Edition 22 | May 2018

Greetings from the Mountain Wine Club!

When Frederick Hess founded La Jota Vineyard Co. on Howell Mountain in 1898, he imagined that Napa Valley could achieve the same distinction as Europe, where some of the best wines in the world were being produced. He was right. At the 1900 Paris Exposition, La Jota garnered international recognition after Hess won a bronze medal for his "Bianco." Today, the winery proudly carries on the winemaking tradition. The 2015 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc comes from some of the oldest Cabernet Franc vines in Napa Valley and captures the intense fruit and mineral complexity of these origins. This wine is a classic example of the incredible wine coming from Howell Mountain for more than a century.

Mt. Veeder is the largest AVA in the Napa Valley, yet is responsible for less than 2 percent of Napa Valley's production. Set in this distinguished AVA, the Mt. Brave Vineyard has only one acre of Zinfandel planted, producing a wine that proudly showcases its Mt. Veeder mountain characteristics. We started with Zinfandel from a very small block of this acre, and added a bit of Malbec and Syrah to contribute more spice, depth, and weight.

These outstanding rare wines showcase the diverse terrain on Howell Mountain and Mt. Veeder, two of the most esteemed mountain appellations in Napa Valley. I hope you enjoy them and share them with those you love.

Peace,

Chris Carpenter, Winemaker