2009 Jonata La Tierra de Jonata
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Tasting notes
Offering up beautiful black fruits, licorice, charred beef and cedar, the 2009 Tierra de Jonata is beautifully full-bodied and rich, with a smoking texture and finish. I love the overall fruit here and it will no doubt continue to drink well for a number of years. Enjoy it through 2024. Drink now-2024. This was an incredible tasting with winemaker Matt Dees. This estate continues to produce some of the most impressive, long-lived wines in Santa Barbara. As I’ve learned from past tasting, it’s always best to schedule this appointment at the end of the day as these effort have no shortage of tannin and can wreak havoc on one’s palate. While I’ve routinely tasted the La Sangre de Jonata for a number of years now, it was great to be able to go back through past vintages of this estate’s other wines. In addition to these efforts bottled under the Jonata label, I was also able to taste their The Hilt and The Pairing releases, both of which are also reviewed in this report (and highly recommended). Tel. (805) 564-8581; www.jonata.com
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(raised in puncheons): Ruby-red. Impressively complex bouquet evokes spicy redcurrant, cherry, smoky herbs and dried flowers. Medium-bodied red fruit flavors are brightened by gentle acidity, picking up anise and floral pastille notes with air. Fresh, precise and silky in texture, finishing with strong cut and a lingering note of bitter chocolate.
Although not 100% Sangiovese, the 2009 Tierra is one of the most interesting Sangiovese-based wines I have ever tasted from California. Varietal notes come through, but in this site those flavors have a level of richness and juiciness that is rare in Italian Sangiovese. Dark red cherries, flowers and sweet spices flesh out on the radiant, powerful finish. In 2009 the estate added 5% Syrah to the Sangiovese, which gives the wine much of its volume.
The 2009 Tierra is predominantly Sangiovese, with 6% Syrah, aged mostly in 350 and 500 liter barrels, 35% new. It shows gorgeous energy, freshness and vibrancy in a style that is quite different from the 2008 tasted alongside it. Sweet cherries, tobacco, herbs and flowers frame the exquisite finish. The French oak is beautifully balanced, while the Sangiovese character comes through loud and clear.
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.