Winemaker Notes
Brambly red and black fruit. Mulberry, black olive, white peppercorn, and black truffle. As complex as the nose is, this wine comes to life on the palate with unforgettably silky and voluptuous texture. Just like silk. Seamless. Layers of complexity roll across the palate with notes of mesquite, steak au poivre, dark pomegranate and chicory. Strong aromas of the forest with pine needles and a mushroom earthiness. Black plum skin, wild blueberry, and incense. Laden with fruit and chiseled with fine grained structure. Deeply powerful wine with bass notes of resinous black fruit and cooling green herbs. Long and pure with great fruit push and lingering blackberry notes. In the pantheon of great vintages for Sangre along with 2007, 2015 and 2018. Stunning syrah expression from the Jonata sandy soils. Aromatically enticing. A high impact wine that resonates like the vibration of a cello felt in the chest.
Blend: 95% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 1% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2021 La Sangre De Jonata is Syrah-dominated but includes 4% Petite Sirah and a dollop of Viognier. Reminding me of a great Côte Rôtie from the more schist soils in the northern part of the appellation, its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by a masculine, powerful bouquet of ripe black and blue fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and peppered meat, with a kiss of spring flowers coming through on the palate. It's rich and full-bodied, with building yet incredibly polished tannins and a great finish. Easily up with the finest ever made, this tour de force in Syrah needs to be tasted to be believed, and while it offers pleasure today, it will benefit from just 2-4 years of bottle age and evolve for 20+.
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Vinous
The 2021 La Sangre de Jonata is dazzling. Bright, powerful and explosive, the 2021 possesses tremendous intensity from start to finish. The aromatics alone are compelling, but the 2021 also has superb fruit depth and the structure to back it all up. Red purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, mocha, espresso and leather all saturate the palate. The 2021 finishes with tremendous power and substance. Magnificent.
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James Suckling
A huge, tight and concentrated wine with oodles of black fruit, graphite, wood char and dried blueberry flavors. Firm tannins wrap up cocoa, blackberry and espresso on the palate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the most wound-up wines in the range yet also one of the most generous, the 2021 La Sangre de Jonata is one of the more concentrated, decadent wines produced in Santa Barbara County but manages impressive balance and nuance. The nose is opaque and concentrated, but it displays lifted herbal and floral accents that form around a meaty, grilled core.
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.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.