Winemaker Notes
Blend: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 El Alma de Jonata, Jonata's Cabernet Franc-based wine, is ridiculously great. The Franc is way up in 2020, and that results in a heady, explosive red that takes command of all the senses as it demands full attention. An exotic mélange of dark red fruit, wild flowers, mocha, spice and new leather build as the 2020 gains volume and resonance with air, with plenty of supporting structure to wrap it all together. It's one of the greatest Bordeaux wines I have ever tasted in Santa Barbara. Wow!!
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based largely on Cabernet Franc, the 2020 El Alma De Jonata offers some Loire-like greenness and herbal nuances as well as brilliant darker cherry and currant fruits, notes of chocolate and violets, medium to full body, a pure, precise mouthfeel, and ripe tannins. It's a singular, gorgeous expression of this variety that's going to keep for 15+ years. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it only got better. It's an incredible wine that’s going to flirt with perfection at maturity.
Rating:97+
Jonata is the embodiment of land, soul, and people coming together for a common goal; to produce singular wines from a singular place.
Land – Jonata is a stunning 600 acre property, with 80 acres of estate vineyard on golden rolling hills in Ballard Canyon. High concentrations of Careaga sand run through the estate. A challenging landscape for cultivation and a key element to the qualities of Jonata, pushing our vines to drive deep in search of nutrients.
Soul – Timeless and diverse practices are in place to create health and community at Jonata. Polyface farming practices are implemented to create a diverse and sustainable ecosystem, utilizing a blend of sustainable practices that continue to build the health of Jonata.
People – Since 2004, a consistent team remains at the core. Winemaker Matt Dees & Vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano combine their experiences in winemaking, soil science and farming expertise to help Jonata thrive.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.