LPF
LPF is our exploration of the Adelaida District in Westside Paso. We love Cabernet Sauvignon. And in our urge to find the best, we explore great vineyards. We believe the vineyard blocks of LPF make for a fantastic varietal Cabernet Sauvignon.
You needn’t be a Keynesian economist to appreciate the idea of the Liquidity Preference Function (LPF) - to consume today or to delay gratification for the future. We leave it to you to determine whether your rate of interest for LPF is: savor now or cellar for later?
To abstain from the enjoyment which is in our power, or to seek distant rather than the immediate, are among the most painful exertions of the human will. - N.W. Senior (1836)
Vintage 2018 winemaker's notes
115 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 99%, Petit Verdot 1%
OK, you’re going to laugh at that 1%. I would too… except that it makes a difference. Which? Hard to describe, but the The Farm Winery team voted for the version blended with that 1%. So LPF'18 stayed that way!
LPF is quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon. A textbook call on the variety taken to the highest expression of quality. It reaffirms why Cab Sauv is the KING of varieties in California. A nose of dark and blue and fruit combined with fresh and mineral notes. All at the same time, but mostly dark and blue. A palate of mouth-filling intensity. An explosion of fruit flavors barely contained by ultra-firm and yet ultra-fine tannin structure. A demanding presence. A shut up, stand up wine. It captures my attention and requires my attention. This is not a conversation wine. It’s too important for that. Too big for that. It’s a “stop - don’t talk to me - let me think about this wine” wine.
Rare tri-tip. Rare roast beef. Rare anything cow originated! (there’s a theme here I think.) Simply grilled because LPF will be the protagonist, and the meat only the sidekick.
Vintage 2018 reviews
Ripe, sweet blackberries, cassis, asphalt, olives and a hint of osmanthus honey to the nose. Silky and juicy on the palate with taut and polished tannins creating a seamlessly knit texture to the palate. Very long and linear with a refined finish.
94 points; James Suckling October 2022
Glass-staining ruby. Spice-accented aromas of fresh black and blue fruits, tobacco and cola are complemented by a floral topnote. Juicy, focused and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated blackcurrant, cherry-vanilla and baking spice flavors that are underscored by a smoky mineral quality. At once rich and lively, closing long and precise, with solid dark fruit thrust, discreet tannins and longering florality. Drink 2025 through 2034.
93 points; Vinous November 2021
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Vintage 2017 winemaker's notes
91 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 97%, Petit Verdot 3%
I always like to say that a small blending companion allows a Cab to be a real Cab. In that sense, LPF is our real Cabernet. Cardinal is a world in itself, and a rule onto itself. It is more about the vineyard than about the varietal. Old Union is something different. LPF is our quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon.
2017 is bright and fresh, both in nose and in palate. Beautiful and refined tannin structure, with a firm and bold presence that screams its Cabness. Subtle mineral notes. Powerful within an elegant jacket. Refined, vertical, upright, tense. Mouth filling. Velvet and warmth and tension that only resolves at the end. Intriguing.
Cab needs meat. I know, it can match other stuff. But you’re not asking me for second best…. so, meat. Rare, por favor!
Vintage 2017 reviews
Glass-staining ruby. Ripe cherry and dark berry preserve aromas are complemented by suggestions of pipe tobacco, baking spices and vanilla. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering weighty, spice-laced blackberry, cherry-vanilla and mocha flavors that turn livelier with aeration. Closes gently chewy and impressively long, with repeating vanilla and dark fruit qualities and youthful tannic grip. Drink 2024 through 2033.
93 points; Vinous December 2020
A classic blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot brought up all in new oak, the 2017 LPF offers plenty of darker currant and blackberry fruits to go with more subtle black tea, cedary herb, graphite, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, with polished tannins and a great finish, drink it any time over the coming Drink 2020 through 2035.
93 points; Jeb Dunnuck September 2020
Vintage 2016 winemaker's notes
164 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 91%, Petit Verdot 7%, Malbec 2%
From me to you, heart to heart: Believe me: I love Rhone wines. I enjoy them tremendously. I collect them. I share them. But…. but Bordeaux varieties inspire me. In Argentina, Malbec. In California, Cabernet. The stature! The smoky presence of dark fruit that says: I’m here!
LPF is a Cab. A Cab with side-kicks like any super-hero worth his (her?) salt. Petit Verdot and Malbec help Cab express its best, enhance it, open it up to exploration. They enable the Cabernetness of Cab. That’s why the best Cab is Cab plus something. Cab plus enablers. Cab plus entourage. In palate, LPF is a tongue coating, mouth filling dominant ruler. It will not accept subtle dishes of modern cuisine. It respects only steak. Barbecue. Grilled quadrupeds. It wakes you up with a stentorian call: LPF is in the house!
Vintage 2016 reviews
The nose is a dense carbon, black tea and tobacco with notes of chocolate and blue fruits. The palate entry is sleek, red-centered fruit with cherry, cedar, pomegranate and licorice/camphor in the core. Very attractive silky blue plum, herb and graphite on the finish. Drink 2020 through 2032.
95 points; purely domestic wine report Volume 9.2 Summer 2020
Shimmering ruby. Pungent, spice-accented scents of ripe dark berries, licorice, candied flowers and smoky minerals. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering intense black and blue fruit, bitter cherry and rose pastille flavors sharpened by a suggestion of peppery spices. Becomes sweeter and deeper with air and finishes smooth and impressively long, with polished tannins adding shape and gentle grip. Drink 2024 - 2034.
93 points; Vinous February 2020
"This is Paso Cab at its best..." Video link
Wine Weirdos September 2020
Vintage 2014 winemaker's notes
112 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 80% with 20% of Petit Verdot.
A very intense and uplifting nose! It is there, fragrant and fresh, fruit-filled. But at the same time it seems that you need to chase after it to find the meaning of its details. Cab Sauv is the protagonist of the nose of this wine. (maybe because Petit Verdot has a nose-palate discontinuity?). The palate is also quintessential Cab. Upright. Vibrant. Restrained. Expressive more in its kinetic potential than in any overt way. Austerity about to explode! Petit Verdot adds structure and roots to a towering sculpture. The Cabernet lover’s wine within all our wines for sure. For a serious moment, a time alone or at least a time in silence. A long time because this wine goes on forever.
Vintage 2014 reviews
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot, the 2014 LPF offers ripe black currant and cassis flavors on the palate. It is an elegant and polished wine with a silky texture, excellent balance and a lovely long finish. It is clearly one of the top proprietary blends of Cabernet Sauvignon in Paso. Aged 29 months in new and used French oak. A real jewel!
94 points; International Wine Review December 2017
Dense aromas of woody blackberry, hints of bay leaf and thyme and a dusting of crushed graphite show on this elegant blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. It's a very regal wine on the palate, with firm upright tannins conveying flavors of black plum, leather, tobacco and black pepper.
92 points; Wine Enthusiast February 2018
Vintage 2013 winemaker's notes
109 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 98% with 2% of Petit Verdot.
OK, laugh. 2% Petit Verdot? Isn’t that just winemaker’s make-up stuff? It actually isn’t. Cab is a difficult variety to “interpret.” There’s a lot of information, all tightly packed. A small dose of other variety is like a wedge that opens up the content to interpretation. It’s like the difference between a closed book and an open one. So that’s the role of Petit Verdot. To help “access” all that info that’s contained within our Cabernet. The nose is quintessentially Cab. Deep. Austere. Expressive. Demanding. Dark fruit and dried herbs and crushed walnuts and…. and… and…. You get the picture. It’s not like Oakland! (G.Stein) There’s a lot of there there!
Vintage 2013 reviews
2013 LPF offers classic notes of blackcurrants, toasted spices and tobacco leaf, full-bodied richness, integrated acidity and a great finish. It's another terrific wine from this estate that has tons to love.
94 points; JebDunnuck.com August 2017
Deep ruby. Expressive, oak-spiced cherry, black currant and floral pastille aromas are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, roasted coffee and licorice. Sweet, seamless and expansive in the mouth, offering densely packed dark berry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a hint of mocha. Shows excellent focus and powerful thrust on the extremely long, juicy finish, which features repeating spiciness and smooth, slow-building tannins. Drinking window: 2021 - 2028
93 points; Vinous November 2017
LPF is a ripe and earthy Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 2% Petit Verdot. It is sourced from the Old Bailey vineyard planted in 1964. Dark ruby in color it is nicely balanced with a soft texture, concentrated dark fruit flavors, and a long finish. Aged 24 months in new and used French oak barriques. This should last a decade.
93 points; International Wine Review December 2016
The nose is beautifully cut cherry and savory mushroom with sweet notes of tobacco and nutmeg. Firm and youthful on palate entry with bright, crisp red fruit – cherry with notes of cranberry and carbon. Great texture and vitality. Drink 2017 - 2024.
92 points; Purely Domestic Wine Report March 2017
Vintage 2012 winemaker's notes
118 cases produced. Cabernet Sauvignon 88% with 12% of Petit Verdot.
As an ally, Petit Verdot supports, without imposing character. It helps express the intrinsic density and complexity of Cab. And this is serious Cab! A Cabernet without limitations! A Cab that Napa would be happy to call its own, but that shows authentically as Paso Robles. A demonstration of what Paso can be!
A nose full of nuances. Small details that invite exploration. Purpose. An older generation would call it masculine, but I say seriousness and intensity. Authority. If a woman, a Golda Meir, a Margaret Thacher. If a man, a Churchill. In the mouth, density of texture. A bedsheet of high-knot-count. Physical sensations of smoothness and size at the same time. Structure without aggression. Dark fruit. Cassis. Notes of broken rocks and some saltiness in the back of the mouth. And a minute-plus length of aftertaste that speaks of great ageability. This is the Cabernet I’ve always wanted to make in Mendoza, Argentina, but never could. Different than Cardinal as Cardinal shows vineyard personality. LPF shows pure varietal Cabernet character.
Vintage 2012 reviews
Youthfully tight to start despite the solid, deep credentials of its curranty, black cherry and minerally, graphitey personality, this full-bodied bottling fills the mouth with its clear, slightly beamy palatal impressions and concentrated flavors. It is nowhere ready to drink and will find rounder, more supple ways over the next half-dozen years, but there will be those who will be more than pleased to serve it alongside savory beef or lamb roasts sooner than that.
93 points; Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine December 2015
LPF is an elegant spicy blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Compared to Cardinal, it offers richer dark fruit flavors is more refined with excellent balance and overall polish. Aged 28 months in new French oak.
93 points; International Wine Review January 2016
Strikingly complex, plush and layered, brimming with juicy plum and blackberry flavors, shaded by spicy, cedary oak and ending with mildly gripping tannins that give the flavors depth and traction. Drink now through 2026.
92 points; Wine Spectator March 2016
Glass-staining ruby. Vibrant, oak-spiced cherry, black currant and floral pastille aromas are complemented by suggestions of vanilla and mocha. Sweet, seamless and penetrating, offering intense dark fruit and spicecake flavors and a repeating vanilla quality. Shows excellent clarity and power on the persistent finish, which features repeating spiciness and smooth, slow-building tannins. This wine was raised entirely in new French oak and wears it nicely. 2019 - 2025
92 points; Vinous September 2016
Made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot, the 2012 LPF is loaded with notions of chocolaty dark fruits, graphite, sweet oak and spice in a rich, full-bodied and impressively concentrated package. Like the other wines here, the tannin quality is beautiful, it has outstanding balance and notable elegance. It, too, should cruise in the cellar for 10-15 years.
92 points; Wine Advocate August 2016
A fresh, balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with currant, lavender and violet aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh acid backbone. Drink or hold.
92 points; James Suckling October 2015
Silky texture with deep, rich plum and cassis; elegant, smooth and lush with delth and lovely balance.
92 points; Tasting Panel Magazine December 2015
Vintage 2011 winemaker's notes
2011 was a strange year for us. If you can call a third year in any activity strange! Maybe it is our lack of experience in Paso...but no, even seasoned Paso hands were commenting on it. On one hand, a worrisome data point: It was our latest harvest ever and the latest for the area in many, many years. On the other hand, the evidence of our senses tasting the grapes: the flavor development was very slow, but those flavors…mama mia! Superb freshness! No enormous tannin structures; instead a vivid fruit juiciness in the berries when close to harvest. So we’ve followed the growth of these wines with a lot of interest!
The theme of this wine is the one I’ve been talking about for all 2011’s: tightly knit fruit texture, medium-sized tannin structure, and a “sexiness” of juicy appeal that has the focus of a blue laser in your nose and palate. Dark and red fruits interlaced with some minerality that gives it a sense of place. Superb length in mouth with echoes of blue colors (my personal metaphor, sorry!) both in the nose and in the back of your mouth once the glass is empty.
Our Cabernet yield was tiny - barely one-half of a ton per acre. 135 cases made. 13.5% alcohol.
Vintage 2011 reviews
A fruit forward nose of blackberry, blue plum, violet and camphor. The palate is focused on lush fruit with a solid acid structure and notes of delicate florals. Drink 2015 - 2024.
92 points; purely domestic wine report April 2015
100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Old Bailey, one of Paso Robles‘ oldest Cabernet vineyards planted in 1964. With yields of 0.6 tons/acre, this vineyard produces highly concentrated earthy grapes of black currant and cassis. With 27 months in oak, concentrated earthy flavors, and firm round tannins, this Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent offering that should be enjoyed over the next ten years or longer.
92 points; International Wine Review January 21, 2015
Vintage 2009 reviews
Well-structured, this combines pure, ripe, juicy blackberry, wild berry and cherry notes with dusty cedary oak and loamy earth shadings. Firms nicely on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2024. 75 cases made.
92 points; Wine Spectator November 15, 2013
This is a huge, complex wine, filled with currant, cocoa and dried herb flavors wrapped into dusty tannins. It’s dry, elegant and even ageworthy. The richness is balanced by crisp acidity, like a squirt of lime juice that makes the dark fruit dance. Drink now–2017.
92 points; Wine Enthusiast July 1, 2013