2010 | La Jota Vineyard | W. S. Keyes Merlot

Proving once again the resilience of great terroir in difficult vintages and the beauty of mountain Merlot, the 2010 W.S. Keyes is a shining example of how mountain Merlot from Napa Valley is establishing a place in the pantheon of wines recognized around the world for their depth, complexity, and ageability. The 2010 W.S. Keyes has intense dark cherry, dark chocolate, espresso bean, and kirsch notes, with a rich texture and long finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: La Jota’s 2010 Merlot WS Keyes impresses for its textural elegance and finesse. Here, too, the sweet floral notes add lift, freshness and vibrancy. The 2010 has a vein of salinity that gives the wine much of its energy and verve. This beautifully balanced Merlot-based red should drink well.

Producer Information

La Jota Vineyards is a California winery and producer based in the Howell Mountain viticultural area. It makes a small selection of premium varietal wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. La Jota focuses on small-production varietal wines with premium prices. Included is the limited-edition, single-vineyard W.S. Keyes Merlot. Keyes was a wine pioneer of Howell Mountain, and is credited with planting the regions' first grape vines in the late 19th Century. The La Jota vineyard and winery were originally founded in 1898 by Frederick Hess. The property is named for the 1843 Rancho La Jota Mexican land grant, of which it was a part. Hess' wines gained international recognition and won notable acclaim in the early 20th Century, earning medals at the Paris Exposition and the World's Fair. After falling into disuse during Prohibition, the winery and some of the La Jota land were bought by Bill Smith in 1975, who established the modern La Jota Vineyard Company. In 2003, Smith sold La Jota to Jackson Family Wines, who are best known for the Kendall-Jackson brand. The estate consists of 11 hectares (28 acres) of vineyards planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. La Jota is divided into three separate vineyards – Hill Vineyard and Winery Block Vineyard were both planted in the 1970s, while the largest, Meadow Vineyard, was first planted in the 1990s.

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