The Wines of Jerry Lohr

Jerry Lohr has been making wine – excellent wine, too – in San Jose for many years. In concert with winemakers Jeff Meier and Daniel Shaw, he produces fine reds and whites, but like almost all winemakers, he always is trying to improve the product, to bring out the best, and then some, from his many varieties of grapes, growing in various California locations. This involves arduous and time-consuming blending, but the result often is fascinating and delicious. His latest creation involves three of the basic Bordeaux grapes, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, in different blends from the 1999 vintage to create wines reminiscent of three prime Bordeaux areas, Pomerol, St. Emilion and Pauillac. Paying homage to the regions, Lohr has named them cuvee POM, cuvee ST.E and cuvee PAU. The wines, which hit the market a few months ago, retail in the $50 range and they're exciting tribute to the ‘99 vintage, which benefitted from the most even and moderate temperatures since 1985. As a result, the wines are rich and delicious, with a lovely, firm structure, and they will continue to improve for the next half-dozen years. Given the fact that Lohr waited five years from harvest to release, they are ready to drink today, and they're delicious, but they'll be even better if treated with patience. Lohr and his winemakers even aged the wines in different oak, though they all spent two years in new French barrels and another year in the bottle after completing fermentation and blending. * Cuvee POM is 68 percent merlot, 16.4 percent cabernet sauvignon and 15.6 percent cabernet franc, and aged in barrels from St. Caprais de Bordeaux made of oak from central France. * Cuvee ST.E is 47 percent cabernet franc, 43 percent merlot and 10 percent cabernet sauvignon, aged in barrels from Libourne, also with central France oak. * Cuvee PAU is 64.7 percent cabernet sauvignon, 19.3 percent merlot and 16 percent cabernet franc, aged in barrels from Jonzac, again with central France oak. Because of the blends, they're different from one another. So are French Bordeaux wines, because winemakers in France use all the grapes they grow on their estates, some heavily planted in cabernet sauvignon, some in merlot. But while California winemakers are pleased to share technical information, even to the point where it boggles the mind, French chateau owners merely print "Bordeaux" or "Burgundy" on the label. Lohr's winery is in San Jose, his vineyards range both north and south. Most of the red grapes come from the Paso Robles area of San Luis Obispo county, chardonnay from the Greenfield area of Monterey county and sauvignon blanc from a small vineyard in the Napa Valley. The latter, at about $18, displays a crisp flavor with acid and minerals in the finish, a delight with oysters or clams on the half shell or fried oysters, too. But three-grape Bordeaux blends are not enough for Lohr. He now has the other two Bordeaux red grapes, petit verdot and malbec, and five-grape blends will be next. "We started in 1998," he recalled, "but it was just POM. We added ST.E and PAU the next year because we had more cabernet. Actually, we had a predominance of cabernet. Now they're all ready." Lohr, who made only 600 cases of each (about 7200 bottles) is selling the wine in six-bottle cases, with the buyer able to mix cuvees in a case. As far as the different barrels are concerned, "they have to be a match for the wine," Lohr explained, adding, "It's a question of matching the phenolics and the tannin in the wine and in the wood. That brings out the most flavor in the wine." All three cuvees were brilliant in the glass, and all three are different. The PAU showed its cabernet sauvignon predominance with a berry flavor and aroma, and hints of coffee and tobacco on the palate. The finish was long, and the wine displayed a strong backbone and lots of character, a perfect wine to accompany chocolate.. POM, which has the most merlot, revealed the softness that the grape brings, with soft tannins and a good body, though not as solid as the PAU. A lovely, rich, plummy wine with dinner or for sipping with coffee in front of the fireplace. ST.E was a little different on the palate. The predominance of cabernet franc took a bit of getting used to. Roll it around in the mouth, absorb the berry flavors. It works. The merlot adds softness and brings wonderful depth and balance. I certainly can't say which is "best," because that's not a valid question. I'd be happy to drink them again, in a year or so. In addition to the cuvee series, Lohr also produces many less-expensive wines from the vineyard series and J. Lohr estates. The 2001 Paso Robles South Ridge syrah is elegant and mouth-filling, with a rich, long finish. A fine value at $15, as is the Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon with the Seven Oaks label. * * * * Joseph Phelps, from the eastern part of the Napa Valley, is another winemaker whose products are expensive, and worth it. The Phelps wines display flavors that are clean and lean in the whites, bold and rich among the reds, and while they can all use a little cellaring and will age better and last longer than most of their California neighbors, they make elegant accompaniments to meals. Whites tasted recently include an ‘01 Ovation chardonnay from Napa Valley ($40) which shows how oak should be used, but too often is not, in California chardonnays. The oak is light and clean, showing the grapes off against a delicate background and not burying them in tannin. The 2001 viognier ($30) is flowery and extremely fruity, but a perfect acid-alcohol balance makes it a delicious accompaniment to dishes on the spicy side. The reds, however, are where Phelps made his name. He was the first California grower to plant syrah, back in 1977, and the ‘00 vintage is smoky and peppery, delicious on the tongue and with a very long finish that leaves a marvelous memory. It's worth every penny of its retail price of about $40. The ‘00 Insignia, a blend of Bordeaux varietals, is in the $130 range. It's mostly cabernet sauvignon (77 percent), but also includes merlot (18), petit verdot (3), cabernet franc (1) and malbec (1), and it is a great wine, deep and hearty of flavor, with big ripe plum and berry aroma and flavor, and some chocolate and coffee at the end. This is a brilliant wine and will work to perfection with roasts and steaks. It is so good that it will be the perfect match to your all-time favorite dish. A great dish and a great wine always combine to reach greatness.