2011 El Desafio de Jonata
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Tasting notes
From the coolest vintage in the past two decades, the 2011 El Desafio de Jonata is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated effort that includes 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It gives up lots of blackberries, leafy herbs, cedar and damp underbrush in its medium to full-bodied, lightly textured, elegant style. It has fine tannin, is impeccably balanced, and has beautiful length. This was a difficult vintage for the region yet there were some beautiful wines made, and this is one of them. Based out of Ballard Canyon and run by superstar winemaker Matt Dees (Michel Rolland also consults here), Jonata makes a bevy of brilliant wines from Rhône, Bordeaux, and Burgundian varieties. The El Desafio de Jonata release is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based release, and it normally includes upwards of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The elevage is in plenty of new oak, yet I rarely find any noticeable oak in the cuvee. The 2005 is just now entering its prime drink window, and this is unquestionably one of the longest-lived cuvees coming out of Santa Barbara today.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. Dusty rose and cherry with notes of kalamata olive and earthy edges. Iron accents. Supple tannins with mouth-watering acidity and lots of length. Nice sense of purity with tons of concentration and flavour. Needs fat and protein to open and really show its complexity – a rib chop with resinous herbs (rosemary, sage) would be great here. Give it time in bottle or air upon opening. (ECB)
(80% new French oak): Opaque ruby. Pungent, deeply pitched aromas of blackberry, cassis, tobacco and candied licorice. At once lively and powerful, displaying bright mineral snap to the sweet black and blue fruit and chewing tobacco flavors. Impressively concentrated and precise wine with emphatic mineral lift on the youthfully tannic, licorice-inflected finish.
A deep, implosive wine, the 2011 El Desafio de Jonata boasts tons of pure richness. Layers of blue and purple-toned fruit meld into dark spices and menthol in an exuberant, jammy wine bursting at the seams with personality. Savory overtones develop in the glass, adding further layers of complexity. The 2011 is bold, pungent and explosive, with more than enough underlying structure to drink well for a number of years.
About the producer
Jonata is amongst a handful of truly exciting wineries from Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara – a unique fine wine region of incredible versatility.