2018 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

The 2018 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a powerful, classically structured mountain Cabernet from one of Napa Valley’s most revered high-altitude sites. Crafted from vines rooted between 1,400 and 2,500 feet above sea level, this wine captures the wild, forested character and remarkable intensity that have made Howell Mountain legendary for more than a century. Combining dense fruit, firm structure and elegant freshness, it is a standout bottle for collectors and serious Cabernet lovers.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this wine shows a deep garnet-purple hue, almost opaque at the core with a vibrant rim that hints at both youth and concentration. The nose is intensely expressive, opening with layers of blackcurrant and black cherry, followed by notes of violet, dark chocolate, graphite, and cigar tobacco, with subtle hints of cedar and baking spice from its extended oak aging. On the palate, the 2018 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet is medium to full-bodied with a powerful yet poised presence. Ripe black and blue fruits—cassis, black cherry, and blackberry—are framed by firm, grainy tannins and a spine of bright mountain acidity that keeps everything lifted and precise. Secondary nuances of cocoa, espresso, pencil shavings and savory herbs emerge with air, leading into a long, fragrant finish that echoes with dark fruit and violets. While already impressive with a good decant, this wine is built for the long haul and should evolve beautifully over 15–20 years, gaining complexity and softness with time.

Production
This wine hails from the rugged, forest-framed slopes of Howell Mountain, one of Napa Valley’s first officially recognized AVAs and still one of its most distinctive. Vines share the mountainside with pines, oaks, madrones and coastal redwoods, rooted in shallow, rocky volcanic ash and well-drained mountain soils that naturally limit yields and concentrate flavor. The 2018 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested by hand to ensure optimal ripeness and selection. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in oak barrels, 84% of which were new, allowing the structure of the tannins to integrate and lending elegant notes of spice, chocolate and toast without overshadowing the purity of the mountain fruit.

Food & Serving
This is a serious, structured mountain Cabernet that shines alongside richly flavored dishes. Think dry-aged ribeye, grilled lamb chops with rosemary, braised short ribs, venison, or slow-cooked beef stew; it also pairs beautifully with truffle-infused dishes, mushroom ragù, or aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve at 16–18°C (60–65°F) for optimal expression. Young bottles benefit from 1–2 hours in a decanter to soften the tannins and allow the aromatics to fully unfurl; older vintages will need a gentler, shorter decant just to remove sediment.

Producer
La Jota Vineyard Co. was founded in 1898 by Swiss immigrant Frederick Hess, who was drawn to Howell Mountain’s remote, wind-swept slopes and volcanic soils reminiscent of Europe’s great wine regions. Hess purchased land from the historic Rancho La Jota and built a stone winery using volcanic ash rock quarried on the estate, fermenting his early wines in tanks hewn from local redwoods. From these high-altitude vineyards, La Jota became one of the pioneering names of Howell Mountain, long before the AVA was officially recognized in 1983. Today, La Jota is celebrated as a benchmark mountain producer in Napa Valley, crafting deeply etched, age-worthy Cabernets that honor more than a century of winemaking heritage on these dramatic, forested slopes.

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