J Lohr is one of California’s most beloved and respected family wine estates — founded in 1973 by Jerry Lohr, a man of genuine vision and restless curiosity who spent years searching for the right terroir before finding it. His search for a place to grow truly great Cabernet Sauvignon led him to Paso Robles, where he established the Hilltop Vineyard and, in doing so, helped define one of California’s most exciting and dynamic wine appellations. Seven Oaks — named for the magnificent valley oaks that stand sentinel over the estate — is J Lohr’s flagship Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, and one of California’s most consistently rewarding and beloved reds at any price. Paso Robles is Cabernet country: warm, sun-drenched days that ripen the fruit to a deep, generous richness, and cool nights that preserve the natural acidity and freshness that give the wines their structure and longevity. The soils across the estate vary from gravelly clay loam to limestone, and J Lohr’s meticulous approach — matching rootstock and clonal combinations to each individual site to maximise expression — is the kind of viticultural precision that separates a great wine from a merely good one. The 2022 Seven Oaks is a classic, barrel-aged Paso Robles Cabernet of real depth and character: layers of cassis, black cherry, and dark chocolate on the nose and palate, with the warm, generous fruit and the firm yet approachable structure that are the hallmarks of the appellation at its best. Not requiring pretence or shouting to show how good it is — Seven Oaks simply delivers, vintage after vintage. At £27.99, it is J Lohr at their most essential.