Lots of black olives with some conifer and mushrooms. Raspberries, too. Full-bodied with soft and round tannins. Really savory. Juicy. Drink now.
95 points, James Suckling (Apr 2022)
Refined and polished yet deeply structured, with expressive red currant, dried herbs and hints of stony minerality that build tension and richness toward big but polished tannins. Drink now through 2030. 1,038 cases made.
94 points, Tim Fish, Wine Spectator (Dec 2022)
Based on 82% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and the rest Tannat, the 2019 Merlot offers a deep, saturated plum/ruby color to go with youthful, powerful notes of ripe red and black fruits, scorched earth, Asian spices, and lead pencil shavings. Rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and textured on the palate, this rich, structured Merlot is going to evolve for at least 15-20 years.
93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Dec 2021)
The 2019 Merlot is a rich, dense wine. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather and tobacco are all kicked up in this sumptuous, racy Merlot from La Jota. The 2019 is pretty soft for a mountain wine, but it has tons of depth and plenty of stylishness.
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2022)