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Tasting notes
The 2018 Fenix is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Lifted aromatics, pliant, expansive fruit and silky tannins give the 2018 so much sheer appeal. Plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol are front and center. Fenix is a terrific example of the Jonata house style today. The wines are rich and intense, but without the excess weight of the early vintages.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Two thirds Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Fenix has classic Merlot notes of ripe black cherries and blackcurrants, with lots of chocolate, cedar, and spice, full-bodied, richness, beautiful purity, and a great finish. 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.
About the producer
Jonata is amongst a handful of truly exciting wineries from Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara – a unique fine wine region of incredible versatility.