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Tasting notes
Jonata’s 2019 Fenix is a more subtle wine in the range, offering earthy, roasted coffee-bean aromas. Alongside this, however, there is classic red berry and plum fruit, with a minty accent. A blend of 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this is very savoury with elegant tannins that complement the juicy black fruit and spicy layers coming through on the mid-palate. The velvety tannins drive the wine, supported by great freshness that creates a mouth-wateringly long finish. This is a polished wine that more than delivers now, but has the potential to age for at least a decade. Top wine!
Critic scores
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Fenix is painfully young. Then again, it was just bottled a few weeks before this tasting. It is unusually tight for a Merlot-based red. That's probably a very good thing for the future. In this tasting, the 2019 is a bundle of energy. I can't wait to taste it in another 6-12 months. There is plenty of verve here, not to mention tons of class.
I always love this cuvée, and the 2019 Fenix checks in as 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Lots of mulberries, redcurrants, black cherries, tobacco, leafy herbs, and tapenade are just some of the nuances here, and this fleshy, full-bodied, textured beauty has ripe, integrated tannins, a solid spine of freshness and acidity, and a great finish. Give it a few years and drink over the following decade or more.
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.