Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, La Jota Vineyards 1985

Today, La Jota is managing tannin far better than they were in the mid-eighties. This 1985 may never lose enough tannin to make it completely harmonious, but it is still an admirable effort. Copious amounts of black-cherry, earthy, and oaky scents dominate the wine's aromatics. The full-bodied, concentrated richness is accompanied by hard, tough tannin that tends to assault rather than melt on the palate. This wine needs to be retasted in 4-5 years. If the hard tannin remains, I will have doubts about its future evolution. At present, the wine's color and concentration of fruit reveal no signs of decline or age.