The 2019 El Desafio de Jonata is Jonata's flagship 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted by acclaimed winemaker Matt Dees from estate vineyards in Ballard Canyon. Produced in limited quantities, it showcases the distinctive combination of Santa Barbara County's warm days, cool Pacific influence, and limestone-rich soils, resulting in a Cabernet that marries Napa-like richness with Bordeaux-inspired freshness and structure.

Vintage Overview

The 2019 vintage is widely regarded as one of Jonata's greatest releases. A long, even growing season produced fruit with exceptional concentration while preserving vibrant acidity and aromatic precision. Critics consistently praised the wine's harmony, refinement, and longevity.

Tasting Notes

Appearance

• Deep opaque ruby-purple

Nose

Complex aromas of:

• Cassis
• Blackberry
• Black currant
• Lavender
• Violet
• Sage
• Thyme
• Lead pencil
• Graphite
• Crushed stone
• Cedar
• Dark chocolate

Palate

Full-bodied and remarkably refined with flavors of:

• Black currant
• Blackberry
• Black cherry
• Blueberry
• Licorice
• Espresso
• Cocoa
• Iron
• Graphite
• Crushed herbs

The palate is dense yet elegant, with polished tannins, vibrant freshness, and exceptional balance. Layers of dark fruit, floral notes, minerality, and savory herbs unfold into an incredibly long finish marked by graphite, spice, and fine oak.

Structure

• Body: Full
• Acidity: Medium+
• Tannins: Firm, ultra-fine, and velvety
• Alcohol: Approximately 14.5%
• Oak: French oak aging
• Finish: Exceptionally long (60+ seconds)

Vineyard Character

Ballard Canyon is best known for Syrah, but Jonata has demonstrated that its limestone soils and dramatic diurnal temperature swings can also produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Compared with many Napa Valley Cabernets, El Desafio offers:

• Greater floral lift
• Pronounced mineral character
• Fresh herbal complexity
• Exceptional balance
• Powerful yet restrained structure

The result is a Cabernet that emphasizes elegance and site expression as much as concentration.

Professional Ratings

Drinking Window

Although already impressive with 2–3 hours of decanting, the 2019 El Desafio is built for long-term aging. It is expected to reach its peak between 2027 and 2045, developing classic notes of cigar box, leather, forest floor, and truffle while maintaining its vibrant fruit core.

Food Pairings

• Dry-aged ribeye
• Beef Wellington
• Rack of lamb
• Venison loin
• Braised short ribs
• Wild mushroom risotto
• Truffle dishes
• Aged Gouda
• Comté
• Parmigiano Reggiano

Sommelier's Perspective

The 2019 El Desafio de Jonata is one of California's most compelling Cabernet Sauvignons outside Napa Valley. It combines the depth and concentration expected from elite Cabernet with the freshness, minerality, and aromatic lift that define Ballard Canyon. Layers of cassis, blackberry, lavender, graphite, crushed herbs, and cocoa are framed by polished tannins and remarkable precision. With 97+ points from Vinous and multiple 95–96 point reviews, it stands among the finest Cabernet Sauvignons produced on California's Central Coast.

97pts Vinous 

The 2019 El Desafio de Jonata is one of the most complete wines I have tasted from Jonata. It is exceptionally harmonious for such a young wine, a big departure from the days when these wines were pretty monolithic at a similar stage. Inky dark red/purplish berry fruit, lavender and spice meld together in a Cabernet-based wine that marries unctuous fruit and freshness, with polished tannins to wrap it all up. The ability to make wine in a new, state of the art facility seems to have really paid off. 

96pts James Suckling

Currants and fresh herbs such as thyme and sage. Blackcurrants. Lead pencil. Metal shavings. Medium-bodied with fine velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Hints of walnuts. Very refined. Drink or hold.

96pts Decanter

This dark and concentrated Cabernet shows impressive balance and poise, for all its deceptive tannins. Let this one open up in the glass. The nose plays to sweetness with lovely florals, cassis, blue fruit, and warm spice, then to savoriness with crushed herbs, forest botanicals, anise, and graphite. Layers evolve in the glass, from focused berry and dark cherry fruit to resiny herbs to a vein of earth and minerality against a backbone of supple structure.

95pts Jeb Dunnuck 

The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine in the lineup, the 2019 El Desafio De Jonata has a dense, regal, structured, and full-bodied style to go with matching powerful black fruits as well as notes of crushed stone, lead pencil, and iron nuances. It's another impressive, rich, structured beauty that does everything right, although it's not for the instant gratification crowd. Give it 3-4 years if you can, and it's going to cruise for a solid 15+ from cold cellars.