By no means over the hill. Had with grilled wagyu ribeyes and roasted potatoes with grilled peppers and zucchini. A bit of a fruit bomb. Black fruits, and some tannic spine.
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Decanted and tasted, blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate , currant in the nose, most impressive bouquet. Less impressive on the palate, in fact underwhelming, with totally intergrated tannins, with hints of blue fruits and currants. My last bottle and still a nice example of Howell mt. Fruit. Drink very soon, held in a 55 degree environment.
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The wine need time to decant, the nose was off at first, but mellowed to show some dark fruit and slight oak. Lighter than expected on the pallet, yet smooth and silky on the finish. Nice fruit, cherry, blackberry. The finish was fast with little left so savor. We definitly held this wine too long.
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Decanted for four hours. This wine is a little past it's prime but still drinking well. Very smooth and well worth the wait. A little cherry to start, not much oak, and then flows into cassis. Kate and Tom enjoyed it.
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Dark inky purple, full bodied, notes of blackberry, black raspberry and black currant, turning to cedar, leather, then oak and silky smooth tannins on the finish.
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Deep purple color. Earthy, mossy notes on the nose. Full bodied with raspberry, plum and cassis on the palate. Tannins are smooth and well integrated. While this will certainly last several more years I am glad we drank this now. Served as part of a Howell Mtn flight with '04 Clark-Claudon, '00 O'Shaughnessy and '07 Blue Hall Mtn.with Rick & Linda, Dr. Dan & Linda in celebration of Beth's B'day.
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Nose of burnt caramel. Palate has some nicely proportioned black fruits of plum, currant and blackberries. There is a road tar(?) thing happening which I have not quite decided how I feel about. Balance is nice and tannins are resolved. All in all a pretty decent Cab, but should more be expected than just 'decent'? It's finish has a hint of metal and some sourness. The fruits don't make the whole journey. Yes, I expect more.
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Drank with the Caymus SS from this vintage, a bit of sherry on the nose which blew off (storage issue), but otherwise a very nice medium weight cassis and blackberry fruit tinged wine, with a touch of spice and a bit of hollowness in the middle. Could go longer, but for now, 90.
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A plush and velvety mountain fruit bomb. Like water off a duck's back. The tannins have been resolved, drinking well at the moment.... maybe the peak. I've had a lot of these and if you like big Mtn. fruit, then you'll love this. However, this isn't complex or multidimensional, hence the ratings from the pros. This wine has a lot of appeal and frankly, I could drink this every Monday night.
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Nice fruit on the nose, tanins well integrated and this wine was ready to drinnk. Fruit was there and wine was good but not overly memorable. Went well with filet at Mortons in NYC. Drank along with the 01 Anniversary that I thought was the better of the two.
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Excellent nose. Tannins initially melted into the fruit then resurface a little dusty and dry at the end. Fruit is a little rich and Juicy on the end, The nose reminds me a bit of some To-Kalon bottles I've had. Pretty much what I was looking for when I bought the bottle. 91+Pts.
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Decanted for 1hr, been nearly 2 years since my last bottle and this continues to please. Went great yet once again with crusted rack of lamb. Eucalyptus, cola and blackberries in the nose. Rich yet subtle on the palate with silky smooth dark fruits, vanilla and chocolate that goes on and on. Very solid cab that is ready to drink, but plenty of life left.
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Decated for two hrs. This wine is borderline on the wow factor, went great with the rack of lamb I made for my birthday, incredible richness, depth and concentration, yet still maintains balance between oak and fruit. Drinking well now, yet will keep for several more years.
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At first, this was hot (i.e., the alcohol was present with force). Died a little bit but never recovered its balance. A week ago, I had a mid-level, lower level 2004 Bordeaux and it was everything this was not. Balanced, with a great nose, excellent flavor, a good finish, etc. This wine nevers comes together. I can tell that the elements are there but it doesn't mesh. The biggest problem is that the alcohol is out of whack and the wine is hot (it almost, almost but not quite, burns).
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I found this wine surprisingly approachable for a mountain Cabernet. Instead or being angular, heavy and tannic the body was medium wieght and relatively smooth. It started light with a thin layer of dark fruit, as the night went on the fruit emerged. Fun and interesting.
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Great nose of red raspberry jam on toast. On palate black currant, racy raspberry, and long tannic finish with some bitter chocolate. A little light for Napa, but great with bone-in ribeye.
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Dark garnet red, blood-like looking color. Nose is dominated by cassis, leather and cedar. Great texture and weight on the palate. Super-balanced with phenomenal acidity, fruit, and enough tannin to allow it to age many more years. Awesome finish with smoky charcoal notes. Those who follow my tasting notes will know that I am generally not a big fan of CA Cab, but this is really the exception to my rule. I am thinking this may be the CA Cab for those who may typically dislike CA Cab. No heat, no over-extraction, no pruniness. I would venture to guess that this has at least 3-5 more years before drinking at peak. An awesome, almost retro CA Cab.
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Ordered off the wine list at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Opened and poured without decanting. Initially a bit tight and acidic, this wine picked up some weight with about an hour of air and became really rich and supple in texture. I wish I had been more patient with this wine, or had it decanted, because it was really hitting its stride on the last glass, towards the end of the meal. Nose of black fruit, wet loamy earth, dark chocolate, and tobacco, which extends on to the palate and finishes with long lingering traces of black current and red volcanic soil. Full body. Medium-low acidity. Extremely well balanced and nicely paired with a bone-in rib-eye with mashed potatoes.
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Excellent offering that is very ready to drink now. Even though its a mountain fruit, the La Jota Howell Mt drinks evenly from start to finish. Lush, rolling mouth-feel gives pleasant sensation as forward elements of the wine explode on the palette. The tannins are still quite evident, allowing the finish to be long and dry. I could carry on as we did very enjoy this bottle.
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This is classic Ca cab in a refreshingly understated style. Rich cassis, currant and red berry flavors are supported through a medium to full body. Nicely balanced and glides through a pleasant finish echoing the fruit. Ready now.
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Notes from memory. Decanted for two hours prior to a steak dinner. Wonderful wine in what appears to be more of an old-school style. Notes of leather and black currant. Nice tannic kick provides a medium length finish. Very nice wine with plenty of stuffing to go much further.
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seamed to be different tan other cai cabs in this price range. nose of blackberry an d plum. tastes of blackberry chocolate and wood with something else i can't put my hands on. defiately more of an elegant feel .. also a little firm wih a nice silky finish. just added 3 to the cellar
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London Offline with Nicos, Charles, and a bunch of North-Americans (St. John's Restaurant, London, United Kingdom): Dark color that verged on purple. Dark/bitter chocolate flavors and texture along with rich cassis and bing cherry on the palate. A bit of tobacco, gooseberry, bayleaf and leather is detectable, but the wine is still very fruit-driven and arguably too young. Nice, long finish. I keep saying that La Jota's newer vintages starting with 2001 are some of the best more old-school style cabs from California that are very affordably priced, especially when purchased on futures.
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Wow. What a beauty. Classic Howell Mountain on the nose with hints of black berry, black cherry, and dark chocolate shavings. Silky texture on the palate with lots of fruit and dark chocolate. Reminiscent of biting into a bunch of sweet, ripe Cabernet grapes. Gorgeous long finish with mocha and tobacco flavors. One of the better 2001s I've tasted so far.
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1/17/2023 - crewald wrote:
By no means over the hill. Had with grilled wagyu ribeyes and roasted potatoes with grilled peppers and zucchini. A bit of a fruit bomb. Black fruits, and some tannic spine.
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1/7/2017 - jww Likes this wine: 94 Points
my last bottle
Tis wie has held up beautifully full fruity nose
fresh fruit on the palate casis and blackberry
nice finish
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1/6/2017 - Lax4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
The last bottle of the case I bought a few years back. Still maintained a rich black berry flavor from beginning to the end.
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11/23/2014 - aaslanian wrote: 90 Points
Still has lots of ripe fruit. A little taste of petroleum but went away after some air in the glass. Time to drink.
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10/11/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and tasted, blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate , currant in the nose, most impressive bouquet. Less impressive on the palate, in fact underwhelming, with totally intergrated tannins, with hints of blue fruits and currants. My last bottle and still a nice example of Howell mt. Fruit. Drink very soon, held in a 55 degree environment.
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8/31/2013 - jww Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice wine still needs 1/2 to one hour to open up
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1/9/2013 - Chumsky wrote: 92 Points
The wine need time to decant, the nose was off at first, but mellowed to show some dark fruit and slight oak. Lighter than expected on the pallet, yet smooth and silky on the finish. Nice fruit, cherry, blackberry. The finish was fast with little left so savor. We definitly held this wine too long.
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11/4/2012 - Dave and Mo Cellar wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for four hours. This wine is a little past it's prime but still drinking well. Very smooth and well worth the wait. A little cherry to start, not much oak, and then flows into cassis. Kate and Tom enjoyed it.
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1/9/2012 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
Dark inky purple, full bodied, notes of blackberry, black raspberry and black currant, turning to cedar, leather, then oak and silky smooth tannins on the finish.
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1/7/2012 - wconnolly wrote: 89 Points
Deep purple color. Earthy, mossy notes on the nose. Full bodied with raspberry, plum and cassis on the palate. Tannins are smooth and well integrated. While this will certainly last several more years I am glad we drank this now. Served as part of a Howell Mtn flight with '04 Clark-Claudon, '00 O'Shaughnessy and '07 Blue Hall Mtn.with Rick & Linda, Dr. Dan & Linda in celebration of Beth's B'day.
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12/2/2011 - King Cab wrote: 87 Points
Nose of burnt caramel. Palate has some nicely proportioned black fruits of plum, currant and blackberries. There is a road tar(?) thing happening which I have not quite decided how I feel about. Balance is nice and tannins are resolved. All in all a pretty decent Cab, but should more be expected than just 'decent'? It's finish has a hint of metal and some sourness. The fruits don't make the whole journey. Yes, I expect more.
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11/26/2011 - Lax4 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice cabernet with full body taste. Wine was tasteful from the first sip out of the bottle.
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7/9/2011 - ginfizz wrote: 90 Points
Drank with the Caymus SS from this vintage, a bit of sherry on the nose which blew off (storage issue), but otherwise a very nice medium weight cassis and blackberry fruit tinged wine, with a touch of spice and a bit of hollowness in the middle. Could go longer, but for now, 90.
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5/9/2011 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
A plush and velvety mountain fruit bomb. Like water off a duck's back. The tannins have been resolved, drinking well at the moment.... maybe the peak. I've had a lot of these and if you like big Mtn. fruit, then you'll love this. However, this isn't complex or multidimensional, hence the ratings from the pros. This wine has a lot of appeal and frankly, I could drink this every Monday night.
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12/18/2010 - tgkswine wrote: 90 Points
Nice fruit on the nose, tanins well integrated and this wine was ready to drinnk. Fruit was there and wine was good but not overly memorable. Went well with filet at Mortons in NYC. Drank along with the 01 Anniversary that I thought was the better of the two.
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9/3/2010 - beachnic wrote: 91 Points
Excellent nose. Tannins initially melted into the fruit then resurface a little dusty and dry at the end. Fruit is a little rich and Juicy on the end, The nose reminds me a bit of some To-Kalon bottles I've had. Pretty much what I was looking for when I bought the bottle. 91+Pts.
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5/2/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1hr, been nearly 2 years since my last bottle and this continues to please. Went great yet once again with crusted rack of lamb. Eucalyptus, cola and blackberries in the nose. Rich yet subtle on the palate with silky smooth dark fruits, vanilla and chocolate that goes on and on. Very solid cab that is ready to drink, but plenty of life left.
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2/20/2010 - jctaylor wrote: 92 Points
Awesome!
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1/30/2010 - jdoakpark wrote: 92 Points
beauty!
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10/26/2008 - jdoakpark wrote: 91 Points
Great bottle...same as previous notes.
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10/13/2008 - cmerlot wrote: 89 Points
This wine taste better a year ago. decanted for 30 mins and was a bit green.I will wait another year before i taste again
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10/7/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark color with lots of dark fruit on the nose and taste. Good finish. I enjoyed this wine.
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8/9/2008 - wineshaman wrote: 94 Points
Decated for two hrs. This wine is borderline on the wow factor, went great with the rack of lamb I made for my birthday, incredible richness, depth and concentration, yet still maintains balance between oak and fruit. Drinking well now, yet will keep for several more years.
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1/12/2008 - doctoroflaws wrote: 84 Points
At first, this was hot (i.e., the alcohol was present with force). Died a little bit but never recovered its balance. A week ago, I had a mid-level, lower level 2004 Bordeaux and it was everything this was not. Balanced, with a great nose, excellent flavor, a good finish, etc. This wine nevers comes together. I can tell that the elements are there but it doesn't mesh. The biggest problem is that the alcohol is out of whack and the wine is hot (it almost, almost but not quite, burns).
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1/9/2008 - 8trigram wrote: 90 Points
I found this wine surprisingly approachable for a mountain Cabernet. Instead or being angular, heavy and tannic the body was medium wieght and relatively smooth. It started light with a thin layer of dark fruit, as the night went on the fruit emerged. Fun and interesting.
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1/5/2008 - charbo wrote:
had it a year ago with similar notes. Definately not as fruity as other cali cabs. Bought these on close out and should have bought more
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1/3/2008 - jdoakpark wrote: 91 Points
liked it again.
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1/2/2008 - thomasme wrote: 92 Points
Delicious cali cab, full bodied, varietal black fruit flavors, aired one hour before drinking, recommended!
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11/4/2007 - cgf wrote: 90 Points
Great nose of red raspberry jam on toast. On palate black currant, racy raspberry, and long tannic finish with some bitter chocolate. A little light for Napa, but great with bone-in ribeye.
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10/4/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Dark garnet red, blood-like looking color. Nose is dominated by cassis, leather and cedar. Great texture and weight on the palate. Super-balanced with phenomenal acidity, fruit, and enough tannin to allow it to age many more years. Awesome finish with smoky charcoal notes. Those who follow my tasting notes will know that I am generally not a big fan of CA Cab, but this is really the exception to my rule. I am thinking this may be the CA Cab for those who may typically dislike CA Cab. No heat, no over-extraction, no pruniness. I would venture to guess that this has at least 3-5 more years before drinking at peak. An awesome, almost retro CA Cab.
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6/19/2007 - thenapalist wrote: 81 Points
By no means a great bottle. Overly tannic and dark, semi ripe fruit. Sour on the finish.
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5/13/2007 - jdoakpark wrote: 91 Points
same thoughts as past bottles. great wine.
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4/29/2007 - NW_HURLEY wrote: 91 Points
Luscious selection. Very drinkable now. Shows some mountain characteristics, but no overbearing.
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3/26/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
Ordered off the wine list at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Opened and poured without decanting. Initially a bit tight and acidic, this wine picked up some weight with about an hour of air and became really rich and supple in texture. I wish I had been more patient with this wine, or had it decanted, because it was really hitting its stride on the last glass, towards the end of the meal. Nose of black fruit, wet loamy earth, dark chocolate, and tobacco, which extends on to the palate and finishes with long lingering traces of black current and red volcanic soil. Full body. Medium-low acidity. Extremely well balanced and nicely paired with a bone-in rib-eye with mashed potatoes.
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3/15/2007 - NW_HURLEY wrote: 92 Points
Excellent offering that is very ready to drink now. Even though its a mountain fruit, the La Jota Howell Mt drinks evenly from start to finish. Lush, rolling mouth-feel gives pleasant sensation as forward elements of the wine explode on the palette. The tannins are still quite evident, allowing the finish to be long and dry. I could carry on as we did very enjoy this bottle.
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2/25/2007 - ScottS wrote: 94 Points
50+5+14+17+8=94 pts
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1/27/2007 - 6831 wrote: 90 Points
This is classic Ca cab in a refreshingly understated style. Rich cassis, currant and red berry flavors are supported through a medium to full body. Nicely balanced and glides through a pleasant finish echoing the fruit. Ready now.
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1/8/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 90 Points
Notes from memory. Decanted for two hours prior to a steak dinner. Wonderful wine in what appears to be more of an old-school style. Notes of leather and black currant. Nice tannic kick provides a medium length finish. Very nice wine with plenty of stuffing to go much further.
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12/21/2006 - jdoakpark wrote: 92 Points
big wine with silky mouthfeel and great flavors of spice and fruit.
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12/13/2006 - JDB wrote: 92 Points
very silky, Howell Mt fruit, I do noy know if this will improve but a very enjoyable bottle of wone now
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5/17/2006 - jdoakpark wrote: 91 Points
Big and bold. Great wine. Give it time to breathe. Too bad they're history.
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1/16/2006 - charbo wrote: 91 Points
seamed to be different tan other cai cabs in this price range. nose of blackberry an d plum. tastes of blackberry chocolate and wood with something else i can't put my hands on. defiately more of an elegant feel .. also a little firm wih a nice silky finish. just added 3 to the cellar
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8/11/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 91 Points
London Offline with Nicos, Charles, and a bunch of North-Americans (St. John's Restaurant, London, United Kingdom): Dark color that verged on purple. Dark/bitter chocolate flavors and texture along with rich cassis and bing cherry on the palate. A bit of tobacco, gooseberry, bayleaf and leather is detectable, but the wine is still very fruit-driven and arguably too young. Nice, long finish. I keep saying that La Jota's newer vintages starting with 2001 are some of the best more old-school style cabs from California that are very affordably priced, especially when purchased on futures.
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7/30/2004 - steffenpelz wrote:
Wow. What a beauty. Classic Howell Mountain on the nose with hints of black berry, black cherry, and dark chocolate shavings. Silky texture on the palate with lots of fruit and dark chocolate. Reminiscent of biting into a bunch of sweet, ripe Cabernet grapes. Gorgeous long finish with mocha and tobacco flavors. One of the better 2001s I've tasted so far.
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