2009 J. Lohr Cuvée PAU

The 2009 growing season started dry and finished wet in Paso Robles. Preseason rainfall was well below normal for the third year in a row, recording just half of the 12-inch annual average at our home ranch weather station. Chilly April temperatures limited vine growth in the first month after budbreak, but were followed by a warmer month of May with a one-day temperature spike reaching 104°F just after bloom. The lowyielding Cabernet block selected for Cuvee PAU ripened a full two weeks ahead of an unlikely weather event that hampered the vintage with over 6 inches of rainfall. 2009 marks the inclusion of the highest-ever fraction of Malbec in the Cuvée PAU blend (15%), bringing a fresh red fruit finish to the palate.