2007 Jonata La Fuerza de Jonata
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
A blend you don't see very often, the 2007 La Fuerza de Jonata is 92% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Like all the Jonata wines, it's still inky, youthfully colored and reveals a vibrant bouquet of plums, currants, smoked herbs, and mint. Big, rich, concentrated, and lively, with good acidity and tons of fruit, it's a perfect steakhouse wine to enjoy over the coming decade (or more??). Few people can pull off a wine with this much Petit Verdot in the blend, so hat’s off to winemaker Matt Dees.
Critic scores
Average Score
Josh Raynolds, Vinous
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(92% petit verdot, the rest cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Glass-staining purple. A highly pungent bouquet features blackcurrant, dark cherry, smoky herbs and dried violet, with a brighter red berry note sneaking up with aeration. Chewy and densely packed dark berry and bitter cherry flavors provide very good palate coverage and are framed by solid tannins. Packs a serious punch and finishes on a note of candied licorice. Very young but there's excellent material here.
(92% petit verdot, the rest cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Glass-staining purple. A highly pungent bouquet features blackcurrant, dark cherry, smoky herbs and dried violet, with a brighter red berry note sneaking up with aeration. Chewy and densely packed dark berry and bitter cherry flavors provide very good palate coverage and are framed by solid tannins. Packs a serious punch and finishes on a note of candied licorice. Very young but there's excellent material here.
I am not convinced that the 2007 La Fuerza de Jonata is as good an idea as this estate’s other wines. Although it is the least impressive of this portfolio, this blend of 92% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is an outstanding effort. While I am not a big believer in Petit Verdot-dominated wines, this cuvee offers a black/purple color along with notes of flowers (violets), black fruits, charcoal, and a volcanic, earthy character. Deep, full-bodied, and tannic, I don’t know whether the fruit will hold up over the long haul given the fact that it rarely does in a Petit Verdot-dominated wine. However, it is an interesting effort and worth gambling on a bottle or two.
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.