J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon '10

My aunt just made a statement on Facebook: "Rainy days can be so Productive!" I'd like to point out that a rainy day is perfect for a cabernet with cheese and crackers. Rest is very productive for the future as well, so don't ever feel bad for enjoying such. So today I'm reviewing J. Lohr's Seven Oaks Cabernet on this rainy day.

The nose on this wine is a bouquet that's really hard to define the flowers on. The tannins are strong even after a good aeration, but you can tell dark fruits are going to be a big note in this experience. Once on your tongue things become more clear though. The fruits involved on the tastes are plum, dark unpitted cherries, and a certain aspect of blueberries. Being a Mainer I can't say this hue of the spectrum is exactly like the palate of a blueberry, because it doesn't have the exact sweetness signature in my state's fruit. It's really just the blue part of it. Besides fruits, there's also a velvety vanilla going on that compliments the body quite well. I'll end my tasting notes by saying the body is full but not 'round'. (Round being the feel of a sherry or stout beer.)

I'd make a different choice if I wanted the "dark side" (coffee or chocolate notes) of a cabernet, but J. Lohr Seven Oaks is a fine example of California cabernets and will be a frequent choice of mine when looking for the fruitier side of this grape. I'm giving it a B (good) because of this standard it set and because Seven Oaks is a fine choice for not just a rainy day, but any day.

J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay '07

I realized a few days ago I've reviewed many teas, beers and liquors but not a single wine! I made the choice of J. Lohr as my first brand because I've had many excellent wines from them and their chardonnay is a wine I commonly recommend to customers at my work.

Now for those of you who know much about Californian chardonnays; almost all of them have a taste in common, oak. The Riverstone Chardonnay certainly has this but much more is going on as well. Taking a whiff of my glass I noticed citrus and pear in addition to the vanilla-oak, (the vanilla-oak reminds me of Cutty Sark). Once I took a sip the pear took on a more clover honey perspective and the vanilla-oak became a bit more seperable. The body of the wine was a little heavier than I expected and it finished very clean with the citrus as a last note. The pear did leave a pleasant sweetness on my tounge after finishing however.

Don't serve this wine very chilled, if at all. I found when chilled it made the palate more faint and brought out the citrus more, (not as pleasant). The J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay is a A (excellent) in my book. This one is a great value as well, at only $10 this is one of the best Californian chardonnays I've tried.