2010 La Flor de Jonata

My favorite of the lineup was the 2010 La Flor de Jonata. Delivering clean, perfumed aromas and flavors of citrus, wild herbs, flowers and liquid rock, it has awesome purity, laser-like focus and fantastic length. Gorgeous on all accounts, it can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or more. Drink now-2022. 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

Rich and layered, the 2010 offers up peach, lime, jasmine and mint notes, all in a textured style that is incredibly appealing. At the same time, there is more than enough brightness to balance some of the wine's overtness. Tasted after 12 hours, varietal and mineral notes are even more evident. The 2010 is 69% Sauvignon (Musque clone), 29% Semillon and 2% Viognier aged in equal parts new oak, neutral oak and steel, with blocked malolactic fermentation.

In 2010 the Flor possesses great intensity in its citrus, flowers and mint. This is clearly a more vibrant, bracing wine than the 2009. I very much like the sense of energy. The blend is 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon and 2% Viognier, with malo fully blocked, which gives the wine a bit more energy and pulse. I tasted the 2010 from tank, just prior to bottling.