La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (75cl, 14.5%)

A Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon-led red from Napa Valley, made by La Jota Vineyard Co. and bottled at 14.5% ABV in a 750ml bottle. The 2018 blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, aged for 22 months in oak barrels, 84% of them new. The fruit comes from high-elevation sites between 1,400 and 2,000 feet on volcanic ash and red clay soils. The nose opens with black currant and boysenberry, with graphite, tobacco leaf, cedar pencil, violets and dark chocolate. The palate is dense and full-bodied, with blackberry, cassis, iron, crushed rock and smoky graphite, framed by structured tannins. The finish is lengthy, with dark chocolate, asphalt and fine-grained mineral dust.