I recently wrote of the wine region of Paso Robles and how much I enjoyed the
area. After leaving, I thought back on
my visit and the word “dichotomy” popped in my head. I chuckled at two of the most positive experiences
I had there; both so memorable and meaningful, yet both so different from one
another.
The first is a large producer making
literally millions of cases of wine; the other, an artisanal producer making
just over a thousand cases. Two wineries,
seemingly so contradictory on the surface, but with so many similarities when directly
compared. These two examples of
dichotomy at its finest showcase some of Paso Robles’ finest wines.
J Lohr Vineyards and Wines
As a young boy growing up on a farm in rural South Dakota, Jerry
Lohr of J Lohr Vineyards did not necessarily dream about being a winemaker. Even when he went college, growing grapes was
not what he imagined himself doing.
After a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering took Jerry to a master’s
degree and a PhD. from Stanford University in California, Jerry went in to the
United States Air Force and then took a job with NASA. Though Jerry had a rural
upbringing, his passion for wine was fed by his time in California. He started to search the state for what he
considered perfect land to grow grapes and make wines that would show a sense
of place.
Instead of going to Napa like many others were in the late
1960s, he went south to Arroyo Seco, in Monterey County, a little-known region
for growing grapes. His first vineyard
was planted there in 1971; by 1987 his wine business was so successful he
expanded even further south to Paso Robles, another basically-unknown region
for wine. (Read the full story of Jerry Lohr's path to winemaking and the values he expresses through his business.)
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| J Lohr Vineyards' Paso Robles tasting room and production facilities. |
Today, over forty years after the first fateful vintage, J
Lohr Vineyards produces about two million cases of wine a year between its two
winemaking facilities: the original in
San Jose, now used for the production of white wines, and the Paso location,
now used for the production of red wines.
Most wine drinkers have probably seen J Lohr wines on a
liquor store shelf at some point. These are the winery’s widely-distributed Estate
wines, found in all fifty states and 27 total countries. These Estate wines make up the bulk of production,
with Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon accounting for one million cases.
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| Seven Oaks Vineyard--no matter what direction one looks, seven oaks are seen. |
The second J Lohr label is the Vineyard series, all with
black and gold markings; these have a smaller production than the Estate wines.
The third and fourth labels produced by J Lohr are very limited productions,
with first release solely to wine club members and then sold only in the two
tasting room locations. These are the
Gesture—named for the fact that these special wines are a “gesture” to wine
club members who continue to support J Lohr Vineyards—and Cuvee—blends based on
the three Bordeaux areas: Pomerol, Pauillac,
and Saint Emilion—lines.
It may seem counterintuitive to have a winery that makes one
million cases of a single wine at the same time it makes small-lot wines only
available at the tasting rooms. This is
possible because at J Lohr Vineyards, there is a winery within a winery, a
small production area within the larger one.
This special space makes J Lohr Vineyards capable of multiple styles of
wines.
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| Small winery within the larger winery. |
J Lohr Spotlight Wines
2013 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon—I have long loved
this wine as an exceptional cab for its price point.
After my tour at J Lohr, I have even more respect for it. All grapes are estate grown just across the road
from the Paso Robles facility. The
barely-rolling hills of the Seven Oaks Vineyard—only disrupted by the seven oak
trees scattered between the vines—allow the fruit to be machine harvested. Its close access to the production facility
is another bonus. All of these steps
keep costs low so that money can be used later when aging the wine. Every single drop of Seven Oaks Cabernet is
aged in French oak barrels, no oak chips or cheap techniques here. Then after barrel aging, wines go through a
series of blending into different sized stainless tanks—from quite small to very
large, 167,000 gallons large—to ensure consistency throughout all the
bottles.  |
| From oak barrels... |
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| To smaller tanks... |
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| To larger tanks for blending and consistency. |
2012 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay—sourced from the grapes
in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey in the original area Jerry Lohr planted,
this is an old-world style chard. Yes, there
is a hint of butter essence, but stone fruit and floral are the strongest
characteristics of the wine. Allowed to
go through malolactic fermentation, this wine is silky smooth on the palate.
2013 Tower Road Petite Sirah—known as the durif grape
in France, where it is incredibly prone to mildew and rot, petite sirah grows
wonderfully in Paso Robles due to the long dry season from June to
October. This is another very popular J
Lohr wine; so popular the 2013 was already released because the 2012 sold
out. Red stone fruits and dried herbs on
the nose and palate with beautifully soft tannins, this is a perfect example of what
California petite sirah can be.
Parrish Family Vineyards
Winemaker David Parrish has deep roots in the Paso Robles
area through his grandpa, an early resident of Atascadero, a small town about
half an hour from the actual town of Paso Robles. David’s grandfather was proud owner of
the first post office box in Atascadero and lived in the house that is now the
Atascadero museum. In 1927, he owned 540
acres of land with vineyards. The legacy
of David’s family heritage is incredibly important to David, so important that
the image of his grandfather's PO Box 1 is on the label of Parrish Family Vineyard wines.
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| Parrish Family Vineyards bottles, with David's grandfather's PO Box 1 and historic Atascadero home. |
David’s company uses American made
materials, and over the years, David has developed many items for which he has
the patent. He has traveled all over the
world trellising vines, though today he travels much less because modern
technology allows him to consult from home and do much of the planning via
computer. Because David’s business was
based out of Napa Valley, he has been involved with some of the best-known wines
in America, names like Mondavi, Beringer, and Stag’s Leap.
Today, David has 140 family owned acres growing multiple
varieties of grapes between Monterey and Paso Robles. He started growing his own fruit in
1995. He sold this fruit to other
producers until 2004 when he started making wines under his own label, today
making around 1,200 cases. In 2011, the
tasting room just off Paso Robles’ City Park was opened.
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| The tasting room off Paso Robles' City Park. |
Parrish Family Vineyards Spotlight Wines
2013 Silken Blanc—a beautiful blend of 85% chardonnay
and 15% viognier grapes, the citrus and orange blossom notes on the nose carry
through to the palate to create a delightfully strong floral
characteristic. The wines end in a silky
(yes, it matches its name) finish that lasts—a wonderful white blend.
2012 Petite Sirah—this is another great example of
what California’s climate can do for petite sirah. On the nose, the dark fruit and chalky,
limestone fragrance leads to blue and black fruits on the palate, joining
chocolate and dried herbs. The wine
boasts elegant tannins, yet is smooth enough to be great with many
robust foods.
2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon—five years after
vintage, this is a superb cabernet. The
French oak aging gives hints of tobacco and spice, but it’s the tannin-acid
balance that make this cab special.
Strong but smooth tannins are given life by the perfect acid
structure. Great ripe berries also show
through to the finish. Drink now or save
a few years…neither will disappoint.
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| Photo in with winemaker David in front of a portrait of his family land. |
