Jonata 2021 "Todos" Red Wine, Santa Ynez Valley

Amazing blend                            
Limited new release from Jonata, one of Santa Barbara's most exclusive producers and winemaker Matt Dees.

Dedicated to expressing a range of red—and a handful of white—wines from its estate in the central coast of California’s Ballard Canyon (Santa Ynez Appellation), Jonata is one of a new breed of producers throughout the world who are thriving with a non-traditional amalgam of varieties and blends. With a commitment in particular to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, and informed by cutting edge viticulture, winemaking, the Jonata wines are on the vanguard of an emerging quality movement in California winegrowing.

95 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Always a good value, the 2018 Todos checks in as a kitchen sink blend of 45% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, 9% Petite Sirah, and the rest Merlot and other miscellaneous varieties. Its inky, glass-staining purple color is followed by a beautiful bouquet of smoked black fruits, bouquet garni, peppered meat, and hints of crushed rock. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and just a gorgeous wine.  Readers on a budget shouldn’t miss the Todos cuvée, which is always a kitchen sink blend (it’s normally Syrah heavy) of just about every varieties Jonata works with. It’s a year in, year out, stunning wine that sells for half of what the top cuvées go for.

...Winemaker Matt Dees continues to fashion world class wines at Jonata. Due to the timing of my visit, the 2018s were tasted from barrel as opposed to bottle, hence the score range for the reviews. Regardless, this is a great vintage for the estate. The wines show the vintage’s fresher, more elegant and seamless style and have similarities to the estate’s 2016s. The 2019 vintage was the last vintage made at the old facility in Buellton, and starting in 2020, all of the wines will be made in a brand-new winery being built on the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills.