2012 La Jota Merlot W.S. Keyes Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Mocha, bittersweet chocolate, plum, cloves and cedar emerge from the 2012 Merlot W.S. Keyes. This is the most powerful and textured wines in the La Jota lineup. At the same time, there is a distinctly roasted note that blurs some of the detail, while the tannins are a bit rough. In 2012 the blend is 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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To my surprise, the top wine of the La Jota red quartet is the 2012 Merlot W. S. Keyes, a limited production 300-case cuvée made from 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak. Notes of sweet earth, iron, black cherries, blackberries, mocha and unsmoked cigar tobacco are found in this full, thick, sensationally rich Merlot. It is one of the finest Merlots I have tasted from California over recent vintages. Drink it over the next decade.