Review: 2011 La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

By Christopher Null | December 12, 2014 |

It’s not every day we get a bona fide cult wine here at Drinkhacker HQ, but La Jota is the kind of thing that sells for well into the hundreds of dollars on restaurant wine lists and shows up on auction sell sheets with equal probability. Today we look at the 2011 Cab from this storied Howell Mountain operation.

Initially quite pungent with tarry and dense notes of fresh leather and blackberry jam, decant or give this at least an hour in glass before truly exploring. After time with air, the 2011 La Jota’s charms really start to reveal themselves. That includes notes of lush blackberry fruit, black tea, cocoa nibs, cigar box, and a touch of Sunday evening fireplace smoke that wisps along on the finish. This is a wine with amazing depth and, ultimately, a spot-on balance between its fruit-driven core and its savory finish. Well done.

A / $70 / lajotavineyardco.com [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]