Matt Dees has a rock star name and a reputation to match, at least in the wine world.
He’s the young, dynamic winemaker at Jonata in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, an up and coming wine region in California that appears set to be the next big thing for fine wine collectors.
Jonata has caught the attention of American wine critic Robert Parker, who lavished giddy praise on the wines from this relatively new winery and sent collectors scrambling to get the wines. He calls Jonata “one of California’s most exciting new wineries. What they are accomplishing with Bordeaux varietals is mind-boggling.”
Jonata is owned by Charles Banks, a California businessman, and Stan Kroenke, a real estate developer who owns the Colorado Avalanche NHL team and the Denver Nuggets basketball team. He is the husband of Anne Walton Kroenke, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune.
The two wine lovers and business partners also own Screaming Eagle, the Napa winery that makes what is considered to be the most collectible and sought after wine in the U.S. It is only sold via an exclusive mailing list at more that $500 a bottle.
The wines at Jonata haven’t quite reached the lofty prices of Screaming Eagle but they are costly, starting in the mid-$30 range for the second label wines and fetching $150 or so for the top wines.
But, my, are they good. Dees, who has crafted wines at both the high-end Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa Valley and Craggy Range wines in New Zealand, views the Santa Ynez Valley as the new frontier for fine wines.
During a stop in Oakville, Ontario, recently, there to promote the arrival of his wines at Vintages through his agent, Woodman Wines and Spirits, Dees was signing bottles for excited fans who lined up at the local store to buy his wines and meet the winemaker.
Dees is making Jonata wines from vines planted in 2001 with the first vintage in 2004. A dizzying array of 10 different grape varieties were planted to see “what works,” he said during an interview.
Dees describes the Santa Ynez as “a very wild place with young winemakers all pushing the envelope.
“The beautiful thing is we don’t over-ripen grapes. They are ripe, but with a hint of herbal notes. It’s varietally sincere.”
Here are three of his wines you can purchase through Vintages or the Vintages Classics catalogue:
Jonata Corazon de Jonata 2005 ($60, 90 points) — A powerful blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and sauvignon blanc. Notes of seductive black fruits, cassis, forest floor, pepper and mushrooms on the nose. In the mouth it’s dense and firm with tannic power and depth of fruit that should develop for a decade or more.
Jonata The Pairing Red 2006 ($33, 90 points) — A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot, this is from Jonata’s “second label” tier of wines. Fabulous wild berries, cassis and spice on the nose. The ripe berries are joined by anise-licorice flavours on the palate in a balanced, elegant style. Very fine wine, indeed.
Jonata El Alma de Jonata 2006 ($145, 94 points) — Robert Parker calls this “the greatest cabernet franc made in California.” A fabulous nose of wild berries, sweet spice and layers of highly extracted fruit. It explodes in the mouth with complex fruit flavours, tobacco leaf and spice on a sturdy frame of fine tannins. This is a perfectly balanced wine with a long finish. Should age for a decade or more.
Some other wines worth seeking out that have been tasted recently:
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon ($16, Vintages, 87 points) — This is one of Australia’s most popular brands. The cabernet is always a winner with an expressive nose of blackberry, cassis, spice and a touch of minty eucalypt. In the mouth it shows licorice, black fruits, anise, oak and spice. A lush and flavourful BBQ wine.
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay 2009 ($15, LCBO, 85 points) — A nose of peach, melon and creamy spice. On the palate this soft chard shows peach-apple fruits and subtle spices.
Wolf Blass Red Label Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($13, LCBO, 85 points) — A classic Aussie blend with citrus-tropical fruits, gooseberry and grassy notes on the nose. It’s fresh and inviting on the palate with crisp, clean flavours and just a kiss of honey.
First Press Napa Valley Chardonnay 2008 ($20, Vintages, 86 points) — It’s not exactly easy to find Napa chards at this price especially at this quality level. The nose shows peach, apple and creamy vanilla notes. On the palate, look for subtle oak and spice to go with juicy citrus-peach-apple fruits. Well balanced and well priced white.
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