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94POINTS
17½/20
La Jota Vineyard Co. Howell Mountain Merlot 2016
Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California, United StatesThe La Jota wines are Napa Valley originals with roots that date back to 1888, when winemaking pioneer W.S. Keyes planted some of the first vines on Howell Mountain. A decade later, Fredrick Hess built a stone winery and established La Jota Vineyard Co., named after its location on the Mexican parcel Rancho La Jota. The fruit comes off the home estate and nearby W.S. Keyes Vineyard, both mountain cool mineral-laden sites that look east over Napa Valley. This is all native yeast barrel fermented in French oak barrels. The 2016 blend is 90/5.5/4.5 merlot, petit verdot and tannat. Mountain power with elegance is the La Jota mandate, and you quickly feel it and taste in this dense, ripe, hedonistic wine. The fruit is an intense mix of blueberry and mulberry with fine acidity and a creamy layer of polished tannins. Dark chocolate and espresso and spice mark the finish. Just a baby and will comfortably live in the bottle for a decade and beyond. One for collectors.Tasted: 30 May 2020Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $95.00 | 750ml | select private retailers |
| AB | $95.00 | 750ml | select private retailers |
Grape: Merlot
