![]() ![]() The wine is not translucent, the color is inky and the plummy flavor not appealing. JONATA Fenix Ballard Canyon 2016, a Bordeaux-style blend of 58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, weighs in at 15.2% alcohol, which can be felt on first sip. A JONATA Todos Santa Ynez Valley 2016 tilts that way, too, as a blend of all ten different varietals grown on the whole estate, which was not a convincing argument for a repeat. At 14.9% it’s skirting the stratosphere for alcohol but that’s not out of bounds for a big Syrah like this. It aged in 50% new French oak and 50% neutral, which complements the big fruit flavors. The 2006 “The Blood” Syrah from Ballard Canyon has a delightful, peppery quality and an intensity you expect from Syrah, with only 2% Viognier added. It’s got plenty of years ahead to get better. There are tannins still waiting to tame down, but the whole amalgam is a wine of luscious ripeness without being cloying in any way. The 2010 El Desafio de Jonata “The Defiance” Cabernet Sauvignon Ballard Canyon (whose name must set a record for its length) is made from grapes out of the best of the estate’s lots, coming in at 14.5% alcohol. ![]() Over dinner I also tasted two library releases that showed how the JONATA wines can mature so gracefully over a decade, a grace that over-extracted California Pinots never achieve. It’s a superb Pinot Noir at a reasonable price. I was not as fond of The Hilt’s 2017 Pinot Noir ($45), which I found had an odd, green vegetal flavor, but the 2017 Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir ($75) was a beauty, aged in only 5% new French oak and 95% neutral French oak, which allows the grape flavors to evolve with minimal interference. The single-vineyard Bentrock Vineyard Chardonnay ($75), while a little pricey, has an even richer flavor and complexity, making it a superb match for shellfish in buttery sauces. It’s a blend from three barrels, and the symmetry of fruit and acid, a 13.4% alcohol level and aging in 40% new French oak gives it roundness and body, as expressive of healthy Chardonnay grapes as you’d find in the best traditional Burgundies. JONATAįor all that ongoing push to try new projects, the 2017 The Hilt Chardonnay ($45) is for me a superb expression of a varietal that in California is so often over-oaked, over-caramelized and overwrought. This, the result of a court decision after Santa Rita Winery of Chile sued, claiming that the name "Santa Rita" for this AVA could cause confusion.JONATA and The Hill wineries make a wide array of wines, some not sold to the public until. (One note: While the name of the AVA is pronounced Santa Rita Hills, just as it is written, it must be written as Sta. Rita Hills has become one of the most sought after appellations for California Pinot Noir, as the wines combine bright strawberry and dark cherry fruit, very good acidity and firm structure the entry level Pinot Noirs are delicious, while the single vineyard and special selection offerings have the depth of fruit and the grip to age gracefully for a decade or more. ![]() 2700 acres are planted here, with 2100 being Pinot Noir, about 500 dedicated to Chardonnay, with the remainder being Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Viognier. Rita Hills is an east-west valley, where breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean pass through the vineyards, creating a moderating effect and keeping this area cool even on hot summer days. Rita Hills AVA is about a 30 minute drive north of the city of Santa Barbara, and about a 90 minute drive north of Los Angeles. Rita Hills AVA is situated in the western reaches of the Santa Barbara County wine zone it is entirely within the Santa Ynez Valley AVA.
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