Review: J. Lohr Cuvee Pom Paso Robles Red Wine

I judge a lot of wine competitions, and it's not surprising to see wines from J. Lohr's Paso Robles Cuvee Series take gold and double gold medals - it seems like it happens all the time, and that's a pretty good indication of just how formidable the Paso Robles Bordeaux scene has become lately. When I say 'Bordeaux Scene,' I mean wines made from a combination of traditional Bordeaux grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

J. Lohr has a few iterations of these blends. The 'Cuvee Pau' is loosely modeled on a Cabernet Sauvignon driven Pauillac-style left bank Bordeaux blend. The 'Cuvee St. E' is inspired by St. Emillion and Merlot plays the leading role. Likewise with the 'Cuvee Pom,' Merlot comes first.

The 2012 Cuvee Pom is a blend of mostly Merlot with Malbec, Cabernet Franc and a small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. Let's not kid ourselves, this is not Bordeaux. It just doesn't have that kind of restraint. This Paso red is lavish, a touch sweet and doesn't need any aging to soften up. At nearly 15% alcohol, it's loaded with delicious cassis, plum, raspberry jam, coconut, cherry and vanilla flavors that are easy to appreciate and well-balanced. Priced at $50 a bottle, it isn't cheap, but it does tend to be a very reliable wine, and more and more of the finest wines from Paso Robles are creeping up from $50 to $75 or even $100 a bottle. Among those, I'd rate this one a pretty good value. (92 points) 

Review: Dry Creek Vineyard 2014 Heritage Vines Zinfandel Sonoma County, CA

I continue to be genuinely impressed with Dry Creek Vineyard of late and so many of their wines seem to be good values. They were always good, especially with Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, but these days the whole winery seems to be humming and I find myself sending more and more tourists there. This Heritage Vines series has long been a good value and the 2014 is no exception. It's a blend of Zinfandel grown on younger plantings grafted from select old vine sources blended with 20% Petite Sirah, 1% Primitivo and 1% Carignane. It has fresh blueberry highlights, brambly blackberry and raspberry fruit and lifted mint notes. It isn't overly sweet or alcoholic and has nice acidity and tannin on the finish. It's an affordable Zin that has a genuine sense of place, freshness and plenty of depth. Highly recommended. (91 points)

Review: Trione 2011 Block Twenty One Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, CA ($67)

The ultra-cool 2001 vintage in Northern California will always be known as the vintage that produced some of the most Bordeaux-like wines that Napa and Sonoma have ever produced. What does that mean? It means that the Cabernets and Merlots were remarkably elegant, not too heavy, and didn't have so much of the sunny fruit sweetness that is completely normal for North Coast Cabernet and Merlot. This small production wine from Trione is one of the best examples I have tasted in the last couple of years, and I adore it. I believe that if you threw this wine into a tasting of first growth Bordeaux wines from a really good vintage it would fare very well. At $67 a bottle, it isn't cheap, and only 707 six-pack cases were produced, so it isn't exactly comparable to a first growth Bordeaux wine, most of which are produced in batches tens of thousands of cases and also which command hundreds or thousands of dollars per bottle. But it's brilliant on its own merits. It has wonderfully focused red and black currant fruit, notes of clove, conifer, menthol, raspberry and incense. It's mid-to-full-bodied and has a long, seamless finish. It's perfectly balanced now, but I think this wine has a long life ahead of it. Even twenty years from now, this wine will probably be gorgeous as it is now. (96 points)
http://trionewinery.com/