2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc

The Vineyards

This 100% Cabernet Franc wine comes from an exceptional little vineyard planted in 1976 next to our century-old stone winery on Howell Mountain. Grafted onto resistant St. George rootstock, it escaped the ravages of phylloxera to become one of the oldest Cabernet Franc vineyards in Napa County. The old vines self-regulate so we don't need to thin crop, pull leaves or in any other way adjust the grape-to-canopy ratio. Year after year, the grapes are intensely flavored and beautifully balanced. Not many wineries produce Cabernet Franc and this wine definitely captures the essence of La Jota terroir.

Winemaking

We hand harvested the Cabernet Franc into small lug boxes to prevent crushing, and then carefully hand-sorted the grapes at our winery to ensure optimum quality. After destemming and light crushing, the must was cold-soaked for gentle color, flavor and tannin extraction. To bridle the "mountain tannins", Chris added small amounts of oxygen into the wine with three "splashing pump-overs" during the primary fermentation in stainless steel tanks and with five rackings during barrel aging. In-barrel malolactic fermentation rounded the acidity and softly integrated the vanillin character of the new oak barrels. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration to retain its full complexity.

Tasting Notes

Old vines give our 2005 Cabernet Franc rich, dark-fruit aromas reminiscent of crushed ripe blackberries. On the palate, intense blackberry and red raspberry flavors intertwine with nuances of black tea, spice and candied walnut. From the wine's aromas to lingering finish, the voice of La Jota terroir speaks in whispers of complex minerals and sweet forest herbs. Mountain tannins—made supple through gentle winemaking—elegantly structure the wine and promise great reward for cellar aging.