La Jota Vineyard 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
The 2021 season began with very little rain, and spring and summer were mild. Interestingly, because the heavy wildfire smoke during 2020 decreased the vineyards’ exposure to sunlight, the vines were set up to give us lower yields in the new season. So for 2021 there is less wine but just phenomenal character. This Cabernet Sauvignon is generous with ripe blackberry on toast and earthy notes of soil, sage, pine, and graphite. The midpalate is weighty and the finish delivers great length. Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 2.5% Petit Verdot 98 Points by Jeb Dunnuck Another incredibly concentrated, focused, insanely impressive wine in the lineup is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, which offers a powerful nose of darker currants, scorched earth, graphite, and savory herb aromas and flavors. This full-bodied, dense, concentrated, powerful, inward beauty needs 4-6 years in the cellar but will age forever.