1996 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release Howell Mountain California USA Wine Tasting Note
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1996
La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release (Howell Mountain)
If you're a Calif Cab that bridges the gap between classic and modern, this is the ticket. The color, still dark, tells you the wine is youthful, fresh and concentrated. Herbs, smoke, cherries, tobacco, cassis and spice pop in the nose. Full-bodied, soft and round, layers of ripe, sweet, lush dark red berries taste and feel great. Popped and poured, every sniff and sip was fabulous. 4,421 Views Tasted Jan 23, 2020I suppose the secret is out, that the La Jota Anniversary wines, made by Helen Turley are perhaps the best examples, of mature, mountain fruit, California Cabernet Sauvignon out there today. Smoky, tobacco, cassis, earth, blackberry and cigar box aromas, concentration, with a powerfgul, yet, regal presence and a long, fruit filled, tobacco and dark berry finish. No decanting needed, just pop and pour. 3,978 Views Tasted Feb 11, 2017There is a beautiful purity of fruit here, which is a good thing as there is so much of it. The texture is regal, the finish sticks with you for over 40 seconds, and you want to go back for another sip. If you're wanting to taste some old Cabernet Sauvignon, grab a bottle of this at an auction, you'll be happy you did. 3,069 Views Tasted Nov 9, 2016Tobacco, earth, pepper and blackberry with a blast of dark chocolate on the nose, the wine is ripe, sweet, fresh, and long. Make no mistake about this, La Jota Anniversary Cabs from 1992-1997 remain the best, secret deal in the marketplace for mature California Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines are stellar. 3,506 Views Tasted Dec 9, 2015Filled with spice, cassis and earthy scents, this big, dense, powerful, balanced wine still seems young and finishes with a boatload of ripe blackberries. 3,763 Views Tasted Mar 28, 2010 |
Everything about La Jota Vineyard Company Napa Valley California Cabernet Sauvignon wine producer profile, wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, history of the property, information on their wine making techniques, terroir and soil. You can also read about the Grapes used for California wine and learn about the extensive History of Napa Valley, California Wines
La Jota Winery History, Overview
La Jota has one of the older histories in the Napa Valley. In its formative years, the property was owned by George C Yount. The land was part of a grant given to Yount by the Mexican Government. The estate was known as Rancho La Jota in those days, which as you can see, is there the name comes from.
The vineyard was cultivated in the 1890's by the new owner, Frederick Hess. At the time, it was part of a much larger 327 acre estate. The small, original, stone winery was built in 1898. La Vineyards was abandoned following prohibition and the vineyards were allowed to go fallow.
That changed in the 1970's when the property was purchased by W.H Smith, who once again, cultivated the vineyards. The style of wine being produced at La Jota was quite rustic, during the 1980's. That changed when La Jota brought in Helen Turley, (who founded Marcassin) as their winemaker.
From that point forward, they could do not wrong. The wines produced at La Jota during the 1990's are stunning, especially the La Jota Vineyard Anniversary Reserve wines. The 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 remain some of the finest examples of mountain grown fruit produced at the time.
La Jota Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking
Situated on Howell Mountain, at elevations over 1,500 feet, the vineyards are above the fog line, giving them a special micro-climate. The terroir is stones, rocks, volcanic material and red clay. All of their vineyards are farmed using self-sustaining farming techniques.
La Jota Vineyards owns 28.05 acres of vines that are planted to 20.58 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.24 acres of Merlot, 2.88 acres of Cabernet Franc and 1.35 acres of Petit Verdot. The vines are planted in 3 separate vineyards that are further divided into 16 different parcels.
La Jota Meadow Vineyard 17 acres planted between 1993 to 2007.
La Jota Vineyard Hill Vineyard 9 acres of vines planted between 1978 and 2007.
La Jota Block Vineyard 1.89 acres planted to 100% Cabernet Franc in 1976.
Today, La Jota Vineyards produces 4 wines.
La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot
La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc
La Jota W.S. KEYES Merlot
Over the years, La Jota Vineyards has produced a myriad of wines, including a Petit Sirah, Viognier and Chardonnay, neither of which are in production today. They stopped producing their Anniversary Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2004 vintage,
Serving and Decanting La Jota with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
La Jota is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Young vintages can be decanted for 1-3 hours, depending on the character of the vintage. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. La Jota is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, ribs, hamburgers, barbecue, roasted, braised, grilled dishes and stews. La Jota is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta.