Description
The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced largely from the 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 is from the warmer Region III Estrella and San Miguel Districts. This warmer climate is ideal for heat-loving Petite Sirah. We have manicured our east to west oriented plantings to capture sunlight on the leaf’s surface. This practice allows the grape clusters to reach a luxurious level of maturity in the dappled sunlight below the vine canopy. The 2021 vintage delivered unparalleled quality to the Paso Robles region. We received generous preseason rainfall duringthe month of January 2021 but an especially dry spring followed. Overall rainfall for the 2021 vintage in Paso Robles was only 75% of the 25-year historical average. The dry conditions in 2021 forced vines to produce small but concentrated berries, typical of drought years. Happily, consistently mild daytime temperatures and cool nights kept berries fresh and allowed us the the luxury of patience to harvest grapes at optimal ripeness. As a result, extractable anthocyanin content from red grapes in Paso Robles reached an all-time high in 2021, with resulting wines eclipsing color density levels of the acclaimed 2007, 2013 and 2019 vintages. “Savory varietal notes of Cabernet Sauvignon are layered with the dark fruit character of Petite Sirah. The bouquet of cocoa powder, caramel, and anise works in harmony with the black cherry fruit signature of this wine. Bright and focused on the palate, with a firm and appetizing finish.” (Winemaker's Notes)
J Lohr was founded in 1973 by the eponymous Jerry, who originally looked at the cool and windblown Monterrey coast. Fairly quickly building a successful business with the lovely terroir there in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, he expanded to Paso in a search for a place to grow truly great Cabernet. And, with no doubt - he found it. Founding the Hilltop Vineyard pretty quickly, they expanded rapidly off the back of the quality of Paso Robles fruit and the exceptional quality of the wines they were producing. Nowadays this is one of USA's favourite wineries - not requiring pretence or shouting to show how damn good it is. This is a Cellar's favourite across the board, with the Seven Oaks and the Riverstone proving firm favourites amongst our customers.