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2017 La Jota Merlot

Removed from a professional wine storage facility

Light label condition issue

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine storage unit; Purchased at retail

5 available
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Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

94The Wine Advocate

...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.

94Wine Enthusiast

...well-integrated, complex and structured wine from the mountain appellation is substantial in red fruit, toasted oak and powerful concentration. Cassis, black cherry and sage perk up a broadly rich, lively palate of bright, lasting acidity and savory dried herb and earthiness.

94Jeb Dunnuck

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.

92Wine Spectator

Powerfully structured, with crackling acidity backing the intense red fruit flavors, layered with minerality. Savory flourishes show on the finish.

92Vinous / IWC

...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.

91James Suckling

Floral and savory with pine needles and black fruit. Full to medium body and firm tannins, yet it’s poised and refined at the end.

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

Howell Mountain AVA in Northeastern Napa Valley was the first of Napa Valley’s sub-appellations, earning its own designation in 1984, just a year after Napa Valley became an appellation. As the name suggests, the AVA is in one of the highest elevations in the area. Every vineyard in the appellation is at least 1,400 feet above sea level. Some vineyards are as high as 2,200 feet and because of their altitude most of the AVA’s vineyards receive more sun than vineyards at lower elevations, which are affected by fog from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay. Howell Mountain was home to vineyards in the late 19th century, but winemaker Randy Dunn is considered the area’s most influential modern pioneer. Dunn moved to Howell Mountain in 1979, acquired property and began making exceptionally rich Cabernet Sauvignon. The AVA also grows Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. There are 600 vineyard acres within Howell Mountain AVA.

TYPE

Red Wine, Merlot

The Merlot grape is such a deep blue that it is named for the blackbird. It’s an early ripening grape and one of the primary varietals used In Bordeaux. Merlot is also grown in the "International style," which is harvested later to bring out more tannins and body.