Owned by Stan Kroenke (who also owns Screaming Eagle), Jonata is located in Ballard Canyon, just south of Los Olivos and is focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. The entire Jonata property is comprised of sand, with varying amounts of clay. The vineyards are sustainably farmed (herbicides and pesticides don’t even enter the conversation), and the area enjoys very cool nights due to winds coming off the Pacific Ocean, mixed with very warm days during the summer months. This helps to create wines of exceptional structure, intensity, and ageability...and it’s not uncommon for these Jonata wines to earn 97-100 points from the critics!
Jonata’s winemaker is Matt Dees, and he has the kind of resume that makes other winemakers green with envy. Having previously worked at other noteworthy estates such as Staglin in Napa, and Craggy Range in New Zealand, Matt has learned how to coax the best out of several different grapes grown in a variety of climates.
ANTONIO GALLONI 97+ POINTS - "The 2021s are some of the very best wines I have ever tasted from Jonata. The quality of the year is most evident in the Fenix Alma and Desafio trio, each of which is distinguished by a very high percentage of a single principal variety driving their respective blends. Readers will find wines that offer the combination of vibrancy, fruit purity and structure that are the calling cards of this superb Santa Barbara vintage."
"The 2021 El Desafio de Jonata is quite high in Cabernet Sauvignon (96%) in this vintage, and that is exactly what comes through. Dark fruit, tobacco, incense, scorched earth, minerals and dried herbs all race across the palate. Calistoga meets Saint-Estèphe in Ballard Canyon. El Desafio is one of the most impressive wines I tasted this year in Santa Barbara. I can't wait to see how it ages."
JEB DUNNUCK 97+ POINTS - "The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2021 El Desafio De Jonata (96% Cabernet Sauvignon along with splashes of Cabernet Franc and Merlot) is inky hued and boasts awesome notes of blackcurrants, leafy tobacco, sappy flowers, incense, and gravelly earth. With incredible purity, medium to full body, ripe yet substantial tannins, and a great core of beautiful fruit, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for 2-3 decades. It's that good."
Jonata’s winemaker is Matt Dees, and he has the kind of resume that makes other winemakers green with envy. Having previously worked at other noteworthy estates such as Staglin in Napa, and Craggy Range in New Zealand, Matt has learned how to coax the best out of several different grapes grown in a variety of climates.
ANTONIO GALLONI 97+ POINTS - "The 2021s are some of the very best wines I have ever tasted from Jonata. The quality of the year is most evident in the Fenix Alma and Desafio trio, each of which is distinguished by a very high percentage of a single principal variety driving their respective blends. Readers will find wines that offer the combination of vibrancy, fruit purity and structure that are the calling cards of this superb Santa Barbara vintage."
"The 2021 El Desafio de Jonata is quite high in Cabernet Sauvignon (96%) in this vintage, and that is exactly what comes through. Dark fruit, tobacco, incense, scorched earth, minerals and dried herbs all race across the palate. Calistoga meets Saint-Estèphe in Ballard Canyon. El Desafio is one of the most impressive wines I tasted this year in Santa Barbara. I can't wait to see how it ages."
JEB DUNNUCK 97+ POINTS - "The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2021 El Desafio De Jonata (96% Cabernet Sauvignon along with splashes of Cabernet Franc and Merlot) is inky hued and boasts awesome notes of blackcurrants, leafy tobacco, sappy flowers, incense, and gravelly earth. With incredible purity, medium to full body, ripe yet substantial tannins, and a great core of beautiful fruit, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for 2-3 decades. It's that good."
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