1991 La Jota Cabernet Franc

La Jota's three 1991 red wine offerings are all noteworthy. This winery has established a reliable track record for high quality Cabernet Franc. Based on past vintages, I would not be surprised to see the 1991 Cabernet Franc put on weight and merit an outstanding score with another 2-4 years of bottle age. It exhibits an attractive cedary, plum, cassis, and herb-scented nose, dense, ripe, medium to full-bodied flavors, soft tannin, an easy-going acidity level, and a long, lush, opulent finish. Although appealing to drink, it will last 15-20 years. La Jota's twenty acres of vineyards situated high up on Howell Mountain behind the small village of Angwin has consistently proven to be a superb source for red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. That production has been recently supplemented by a good Viognier, a frequently superb Petite Sirah (made from purchased grapes from Dunn's Park-Muscatine Vineyard), and most recently an impressively rich Chardonnay and two Pinot Noirs from Sonoma. Like a number of California's wineries, La Jota has had four great vintages in a row, not including 1994, a year that many are calling the vintage of the century for Napa Cabernet. Tel. (707) 965-3020; Fax (707) 965-0324.