Jonata "El Alma de Jonata" Cabernet Franc 2022
(Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley, California) - [JD 97] [DM 96] [VM 95+]

About the Winery:
The Jonata winery takes its name from the 1845 Spanish land grant, Rancho San Carlos de Jonata, as well as the Chumash word for “live oak” or “tall oak.” The Estate vineyard was planted in 2000 in the Southwest corner of what would become the Ballard Canyon Appellation in 2013. The terroir of Jonata property is unique to this site, comprised of eight hundred feet deep Careaga sands. These sands are extremely calcareous, retain almost no water and are virtually devoid of nutrients. In fact, these soils are so poor and the site so unique that the property was thought to be unfit for grape growing.

In 'desafio' (defiance) of this conception, vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano hedged his bets and planted the eighty acres of vineyards to a potpourri of different grape varietals. The original planting was made with Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Syrah and, more recently, Grenache and Viognier — the Grenache was later ripped out and replaced with Petit Syrah. Today there are only twenty acres of Cabernet Franc and nine acres of Merlot in the entire Ballard Canyon Appellation, so to say that Jonata was bucking the trends would be an understatement to say the least!

About this Wine:

98% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot

Barrel Regime:  18 months in 55% new French oak, 45% used French oak, 225L

255 Cases Produced

Alcohol 14.1%

Tasting Notes:
"Vibrant and extroverted vintage for Alma. Dark and brooding with lifted black currant, mulberry, and graphite aromas. So much fruit on the expansive mid-palate. Beautifully displaying the bright conditions that defined the exceptional 2022 vintage. Wonderful inner perfume. This wine seems to keep growing and stretching out. Blackberry and black cherry with a dusting of refreshing rosemary and sweet tobacco. Profound expression of Jonata Cabernet Franc that has the fruit density to stand up to the firm but forgiving tannic structure. Nothing out of place with this wine." - Matt Dees, Winemaker

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Beautiful red and black fruits, scorched earth, spring flowers, and leather notes all emerge from the 2022 El Alma De Jonata, an incredibly pure, focused, medium to full-bodied effort that has fine tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a layered, building style that just keeps pulling you back to the glass. Based on 98% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot, it's going to have 20-25 years of overall longevity – and offer pleasure for all of it." (Aug 2024)

96 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"When tasting this voluminous red blend, terms like soulful and opulent come to mind. The combination of 80% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is unique for Santa Barbara, creating a one-of-a-kind flavour and texture profile that encompasses moist earth, ripe fruit and oceanic qualities, signature to JONATA. This wine opens with chocolate-covered black cherry, potpourri, dried Cretan oregano, and Dutch cocoa powder, forming a close union without losing the individual components. Underneath the aromatic layers are savoury notes, new leather, and wet soil. El Alma de Jonata starts Intensely perfumed, heady and structured, finishing with silky smooth tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. This wine merits cellaring for deeper tertiary flavour development.” – Vanessa Rason (Sep 2024)

95+ Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2022 El Alma de Jonata contains the most Cabernet Franc ever for this bottling (98%). Initially quite closed, the 2022 opens to reveal scents of dark berry fruit, lavender, licorice, cedar and espresso. Blood orange, pomegranate, menthol and a kick of French oak build into the deep, resonant finish. This is one of the most reticent young Almas I can recall tasting, but it’s also one of the most intriguing." - Antonio Galloni (Aug 2024)