Composed of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier, the 2015 La Sangre de Jonata has a medium garnet-purple color and vibrantly scented nose of red and black cherries, violets, underbrush and Indian spices with a yeasty/savory/meaty undercurrent. Full-bodied, rich, powerful and wonderfully spicy in the mouth, the opulent fruit is well-framed by firm, rounded tannins and it finishes long and peppery.

Even better than the crazy-good 2007, the 2015 La Sangre de Jonata is sheer perfection in a glass and up with the finest Syrahs ever made in California! Checking in as a blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier, aged in barrel, its saturated purple color is followed by out of this world aromatics black raspberries, smoked earth, graphite, game, violets and freshly crushed rock-like minerality. Possessing huge concentration, building tannin, and yet a seamless, ethereally pure texture, it needs 2-4 years of bottle age to become approachable. It is unquestionably the finest vintage for this cuvée today and hats off to the team at Jonata for this beauty! It’s always a fun tasting with winemaker Matt Dees and his team, and they continue to keep this estate at the top of the hierarchy in Santa Barbara County. Located in Ballard Canyon AVA, they pull only from their estate vineyard (planted on incredibly sandy soils) and make a wide range of cuvées, from a red and white Bordeaux blends, to a 100% Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and a number of terrific Rhône blends. The common thread is incredible quality.