J. Lohr Pure Paso Red Blend

2023 Vintage, Paso Robles experienced record winter rainfall from December 2022 to March 2023, recharging the parched soil profiles after two years of drought-like conditions. Cool weather persisted through much of the growing season; veraison occurred in mid- August, about two weeks behind schedule. Thankfully, near-perfect, warmer weather in October allowed us to wait to pick fruit with optimal flavor and anthocyanin development. We hand-picked the first blocks of Petite Sirah on October 6th from our vineyards located on Tower Road; our first Cabernet Sauvignon blocks arrived at the winery on October 26th. Fermented in 20-ton stainless tanks with light pumpovers; 7 days maceration for full color extraction. This unique blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah showcases two historic, benchmark varieties from J. Lohr’s long history in Paso Robles. The Cabernet Sauvignon component was sourced largely from the J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard in the cooler El Pomar District of Paso Robles. This ranch is planted to ENTAV clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon on calcareous Linne-Calodo soils with slopes reaching a challenging 25%. The Petite Sirah portion was grown in the warmer Paso Robles, Estrella and San Miguel Districts - ideal locations for this heat-loving grape.