The 2008 Fenix is 70% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Sweet dark berries, plums, licorice and leather are some of the notes that jump from the glass in this boisterous, round red. Harmonious and plush through to the finish, this shows the prevalence of Merlot in its juiciness, but with the tannic backbone of the other Bordeaux varieties. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. General Manager Armand de Maigret, Assistant Winemaker Drew Pickering and Vineyard Manager Ruben Solorzano showed me a wide range of wines at Jonata. The estate is currently owned by investor Stan Kroenke. Matt Dees is Winemaker, while Michel Rolland is the consulting oenologist. This large, sprawling estate in Ballard Canyon spans 600+ acres, 82 of which are under vine. Vintage 2008 was a colder year overall, with significant amounts of shatter and heat spikes towards the end of the growing season. The 2009s show more overt, fruit forward personalities. Both vintages are quite beautiful. I also tasted a number of older wines. With the exception of the Sangre, the wines appear to be aging at a fairly fast pace. Of course, drinking windows remain a highly personal aspect of wine appreciation, but readers who own the estate’s older vintages should be checking in on the wines periodically to chart their development. I don’t see too much upside potential from cellaring those wines, the 2005s and 2006s in particular, further. Accordingly I have kept drinking windows for the 2008s and 2009s relatively short. I will be thrilled if the wines end up exceeding my expectations, but at this stage only the Sangre appears to be a wine with medium and long-term aging potential.Tel. (805) 564-8581; www.jonata.com
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