J. Lohr Pure Paso Red

Description

A milestone wine for J. Lohr that harnesses our history with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah from Paso Robles.- Steve Peck, Director of WinemakingVINTAGE Mother Nature gifted 2017 with generous rainfall after an unprecedented 5-year period of drought conditions in California. Our grapevines awoke from winter the first week of April, with bloom following in the middle of May. Crop set was average at best with modest overall yields for Cabernet Sauvignon. At the end of summer, an extreme heat event brought temperatures as high as 115 degrees in the coastal counties from Los Angeles to north of San Francisco on Labor Day weekend in 2017. Thankfully, our crop of late-ripening red varieties in Paso Robles was unharmed and still a month from harvest which began in earnest in the first week of October, delivering a higher level of sugar and flavor ripeness than we had not seen since the great string of vintages from 2012 to 2014. The intensity of this wine makes it clear thatn our viticulture crews, winemaking, cellar and bottling teams all delivered their best for this inaugural release of J. Lohr Pure Paso.VINEYARDS The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced largely from our Shotwell Vineyard in the cooler Region II El Pomar District of Paso Robles where the climate is strongly influenced by marine air drawn in from the Pacific Ocean just 17 miles away. This ranch is predominantly planted to ENTAV clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon on calcareous Linne-Calodo soils with slopes reaching a challenging 25%. The Petite Sirah hails from our Home Ranch in the warmer Region III Paso Robles Estrella District. This climate is ideal for this heat loving variety where we have manicured our east to west-oriented plantings to capture sunlight on the leaves surface while allowing the grape clusters to reach a luxurious level of maturity in the dappled sunlight below the vine canopy.WINE LIST DESCRIPTION Classic Cabernet Sauvignon with its savory notes are wrapped in the dark fruit character of Petite Sirah.FOOD PAIRINGS Pairs well with tomato rice dishes like paella or creamy risotto. Exquisite with prime rib or a dense monkfish.CELLARING This J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine highlights our house-style which is acclaimed for its dense and focused fruit signature coupled with a soft approachable palate. Best from 2020 to 2024.VINIFICATION FERMENTATION Fermented in 20 ton stainless steel tanks with automated pump over capability.TEMPERATURE Peak fermentation temperature of 92F to achieve full color extraction.MACERATION Macerated on skins for less than 6 days to maintain a soft tannin structure.MALOLACTIC Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels after completion of primary fermentation.MATURATION Aged 18 months in French and American oak barrels. – J. Lohr