2003 DuMol Chardonnay Isobel Green Valley Sonoma -- The nose initially seemed to feature some cold, wet stone, but perhaps it was just a thunderstorm rolling through the area, as upon further review it offered scents that reminded me of the inside of a football helmet after a few August practices... then lightly spritzed with a lemony freshener. Once sipped, the flavors were of lemon curd, pulverized stones, and smoked meat. I found the finish problematic in that it was sour to the extent that it put me in mind of something curdled. Not surprisingly, this was my least favorite of the group -- #5. Find this wine

2003 Williams - Selyem Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard -- This wine elicited strong reaction, as most found the nose off putting, listing "decay" and "rot" among their descriptors, while Jeff King found it reminiscent of some fine White Burgundies he has had. My reaction was less intense. It certainly had a light sulfurous stink, and a significant amount of smoke and toast, but sniffing it caused me no real hardship. Roasted apple flavors, along with a subtle vanilla ride along a creamy wave on the palate. The finish strikes me as offering too much toast, and an unenjoyable sourness.
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2004 Kongsgaard Chardonnay -- Because some cherish the notion of appearance, I will note that I found this wine the most golden. Perhaps because this wine was served at a warmer temperature than the others, I found it to be slightly more expressive, but others remarked on how they thought the wine seemed more fat, lacking cut because of the serving temperature. There was a whiff of the tropics (mango, guava), but the nose is still mostly driven by tart apple and lemon. The sweet mango leads the rich and juicy flavor portfolio, sharing time with lemon, toast, vanilla, and plenty of butter in the finish. Though I have not had the dish in many years, I cannot help but think the "Coconut Shrimp" from Outback Steakhouse would be a fine match! This was my #2 wine in the flight.
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2002 Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay -- This seems like a stereotypical example of "better" California Chard -- golden, rich, fat, smoked and oaked in such a way that it eliminates any natural flavors. It is smooth and round...deep and sweet...did I mention the vanilla? It is not that it is horrid, so much as it is devoid of any personality or interest. I placed it in the middle of the flight, which in some way seems apropos. Find this wine

The question came up early in the tasting of this flight -- "anything flawed in these wines?". Loren Sonkin (at left with Tom Warren and Roland Riesen) issued the pithy response "...just the prices." I know I go out of my way to shield my eyes from the going rates on the latest and greatest from California, but I was awed when hearing that the Newton was the "cheapest" of the lot at $45, while most others ranged from $60 to $175 (or more) for "The Judge" on his lofty bench. Certainly people should drink and buy what they like, but I find the pricing is just silly.

Price aside, do people really drink these wines? They struck me as more show pieces and destined for tastings such as these, than wine one would typically sip and enjoy. I am sure there are plenty who would hold an opposing view, and since taste and pleasure are often unique to each individual, it is good to have choices.

La Jota Cabernets -- A vertical of 1992 -1995 La Jota Anniversary Cabernets, along with a 1995 La Jota Cabernet Franc were all presented blind.

Flight 2 – Cabernets:

1995 La Jota Cabernet Franc -- This was the lightest colored wine in the flight. The wine had an intriguing mélange of fragrances -- cedar, turned earth, fresh thyme and cassis. It was warm and smooth in its feel, and offering a red fruit profile that the others did not. It proved to be an elegant and enticing wine, all the way through to its spicy conclusion. In the early going, I was convinced that this was indeed the Franc, but eventually fell victim to over thinking the situation, and sniffing too many herbal notes in the third wine in the flight. A few others picked it out as an outlier, including the slightly Franc-phobic Roland Riesen. I still wonder if handling on this bottle sped its evolution, but that aside, it was a pleasure to sip - one of the group's favorites, as well as my own. Find this wine

1992 La Jota Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon -- Scents of cedar, dark earth, pencil lead, and black berries forged a lovely perfume. Black fruits and black licorice are featured flavors, along with good bits of tobacco, stone, and disintegrating wood as it trails away. It was a polished and elegant sip, though a bit chewy, and nicely tannic through the middle and finish. This excellent La Jota was a pleasure to drink, perhaps just slightly past its peak. It acted as a nice reminder of a different era of California cabernet.  Find this wine

1994 La Jota Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon -- The nose was built on an interesting assortment of players: mocha, tobacco, cedar, chocolate, and something akin to tarragon. It was a full and tannic wine, offering up broad and smooth textures... not especially heavy or extracted. Creamy cassis seemed rich at the outset, but melded nicely with light doses of herbs and wood tones. The finish was marked by a black coffee/tobacco resonance -- long and appealing. I eventually sold myself on this being the Cab Franc, but in hindsight it was one of the better 1994 Cal Cabs I have tried in the last few years. Find this wine

1995 La Jota Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon -- I struggled for a long while to coax forth anything on the nose, but it was largely unyielding, aside from a general sense of dark fruit, earth and light herbs. In the mouth it presented itself with broad swathes of smooth black currant flavor. With time it grew in richness and interest, adding more herb, underbrush, coffee, and mineral. Gum tickling tannins dominated the back end, with bits of decaying wood and stone finding their way over the wall. This seemed to be the least evolved wine of the lot, but having fine potential. Find this wine

1993 La Jota Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon -- It was tightly wound, hard, thick, and very extracted in comparison to the others. It has much of the "black" character that the other wines possess, but seems far more clumsy in the conveyance. It was certainly a drinkable wine, and no doubt some fatty food might quell the tannic riot, but it lacked the polish and depth of the other wines in the flight. Some called this wine "un-evolved," but I would be surprised if it dramatically improves as the fruit and eventual secondary elements will have a difficult time breaching the formidable wall of tannins.
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As a group these La Jota wines were very nice and quite enjoyable. Some tasters used "Bordeaux" in their descriptions, and it is easy to understand the reference when comparing them to many of the more recent California Cabernet offerings. That said, these were certainly wines from California, albeit representing a different time and a style that really no longer exists.

LM