93pts Tasting Panel

The Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc grapes in this wine were grown in gravelly, lime-laden soils at an elevation of 1,700 feet. Once drawn in by its immediate perfume of dark chocolate and blueberry preserves as well as its silky, plush, mouth-coating texture, you're treated to waves of milk chocolate-covered boysenberry. Nutmeg-dusted cedar and dried violets flash across the palate, leaving behind a slightly chalky finish.

91pts Vinous

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hilltop lifts from the glass with a peppery freshness, mixing hints of sage with chalk dust and blackberries. It's soothingly round and supple with ripe red and black fruits underscored by saline minerals as grippy tannins mount toward the close. This finishes structured with medium length, leaving the palate refreshed while maintaining youthful poise.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hilltop is terrific as well as a great value. Cassis, ripe blue fruits, graphite, leafy herbs, and tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with terrific ripeness and notable purity. A structured, tannic 2021 that will last at least a decade, it's a brilliant value in California Cabernet Sauvignon.

90pts Wine Enthusiast

Baked black cherry, blackberry jam topped toast and light caramel aromas are well-integrated on the nose of this popular wine. Ripe black cherry flavors hold through the palate, where coffee bean and more caramel elements contribute to the familiar finish.

Wine Spectator

Cherry pie and melted red licorice notes mix on this forward and overtly toasted offering. Meant for immediate consumption. Drink now. 55,000 cases made.

Winemaker Notes

The 2021 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon displays trademark aromas of blackberry, black currant, and toasted pastry crust. Dense and soft on the palate. Elegant layers of black and red currants leave a bright finish, accented by spice and pastry notes from extended oak aging.

Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc

About the Winery

For two generations, the Lohr family and their team have been leaders in California winegrowing. Founder Jerry Lohr and his three children Steve, Cynthia, and Lawrence oversee one of the country’s most successful and trusted fine wine labels. With first plantings in Monterey in 1972 and then in Paso Robles in 1986, the J. Lohr team helped write the book on sustainable winegrowing on the Central Coast.