J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red 2020
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Panel
Tasting -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Savory varietal notes of Cabernet Sauvignon are layered with the overt 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.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This regionally respectful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah is satisfyingly rich and hedonistically attractive on all fronts. Smoke-kissed aromas of black cherry, purple flower and light cola on the nose lead into a palate that is full of ripe black cherry and cola flavors, yet with a firm structure.
Editors' Choice -
Tasting Panel
Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon 27% Pette Srah and 1% Malbec, the rich, rpe deep, and delicious red bring fruit to the forefront atop a spicy, savory foundation Aged 18 months in American and French oak, the youthful blend i perfumed with plum pre- serves and cinnamon licorice Boysenberry eads the charge with a tone vanilla and nutmeg Chewy and slightly chally tannins shine alongude cherry and coconut with a dash of white pepper
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 J. Lohr Pure Paso is a powerful, palate-rewarding red wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine drives aromas and flavors of bold, ripe fruits, oak, and licorice from start to finish. Enjoy it with slow-grilled short ribs. (Tasted: August 22, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine & Spirits
A proprietary blend of cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah, this marries the two varieties well, with scents of spiced cacao and evergreen, cinnamon and black-plum scents. The flavors reflect the petite, as does the large payload of finegrained tannins.
Other Vintages
2021-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Panel
Tasting -
Wong
Wilfred
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Panel
Tasting
For fifty years and through two generations, the Lohr family and their team have been leaders in the California wine industry. Founder Jerry Lohr and his three children Steve, Cynthia, and Lawrence oversee one of the country’s most successful and trusted fine wine labels. With first plantings in Monterey in 1972 and then in Paso Robles in 1986, the J. Lohr team helped write the book on sustainable winegrowing on the Central Coast.
Today, J. Lohr farms more than 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines produces eight tiers of award-winning releases: J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Lohr Cuvée Series, J. Lohr Vineyard Series, J. Lohr Gesture, J. Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine, J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Monterey Roots, and ARIEL Vineyards. J. Lohr was honored with the 2020 Green Medal Leader Award in recognition of the company’s decades-long commitment to sustainability.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.