**J. Lohr Cuvee Series St. E 2005 - This is a Paso Robles winery paying homage to the Bordeaux style of wine-making. This blend, their style of St. Emilion, is done flawlessly.
No joke, no b.s., this wine was awesome! I enjoyed it through dinner, chicken parmesan & spaghetti, then after as well. Sitting on the couch, letting dinner settle, I was like a little kid with a shiny new toy. I'm confident to say this was the best bottle of wine I've had in months, and I drink an awful lot of wine.
The body was full, rich, and powerful; yet the tannins were soft, smooth, and lightly velvety. Plenty of fruit up-front, followed by depth and structure that seemed to go on for miles.
It's still August, and I've already decided this will be my wine of choice for the holiday season. Limited production though, I've already contacted one of the owners to get some more into the state for me.**
Okay, so what has changed since then? Well, the fact that we couldn't get any of this delicious wine! J.Lohr's Cuvee Series is typically sold in sets of three, one of each of their three blends. At over $65/bottle, I refused to bring in two other wines that I've never tried just to get to my St.E. So, I contacted the co-owner to see what we could do to fix this issue.
The word "Cuvee" (with an accent over the first 'e') is a word used to describe any number of blends. Read right from the back label..."The Cuvee Series was conceived to provide out winemaker with maximum artistic freedom to produce a blend, or cuvee, without being restricted by U.S. labeling guidelines for varietal percentages. Our objective is to simulate the complexity and elegance found in the Grand Cru Classe wines from Pauillac, Pomerol, and St. Emilion. To identify each cuvee, we have developed a three letter code that represents the varietal composition traditionally used in those appellations. PAU - Pauillac, POM - Pomerol, and St.E - St. Emilion"
My distributor informed me back before Thanksgiving that there would be a few six-packs coming to the state. The J.Lohr Cuvee Series is typically packed at the winery in wooden six-pack boxes, each of the three blends sold separately. So, I waited, quite patiently I might add.
Finally, it has arrived! Just after Christmas, barely in time for New Year's. But, I know what I'll be drinking for New Year's Eve, the St.E!
What would be your other favorites inside of this price range?
ReplyDeleteGive or take a few dollars, the other wines I recommend highly would include Dutch Henry Argos, Whitehall Lane Cabernet, Boyanci Inspire, Simi Landslide, BR Cohn Olive Hill Cab, and Justin Justification.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I've always got recommendations, in all styles, and all price ranges. As far as I'm concerned, one of my priorities each and every day is to give my clients the best wine I can, for whatever price range they're comfortable with.