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17/20
La Jota Vineyard Co. Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California, United StatesWinemaker Christopher Carpenter makes this 77/11/8/4/blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot and merlot grown on Howell Mountain at La Jota Vineyard and W.S. Keyes Vineyard. The wine is aged 20 months in 89% new French oak to take on the rich brawny mountain fruit. A perfect vintage lead to exceptional fruit all hand-harvested and slid into small 30-pound boxes. The fruit is then hand sorted destemmed and lightly crushed before a cold soak. Carpenter likes to oxygenate the must two or three times a day during the primary ferment in stainless steel to wrestle the ‘mountain’ tannins down to size. In-barrel malolactic fermentation pulls it all together along with three separate rackings over the 20 months it rests in barrel. The textures are surprisingly soft (a result of the vineyard selection). Look for rich berry aromas and flavors accented by notes flecked with licorice and bittersweet chocolate. The palate is awash in cassis and boysenberry fruit sitting over a dense thick soft layer of tannin. Perfect acidity keeps it fresh and long in the mouth… with decades to go before it sleeps. Steak anyone?Tasted: 29 March 2016Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| MB | $87.00 | 750ml | private wine shops |
| AB | $95.00 | 750ml | Consignment - B&W Wines |
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
