La Jota Vineyard Co. is one of the oldest names on Howell Mountain. Its first vines were planted in 1898, and the original stone winery was built the same year, making it a landmark of the mountain's 19th-century wine history. La Jota is now part of Jackson Family Wines, which farms its Howell Mountain vineyards high above the valley floor and well above the fog. The wines are made in small lots by Chris Carpenter, the winemaker also known for Cardinale and Lokoya, and the focus is squarely on mountain reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown in Howell Mountain's thin volcanic soils. Those conditions give the wines firm structure and deep color, and they are built to age. For HeyVino readers, La Jota is a way to taste classic Howell Mountain Cabernet from a historic site with modern resources behind it.