La Sangre de Jonata Syrah 2005 Jonata

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (94)

The 100% Syrah offering, the 2005 La Sangre de Jonata, exhibits an inky/blue/purple hue along with a stunningly pure nose of melted licorice, meat juices, blackberries, pepper, and a hint of balsamic. It is a wine of extraordinary density, richness, high tannin, beautiful purity, laser-like acidity, and superb texture as well as length. This remarkable Syrah is both powerful and elegant. Give it several more years of bottle age, and consume it over the following 10-15 years.

This remarkable Santa Ynez estate is under the same ownership as Napa Valley’s Screaming Eagle winery. While well-known Bordeaux consultant, Michel Rolland, and Screaming Eagle’s winemaker, Andy Erickson, play important roles at Jonata, the people most responsible for the quality of the wines are owners Charles Banks, Stan Kroenke, and winemaker Matt Dees. Jonata’s debut vintage, the 2004s, were somewhat of a work in progress, but the 2005s convincingly established what compelling wines were about to emerge. The 2006s and a handful of 2007 barrel samples I tasted suggest this is one of California’s most exciting new wineries. What they are accomplishing with Bordeaux varietals is mind-boggling. I have included these cuvees since some of the blends include Rhone varietals.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

A spectacular wine that has a long life ahead of it, the 2005 Jonata Winery La Sangre de Jonata strikes a perfect balance between ripe, decadent fruit, and firm, edgy underlying structure. The wine shows loads of cassis and assorted dark fruits that are intermixed with coffee, charcoal, and grilled meat nuances on the nose. Full bodied and stunningly textured, this still needs an additional 3 to 5 years in the cellar to let the tannins flesh out. A classic example of California Syrah!

BOW (8.25)

Vinous (94)

(100% syrah) Opaque violet. Explosively perfumed nose offers a wild array of red and dark berry liqueur, floral oils and pungent herbs, all underscored by crackling minerality. Deep and sweet, with powerful cassis and black raspberry, candied licorice and violet pastille flavors. This reminded me of a big-ticket, single-site Chapoutier Hermitage. The sweetness is reined in by firm mineral and bitter chocolate, but returns on the remarkably long, juicy finish. Pretty amazing for a sophomore effort.