Edition 26 | April 2019

Greetings from the Mountain Wine Club!

This spring, you are receiving first access to two rare, exceptional, high elevation wines from the mountains of Napa Valley. The brilliant wines in this shipment—2016 La Jota Vineyard Co. Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain and the 2016 Mt. Brave Malbec from Mt. Veeder—were recently awarded scores of 97 and 95, respectively, by Robert Parker Wine Advocate, and as a member of The Mountain Wine Club you will acquire these wines before they release to the mailing
list this fall.

The 2016 growing season was almost ideal, and Howell Mountain really shone, making the 2016 La Jota Cabernet Franc one of the great wines of the vintage, and the 2016 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Malbec was another standout.

Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of two noble grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Small, thin-skinned, blue-black berries produce a rich, intense wine with a smooth mouthfeel. Composed of 100 percent Cabernet Franc fruit, the 2016 La Jota Cabernet Franc has a velvety structure and flavors of black tea, candied apple, and red fruit.

Winemaker Chris Carpenter has a special affinity for Malbec; it’s one of his favorite wines and he’s studied the Malbec grape extensively. Malbec loves high elevation and grows beautifully on Mt. Veeder every vintage, but with the 2016 vintage it became a real superstar. The 2016 Mt. Brave Malbec expresses deep pomegranate flavors, a bit of Malbec spice, and a backbone of tannin—thanks to Mt. Veeder terroir.

Enjoy the concentrated flavors of these distinct varieties grown in two incomparable high-elevation vineyards, from a vintage that created masterpieces.

I hope you share these small-production wines with your friends and family, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Peace,

Chris Carpenter, Winemaker