Jonata Winery Jonata Winery El Alma de Jonata, USA, California, Central Coast, Ballard Canyon

Quite improved since my last bottle in '22. After about 30 minutes of air, this is singing. Flowers and rich tobacco with spices on the nose. Ripe fruit but on the fresher side. I've heard cab franc being accused as being flabby. While only medium in acidity, the alcohol and fruit act selflessly to let what acid is present to be appreciated. Maybe I'm trying to say it's nicely balanced?

Served with chicken cacciatore, made a great pairing. Enough acidity to stand aside the tomato driven broth, smooth and elegant, soft fruit profile. Opened about 90 minutes before serving. Glad to have another bottle.

Pop and pour into a decanter. Unfair, but there we are. In the glass, clear pink at the rim, shading immediately to a deep, youthful dark purple. On the nose, potpourri, currants, and a touch of coffee grounds. On the palate, saturated yet brooding, with herbal elements leading the way, and currants, blueberries, and minerality filling out the palate. You'd never mistake this for a Loire cab franc, but the minerality and herbs are in a pleasant balance with that …

Super solid

Young. Good example of varietal but needs time.

70% Cab franc. You get a hint of those flavors and aromatics, and the Cali fruit takes over. Very drinkable. Love that this is released with 5-6 years of age.