Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/348953
94 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 J. Lohr Vineyard & Wines' "Hilltop" Cabernet Sauvignon, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery and Jada Vineyard & Winery. Speaking for many of the sommeliers, Jessie Birschbach recalls, "We talked so much about clones I thought we were at Pinot Noir Camp!" Fellow Mastro's Sommelier Anthony Lerner says, "One thing we experienced on our first day is that the moniker of Paso being a very hot region is a misnomer; not only is it generally cool, but the diurnal shift is so extreme it results in truly unique wines." Adds Birschbach, "The higher acidity you get from the soils of Paso, particularly in Adelaida, is what fascinates me." Day 2 – Terroir Walks and Barrel Tastings Our second day started at 8 a.m. in J. Lohr Vineyard & Wines' Hilltop estate, in the middle of the proposed Paso Robles Estrella District, where J. Lohr President/COO/Director of Winemaking Jeff Meier talked about the violet, blackberry and ripe cherry qualities typical of Cabernet Sauvignon from these rolling hills of sandy, gravelly, calcareous soils. "The climate is moderately warm, but you can see just from the relatively small size of the older plants in this vineyard, vines here struggle to grow and produce, which is optimal for top quality Cabernet." In the barrel room of J. Lohr's winery, Meier led the sommeliers through a blind tasting, challenging them to identify 2013 barrels of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, based upon their knowledge of varietal characteristics. "This was a highlight of the trip," says Pamela Singh. "They put small jars of everything from chocolate to sage to violet jam on the table to help us sort it out . . . smelling and tasting each grape individually, with the help of the component aromas, really gave us a sense of each grape, and how each contributes to the final 'Hilltop' blends." To complete the lesson, the sommeliers were given a tasting of finished bottlings of J. Lohr's special cuvées: the plush, round, Merlot-driven 2012 J. Lohr "Cuvée POM"; the cedary, savory, vio - let-scented Cabernet Franc–dominated 2012 J. Lohr "Cuvée St. E"; and the dense, chewy, velvet-layered Cabernet Sauvignon–based 2012 J. Lohr "Cuvée PAU." Our next stop was a higher-elevation (1,600 feet) vineyard in the middle of the proposed El Pomar District, where Sextant Wines cultivates a multiplicity of Cabernet Sauvignon clones in Linne Calodo soils (calcareous shale and sandstone). On a brightly lit hilltop, cooled off by late morn - ing breezes moving through the Templeton Gap just a few miles away, Sextant Owner/Grower Craig Stoller and Winemaker Steve Martell led us through a 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon barrel tasting; allowing the sommeliers to compare the rich, fragrant FPS Clone 04 to a more compact, cherry-cola scented ENTAV-INRA Clone 15, a bolder, high phenolic ENTAV-INRA Clone 412, and a lush yet tannin laden ENTAV-INRA Clone 685. Stacie Hunt shares this food for thought: "Clones may be the next generation of wonderful geekiness for our profession! I wouldn't be surprised to see clones coming back in vogue, printed on labels. I'm a grape DNA nut, but I think this will become an important piece of knowledge to teach our students, and can also be used as a marketing tool for those of us in the trade." From Sextant's plantings we traveled further east, away from Highway 101, climbing up a slightly higher alluvial plateau which defines the proposed Creston District, where Chateau Margene is located. Counterintuitively, explained Owner/Grower/Winemaker Michael Mooney, the Creston District is one of cooler-climate sub- regions of Paso Robles. "We are further to the east," Mooney told us, "but we have huge diurnal swings. This is why conversation about 'Westside' and 'Eastside' Paso Robles has to go away—ter - roir distinctions don't follow directions. Creston is unique; but even so, I'm a fan of blending the districts together to achieve a more complex wine." Mooney planted his Creston District estate to the workhorse FPS Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, but farms it to as low as 1.5 tons per acre with one-cluster-per-shoot thinning and deficit irrigation. The 100% estate-grown 2006 Chateau Margene "Beau Mélange" is Mooney's top-of-the-line: a pinpoint, remarkably fine and deli - cate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Chateau Margene's other Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings are typi- (left) J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines' Hilltop estate. (above) J. Lohr's Chairman and CEO, Steve Lohr. The Sextant "Kamal" Cabernet Sauvignon in the Sextant estate vineyard.