2005 Howell Mountain Merlot

October Release - limited quantities available only through November 6, 2023

This one is very special. 2005 marks the year in which we began writing the next chapter of La Jota with winemaker Chris Carpenter at the helm. Merlot was not a sought-after grape at the time, but Chris had pinpointed Howell Mountain as an ideal appellation for it. We were enchanted to discover that the personality of fruit from the La Jota Vineyard fit hand-in-glove with the Merlot grown in our nearby W.S. Keyes Vineyard. Together, these vineyard sites formed a wine with a backbone of mountain tannins, unmistakable plushness, elegance, and suppleness. Eighteen years later, the voice of La Jota terroir echoes through the minerality, dark cherry, and cocoa as blackberry and brown sugar linger on the expansive finish.

Only 5 cases are available of our October offer in celebration of our 125th anniversary.