Jonata, Santa Ynez Valley Fenix 2019

Description

Tasted from barrel, the 2016 Fenix—a blend of 58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot—offers up a creamy bouquet of crushed berry fruit, dark chocolate and fruit liqueurs. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and sumptuous, with a layered mid-palate framed by fine-grained tannins that are quite youthfully assertive at this early stage but clearly very ripe. Its persistent finish is especially impressive. Wine Advocate 93-95 (2016)
This remarkable Santa Ynez estate is under the same ownership as Napa Valley’s Screaming Eagle winery. While well-known Bordeaux consultant, Michel Rolland, and Screaming Eagle’s winemaker, Andy Erickson, play important roles at Jonata, the people most responsible for the quality of the wines are owners Charles Banks, Stan Kroenke, and winemaker Matt Dees.