2017 La Jota Merlot Howell Mountain
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Merlot (there's 11% Petit Verdot) also comes from the Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Juicy, ripe, and sexy, with plenty of chocolate, black cherries, and earth aroma and flavors, it's textured, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully done.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Merlot is ripe, bold and luscious. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cinnamon give the Merlot a good deal of aromatic freshness to play off the ripe, luscious fruit. The new oak needs a bit of time to integrate, but there is plenty to like here - that much is obvious.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Merlot Howell Mountain reveals pretty baked plums, blueberry pie and blackberry compote notes with touches of cloves, star anise, cracked black pepper and black soil plus a waft of underbrush. Full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with crunchy black fruit layers, framed by very ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and peppery.