j lohr hilltop cabernet sauvignon 2021 750ml

"Exhilarating blackberry and blueberry aromas are enhanced by crushed violet, herbes de Provence, and spiced tea. On the palate, dense and soft, with finely textured tannins. Juicy layers of black and red currants lead to a bright finish, accented by pastry notes from extended barrel aging."

— Brenden Wood, red winemaker

Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc

VINEYARDS

The primary source of this year’s Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon blend was our J. Lohr Shotwell Vineyard located within the cool, Templeton Gap-influenced El Pomar District of Paso Robles. Our J. Lohr Beck Vineyard provided 10% of the fruit from its 1,700 foot elevation in the La Panza range in the Creston District. The final 10% of the blend comes from our J. Lohr ranches located within the mountainous Adelaida District. As is typical, we’ve added small amounts of estate grown Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc to hone the final wine. Our Cabernet vines are naturally stressed in the dry, often very gravelly, and sometimes lime shale-laden soils in the region. Water is at a premium in these vineyards, enabling the viticulturist to fine-tune pruning and irrigation to achieve dark fruit with resolved tannins year after year.

VINTAGE

In Paso Robles, we received generous preseason rainfall during January 2021, but an especially dry winter and spring followed. Dry conditions in 2021 forced vines to produce small but concentrated berries, typical of drought years in the Paso Robles appellation. Consistently mild daytime temperatures, though, paired with cool nights to keep berries fresh; this allowed winegrowers the luxury of patience to harvest grapes at optimal ripeness. As a result, extractable anthocyanin content in red varieties in Paso Robles reached an all-time high, with resulting wines easily eclipsing color density levels of the acclaimed 2007, 2013, and 2019 vintages. The 2021 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon shows unprecedented concentration and depth, with finesse and an astonishing purity of fruit. Please decant for utmost enjoyment.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Delicious with rosemary-seasoned ribeye and garlic roasted potatoes with parsnips and fennel.l.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

TP93, Tasting Panel

"The Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc grapes in this wine were grown in gravelly, lime-laden soils at an elevation of 1,700 feet. Once drawn in by its immediate perfume of dark chocolate and blueberry preserves as well as its silky, plush, mouth-coating texture, you're treated to waves of milk chocolate-covered boysenberry. Nutmeg-dusted cedar and dried violets flash across the palate, leaving behind a slightly chalky finish."

JD91, Jeb Dunnuck

"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hilltop is terrific as well as a great value. Cassis, ripe blue fruits, graphite, leafy herbs, and tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with terrific ripeness and notable purity. A structured, tannic 2021 that will last at least a decade, it's a brilliant value in California Cabernet Sauvignon."

WE90, Wine Enthusiast

"Baked black cherry, blackberry jam topped toast and light caramel aromas are well-integrated on the nose of this popular wine. Ripe black cherry flavors hold through the palate, where coffee bean and more caramel elements contribute to the familiar finish."

750ml Bottle