La Jota Vineyard Co. sits on Howell Mountain at elevations above 1,700 feet, on a property with winemaking roots stretching back to the 1890s. The estate is one of the mountain’s most historic and produces some of the most structured Cabernets in Napa Valley.

History of La Jota Vineyard Co.

Vines were first planted on this Howell Mountain property in 1898, and a winery was bonded here in 1916. Like much of Napa Valley, the estate fell dormant during Prohibition and the decades after. Bill and Joan Smith purchased the property in 1974 and began the modern era of La Jota, releasing their first wines from the 1982 vintage and establishing the estate’s reputation for mountain Cabernet.

Jackson Family Wines acquired La Jota in 2005 and has continued the mountain-focused approach while expanding the tasting experience. The estate today farms roughly 25 acres of estate vineyards and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Viognier, with Cabernet Sauvignon remaining the clear flagship.

The Las Posadas Road property was first planted in 1898 and bonded as a winery in 1916, making La Jota one of the oldest continuously farmed wine estates on Howell Mountain.

Howell Mountain terroir at La Jota

The property sits at roughly 1,700 to 1,800 feet on the western slopes of Howell Mountain. Soils here are volcanic in origin, thin, and well-drained, stressing the vines and producing small berries with thick skins and concentrated flavor. The lack of rich topsoil keeps yields naturally low without aggressive farming intervention.

Howell Mountain sits above the fog line that routinely fills the Napa Valley floor on cool mornings. Days are warm and sunny, nights are cold, and the diurnal temperature swing builds bright natural acidity alongside phenolic ripeness. These mountain conditions produce wines with a distinctive freshness and structural grip that sets them apart from valley-floor Cabernets.

The wines of La Jota

La Jota’s Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate anchor. The wine typically shows dark cherry, blackcurrant, graphite, and mountain herb character, with the firm, fine-grained tannins that define Howell Mountain. It is built for aging and opens considerably with five to ten years in bottle.

The estate also produces Cabernet Franc and Viognier, the latter a distinctly unusual choice for the mountain but one that showcases the elevation’s ability to maintain freshness in a variety that can turn flabby in warmer sites. The Viognier shows stone fruit, white flower, and a minerality you rarely find in valley-floor versions of the grape.

Food pairings for La Jota wines

The Cabernet Sauvignon calls for food with enough richness to meet its structure. Prime rib, braised lamb shanks, or a dry-aged New York strip give the tannins the protein they need to soften and integrate. Tannin binds to protein molecules on your palate and in your food, which is why a rich fatty cut makes a tannic wine taste rounder and the fruit come forward.

The Viognier is a completely different pairing story. Its stone fruit and floral character work beautifully with spiced seafood, roasted chicken with herbs de Provence, or mild soft cheeses. The natural acidity at this elevation means the wine has the freshness to cut through cream-based sauces without fading.

La Jota Vineyard Co.: common questions