Jonata El Alma de Jonata Red 2012

Jonata El Alma de Jonata 2012 California's Cheval Blanc (or maybe Le Dome is a better comparison), the Cabernet Franc dominated 2012 El Alma de Jonata incorporates 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot and is brought up in 80% new French oak. It has an incredible bouquet of tobacco leaf, lead pencil shavings, sweet currants, crushed rock and violets that come screaming from the glass. This is followed by a full-bodied red that shows a sensational purity of fruit, a full, layered mid-palate and building structure and tannic grip. While it's not an outright powerhouse, it certainly doesn't lack for concentration or depth. Give it 4-5 years and drink it over the following two decades. Both the 2012s and 2013s from Jonata are superb, and this team excelled with both the Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. I think the 2013s have an extra layer of concentration and depth, with the Fenix being one of the greatest Merlots I have tasted from the region. It is from barrel, so nothing's set in stone, but this is a killer wine. The Cabernet Franc El Alma de Jonata and El Desafio aren’t far behind and are incredibly concentrated and rich. I suspect all of these will have two decades or more of longevity. As to the Syrahs, the La Sangre tastes like the essence of the variety, but is often so tannic in its youth it is almost undrinkable. The Todos is becoming more and more Syrah dominated and certainly is not far behind in terms of quality and is much (well, a little) more approachable on release. In short, you can’t go wrong at this estate and these are brilliant wines that check in near the top of the Santa Barbara hierarchy. Hat's off to winemaker Matt Dees and the rest of the team. 96+ points, Robert Parker (reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck)