The Clever Root

Winter / Spring 2016

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W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | 8 9 is altruistic culture comes from the top and has been in effect from the beginning. Wanting to return to his family's agricultural roots, entrepre- neur and NASA research scientist Jer- ry Lohr first planted 280 acres of cool- climate grapes in the Arroyo Seco area of Monterey in 1972. en, in 1986, Lohr began planting Bordeaux variet- ies in a then little-known area called Paso Robles. Over the years, Lohr has applied what he learned growing up on an organic farm in South Dakota, and in 2010, J. Lohr became one of the first wineries in California to earn the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing distinction from the California Winegrowing Alliance. Bruce C. Belanger, owner of the Library Restaurant, a steakhouse in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, draws a parallel to his own 20 years of ownership. "Our wine program is very progressive. I couldn't be happier or prouder to represent J. Lohr—and that's not a line of bulls**t either. It's owner-operated, just like I am. ose people treat everyone like family. Keeping your people happy is how you keep your people. I think that's what J Lohr is all about. My only problem is that we can't keep enough of it." e Library Restaurant is located on the fih floor of a mansion originally built in 1785 that has hosted the likes of George Washington, eodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Also the signing of the Russo-Japanese Treat of August 8, 1905 happened there—no biggie. Yet Be- langer makes sure to keep his award-winning wine list accessible. "I don't charge a bucketload of money for the product. I try to make it affordable as I can across the board, even the upper- end stuff." is is one of the very reasons Belanger keeps a number of J. Lohr Vineyard Series wines on hand; it's a higher tier of wine that still remains very affordable. Jeff Meier, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Winemaking at J. Lohr, says that "Jerry challenged me in 1995 to look at our vineyard blocks, identify the best areas for Cabernet and Chardonnay and create two wines that are the best examples of Paso Robles Cabernet (which became Hilltop) and Arroyo Seco Chardonnay (which became Arroyo Vista). is challenge led to an extensive review of top producers of both varieties in Califor- nia and France at that time, with visits to over 30 wineries and a reevaluation of our vineyard and winemaking practices, ultimately leading to the creation of our Vineyard Series wines." Probably the most popular of the Vineyard Series wines is the Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, procured from a small lot of selected vineyard sites in Paso Robles. It's a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend aged 18 months in small French oak barrels, 60% new. e result is a wine especially perfect for the winter months: rich, ripe black plum and black berries follow roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate. Belanger also sees a parallel in the Americana of J. Lohr and the Library. "is building has great bones. ere have been a number of fires over the years—they just kept adding floors, and it's that kind of ingenuity that America was built on; it speaks to the longevity of the building. I think the Lohr family has done the same thing, with all that environmental and sustainable stuff. ey've done an incredible job representing America." ➜ Arroyo Visa Chardonnay—Energetic, zest- ful Chardonnay grown among the heat-absorbing "Greenfield potato" stones, aged in barrel sur lie for 14 months in 50% new oak. ➜ October Night Chardonnay—This ornate, flowery and piquant version of Chardonnay (partly because it is made from the floral Musqué clone) is grown near the mouth of the Arroyo Seco River and aged in bar- rel sur lie for 10 months in 45% new oak. ➜ Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon—For every bottle sold of this big, concentrated, Cabernet from a gravelly, vineyard in St Helena, Napa Valley, J. Lohr donates $2 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A very special wine and vineyard named after the late Carol Lohr. ➜ Tower Road Petite Sirah—This dark ber- ried, black plum and hazelnut Petite Sirah (with a touch of Syrah) is grown in the Estrella and San Miguel districts of Paso Robles and aged in small French oak barrels, 80% new. The J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay paired with baked stuffed had- dock lobster with sherried cracker crumbs over a bed of Basmati rice and asparagus at The Library Restaurant in Portsmouth, NH. A few selections from the J. Lohr Vineyard series library; the Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon and Fog's Reach Pinot Noir, at the Library Restaurant, Portsmouth, NH. Executive Chef Jesse Farrington warms himself with a glass of J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet at the fire in the Library Restaurant in Portsmouth, NH. w i n t e r / s p r i n g 2 0 1 6 | 8 9 OTHER J. LOHR VINEYARD SERIES WINTER WINES ■cr

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