One of the famed sites on Howell Mountain, La Jota dates all the way back to the 1890s as this location was founded by Fredrich Hess, an immigrant from Switzerland. Over time these wines received considerable accolades. Intriguingly they even received a gold medal for their wine at the World’s Fair of 1904 in St. Louis. La Jota wines are made from low yielding vines planted amongst 28 acres. The high altitude keeps the freshness and minerality to the wine that remains even in hot vintages like 2015. Vines are planted on volcanic soils at relatively high elevation which gives the red wines excellent richness and aging potential. The terroir of Howell Mountain also has considerably cooler temperatures at night, compared to the Napa Valley floor -- which leads to lower yields than the floor and also smaller but richly concentrated fruit. Being at higher elevation also protects the fruit from the intense temperatures sometimes experienced on the Napa floor.
Nothing short of a world-class winemaker, Christopher Carpenter has a B.A. in biology, as well as an M.B.A. in international business. After officially falling in love with wine, Carpenter completed the illustrious masters of viticulture and enology program at UC Davis. He took over as head winemaker at La Jota in 2005. He makes a range of world-class wines. I love the 2021 La Jota Merlot (OB, 98) which is amongst the finest wines of its kind that I have tasted in the past year. Powerful with loads of mouth-watering acidity, this will easily last for two decades. Learn more about these special wines at https://www.lajotavineyardco.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by La Jota.
2021 La Jota Merlot- A stunning new bottling, the 2021 La Jota Merlot is sourced from this high elevation site on Howell Mountain. Deeply colored and perfumed, this leads with anise and black rose petal aromatics alongside wintergreen, fennel seed and suggestions of damp rock. The palate is fresh and vicious with great weight and tension. Loads of mouth-watering acidity invade the mid-palate, alongside heady black and blue fruits, with pencil lead and loamy soil accents. A joy to consume now, enjoy this beauty over the next two decades. Drink 2024-2044- 98
2021 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon- The world-class 2021 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon can benefit from a long decant. Once aroused this offers black currant cordial and creme de violette flavors that meld well with the stony accents, with touches of graphite and black cherry compote. The beautiful purple and black floral aromatics add to the enjoyment as this beauty could really use another year in the cellar prior to enjoying. Drink 2025-2050- 98