2009 J. Lohr Cuvée POM

The 2009 growing season in Paso Robles started dry and finished wet. Winter 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. Merlot responded to the dry conditions by setting smaller, more intense berries with berry weights averaging under 1 gram. 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 degrees Fahrenheit just after bloom. Our best merlot block is planted to Italian clones 9 and 10 and was allowed to reach a luxury level of ripeness, and even sat through an unlikely storm on October 13th that delivered over 6 inches of rain before picking. Cuvée POM is the most aromatic wine in the Cuvée Series. The 2009 delivers intense red fruit fragrance, refreshing acidity and a restrained tannin structure.