2013 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet
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Tasting notes
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, plus Petit Verdot and Malbec. 19 months in French oak, 89% new. Fresh and very Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite a bit of tannin. Chewy but not too sweet. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain is the largest cuvée (2,675 cases) and a blend of all five Bordeaux varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec. It’s a beauty. Opaque purple, with notes of licorice, charcoal, lead-pencil shavings, blackcurrants and spice, the wine is full-bodied, opulent, lavishly rich and pure, with sweet tannin and a long finish. This wine is approachable now, but promises to age beautifully for 20-25 years.
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is another deep, intense wine from La Jota. Inky blue/black fruit, smoke, licorice and menthol are all pushed forward in a plush, relatively open-knit Howell Mountain Cabernet that will drink well with minimal cellaring, in part because a good dose of Merlot softens the wine.