La Jota Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain was aged for 22 months in oak barrels, 84% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes from the glass with bombastic black currants, black cherries and boysenberries notes plus underlying hints of violets, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 3,997 cases were made.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, tightly wound wine that captures all the natural intensity of Howell Mountain. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke, iron and crushed rocks give this dark, massively tannic Cabernet a lot of character. Even after having been opened for several hours, the 2018 remains forbidding, with serious tannins that are going to require a good bit of cellaring before the wine becomes approachable.