2004 Cuvée St.E (CUVEE SERIES) -- J. Lohr Winery Shopping Cart -- St.E Cuvée 2004

<A HREF="http://www.jlohr.com" TITLE="J. Lohr Winery"><IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/BW.gif" ALT="J. Lohr Winery" NAME="J. Lohr Winery" BORDER=0></A> <H1>2004 Cuvée St.E -- J. Lohr Winery Shopping Cart</H1> $52.00 <IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/images/Cuvee-STE-label-lg.jpg" ALIGN=right ALT="2004 Cuvée St.E" NAME="2004 Cuvée St.E" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10> VINTAGE The 2004 harvest for Cabernet Franc, the base of the J. Lohr Cuvée St. E, was very early. This was the first year we began to deeply investigate Block 3 and how we could use thinning and pruning to manipulate the quality of the fruit. This meant cane pruning to 1.5 canes per side and doing extra-heavy thinning just prior to the completion of veraision (coloring of the berries). The results were clear, with improved color and greater general wine density. The best and perhaps most challenging aspect of making this wine is managing the varietal leafiness that is sometimes present and the resulting abundant or extractable tannins that can sometime force its hand in fermentation. The payoff, however, is a wine with great density, undeniable varietal character and the strength to age over time. J. LOHR CUVÉE ST. E The Cuvée Series was created to allow J. Lohr winemakers a chance to blend small premium lots into cuvées that represent the basic varietals grown in three different areas of Bordeaux. In this case, the Cuvée St. E showcases the varietals of the St. Emilion region on the Right Bank. The major varietal in St. Emilion is Cabernet Franc, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are few locations in the world that can achieve such density in the Cabernet Franc grape while maintaining its varietal integrity, which surely makes it a star in this region. TECHNICAL DATA Origin:                           Paso Robles AVA Composition:               87 % Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 2% other Total Acidity:              0.68 g/100 ml pH at Bottling:             3.6 Alcohol:                       15.13% by volume Residual Sugar:           Dry Vinification:                 Stainless steel fermented                                       Malolactic fermentation in new French oak Maturation:                 22 months in new French oak Bottling Date:             August 2006 Production:                 370 6-bottle cases WINEMAKERS COMMENTS The 2004 J. Lohr Cuvée St. E has a dark ruby-red color and good density. The aroma is dominated by red currant, dark cherry, berry fruits and a slight floral element. There is an underlying hint of leafiness and spice common to the Cabernet Franc varietal. The fruit is accompanied by lovely toasty oak, which also carries a spicy component. The palate builds throughout the wine, starting with fresh currant fruit, leading to a full mid- and lingering rear-palate, boasting the chewy tannins which so often accompany this varietal in Paso Robles. Of the three blends in the J. Lohr Cuvée Series, this one lends best to cellaring. I will, however, drink mine tonight with a calzone stuffed with pork fillet, pine nuts and spinach. Other products in the category <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Category9" TITLE="CUVEE SERIES">CUVEE SERIES</A>: <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product503 TITLE="2005 Cuvée St.E"><IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/images/Cuvee-STE-label-sm.jpg" ALIGN=left ALT="2005 Cuvée St.E" NAME="2005 Cuvée St.E" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10></A> <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product503 TITLE="2005 Cuvée St.E">2005 Cuvée St.E</A> -- VINTAGE The 2005 vintage proved a remarkable challenge for our J. Lohr Cuvée program. Despite a return to healthy rainfall, berry size was larger than average in 2005, which delayed ripening. We bled our best blocks of Bordeaux varietals to concentrate the flavors, but with the exception of Cabernet Franc, the sole cuvée to meet our quality standards was Cuvée St. E. Cabernet Franc typically is one . . . <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product542 TITLE="2006 Cuvée PAU"><IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/images/Cuvee-PAU-label-sm.jpg" ALIGN=left ALT="2006 Cuvée PAU" NAME="2006 Cuvée PAU" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10></A> <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product542 TITLE="2006 Cuvée PAU">2006 Cuvée PAU</A> -- VINTAGE The 2006 vintage saw a return to below-average rainfall for Paso Robles, and with it came smaller vine canopies, smaller clusters and smaller berries. But unlike the previous three growing seasons, once veraison started we had very mild weather conditions straight through to harvest, allowing color, flavor and fragrance ripeness to come together, simultaneously. At full maturity, we harvested . . . <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product543 TITLE="2006 Cuvée POM"><IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/images/Cuvee-POM-label-sm.jpg" ALIGN=left ALT="2006 Cuvée POM" NAME="2006 Cuvée POM" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10></A> <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product543 TITLE="2006 Cuvée POM">2006 Cuvée POM</A> -- VINTAGE The 2006 vintage saw a return to below-average rainfall for Paso Robles, and with it came smaller vine canopies, smaller clusters and smaller berries. But unlike the previous three growing seasons, once veraison started we had very mild weather conditions straight through to harvest, allowing color, flavor and fragrance ripeness to come together simultaneously. Merlot quality from our 2001 . . . <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product544 TITLE="2006 Cuvée St.E"><IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/jlohr/images/Cuvee-STE-label-sm.jpg" ALIGN=left ALT="2006 Cuvée St.E" NAME="2006 Cuvée St.E" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10></A> <A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr/Product544 TITLE="2006 Cuvée St.E">2006 Cuvée St.E</A> -- VINTAGE The 2006 vintage saw a return to below-average rainfall for Paso Robles, and with it came smaller vine canopies, smaller clusters and smaller berries. Unlike the previous three growing seasons, once veraison started, we had very mild weather conditions straight through to harvest, allowing color, flavor and fragrance ripeness to come together simultaneously. Cabernet Franc is one of the first . . . <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com/jlohr" TITLE="J. Lohr Winery Products">J. Lohr Winery Products</A> <A HREF="http://www.jlohr.com">J. Lohr Winery</A> J. 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