Jonata "Flor" Sauvignon Blanc 2022
(Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley, California) - [JD 94] [VM 94]

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:

85% Sauvignon Blanc (cl. Musque), 15% Sémillon (cl. 2)

14.4% Alcohol

500 Cases Produced

Barrel Regime: 11 months in 1/3 new French oak, 1/3 neutral French oak and 1/3 stainless tank.

Tasting Notes:
"Lemongrass, key lime, tarragon, mint and lemon bar. Remarkably rich and generous on the palate with a charming stone fruit element. Honeyed and also salty. Brings to mind preserved lemon rind. So expansive, but inherently green and glowing. Absolutely sparkles with vibration and luminous energy. Great horizontal push and expansion. Dusted with fine grained tannins and built around a core of bracing acidity that combine heroically to push the fruit further and further. An extrovert in 2022, but fair to say that this is still holding a number of cards close to the chest. There is a lot to discover and uncover here in the years to come. A recent revisit to the 2005 Flor gave us some eye-opening perspective on the ageing potential of our single sandy parcel sauvignon blanc." - Matt Dees, Winemaker

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Rocking Bordeaux Blanc-like notes of crushed citrus, pineapple, honeyed flower, and sweet mint all emerge from the 2022 Flor, a medium-bodied, concentrated, balanced white that has terrific purity of fruit, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. A blend of 85% sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon, it's perfect for drinking over the coming 4-6 years, if not longer.” (Aug 2024))

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2022 Flor, Jonata's blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon, is rich and expansive in the glass. Citrus peel, chamomile, dried flowers and spice reveal themselves with a bit of time in the glass. Saline notes appear with more air. All the elements are so well balanced in this hugely distinctive white." – Antonio Galloni (Aug 2024)