The 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is 4-6 years away from enjoyable drinking. It is a dense, full-bodied, bruiser of a wine, with an opaque color, and a promising but restrained bouquet of minerals, smoke, and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, rich, and intense, as well as tannic and backward, it is a wine made for the long term rather than immediate drinkability. This is an immensely impressive Cabernet Sauvignon. La Jota's three 1991 red wine offerings are all noteworthy. This winery has established a reliable track record for high quality Cabernet Franc. La Jota's twenty acres of vineyards situated high up on Howell Mountain behind the small village of Angwin has consistently proven to be a superb source for red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. That production has been recently supplemented by a good Viognier, a frequently superb Petite Sirah (made from purchased grapes from Dunn's Park-Muscatine Vineyard), and most recently an impressively rich Chardonnay and two Pinot Noirs from Sonoma. Like a number of California's wineries, La Jota has had four great vintages in a row, not including 1994, a year that many are calling the vintage of the century for Napa Cabernet. Tel. (707) 965-3020; Fax (707) 965-0324.

Heavy handed, with oaky flavors and drying tannins, seemingly void of fruit at this stage. Hard to warm up to.??–null??Region: California / Napa / Howell Mountain Select to Add