Lohr is a Certified California Sustainable Vineyard and Winery and was honored with the 2020 Green Medal Leader Award in recognition of the company's decades-long commitment to sustainability.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.