J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, 2017 St. E Cuvée – A Beautiful Blend
The Winery and Background
50 years ago Jerry Lohr set out to find all the elements of a great “terroir”, climate, soil and location. He found two regions, one in Monterey County, specifically the Arroyo Seco area. The other being Paso Robles. The cool climate and the development of the vineyards were paramount. Today, J. Lohr has more 1,400 acres of vineyards. His “go to wines” are Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir. Additionally they have since added 30 plus acres in Napa Valley. The winery now offers seven tiers of award winning wines.
On a personal note, in my mid-twenties, I cut my teeth on J. Lohr Chardonnay as my wine of choice for social occasions. I mistakenly long ago, abandoned J. Lohr until last December 2022. At a dinner party at a residence in Paso Robles, I was sitting across the table from a most knowledgeable and gracious man, Steve Peck. As we struck up a conversation I found out he was the VP of Winemaking for J. Lohr for both the Paso Robles and San Jose operations. He quietly pointed out while J. Lohr is a commercial winery, they do have many brands highlighting artisan varietals and small boutique production lots.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
He was kind enough to enter into the 4th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition in March 2023, in the Blend Flight (must be min of 50% Cab Franc). His 2017 Cuvée St E Blend with 63% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Malbec won a Gold Medal, Best of Class and Best of Show from the Professional Judges. This was a solid win against some very reputable wineries.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
When opening the wine the coloring was enticing with purple and red hues with a medium viscosity. On the nose, aromas of ripe blackberry waft into the senses. On the palate, the wine shouted out a light and mellow pipe tobacco, with mocha and dark fruit compote. The finish was epic with vanilla, not sweet, just pronounced, followed with defined chewy tannins that drifted to the edges of the mouth and then calmly disappeared with a mid-length residual flavoring that preceded. Almost zero pyrazines (green bell peppers), just silky smoothness. Fermented in French oak and then aged about 20 months in the bottle. The current release is the 2018 and is listed at $50.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a favorite summertime taco salad comprised of flavored beef, diced Jalapeños’, quartered cherry tomatoes, black beans, lettuce, minced purple onions and a few slices of avocados. A dollop of smoky salsa topped the salad along with tortilla chips and sliced Jalapeño’s along the plate edge. Perhaps not the best pairing with such a “warm meal”, so we held off drinking the wine with the dinner. After some time, we picked up the wine and could embrace the fullness of its character. This wine definitely made the list of my Top Wines Tasted in 2023. The annual report comes out in December after tasting some 1600-1800 wines each year!
So don’t make the same mistake to abandon and discount J. Lohr as a “large production house” as they have a variety of wines and price points for everyone to enjoy. A personal thanks to Steve Peck and I am late in doing a story on their Saint Macaire wine, but it is coming! Now I can’t wait to taste their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon now that I am returned to J. Lohr family.
Sláinte,
Michael