The 2009 El Desafio de Jonata is in its prime, bursting from the glass with a rich bouquet of cigar, chocolate, cassis and pencil shavings that—believe it or not—reminded me strongly of the 1990 Chateau Léoville Poyferré. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and powerful, its tannins still concealed by a succulent but ripe core of fruit, and finishing with excellent length. While I'd be inclined to attack this in the near-term, it represents a very complete realization of Jonata's aesthetic.

The 2009 El Desafio de Jonata is a powerful, inward wine jam-packed with dark fruit, cassis, grilled herbs and leather. This is one of the more virile wines in the lineup. It has more than enough textural richness to fill out its broad-shouldered frame nicely. The multi-dimensional, expansive finish is hugely attractive. This is another highly promising wine. The 2009 Desafio de Jonata is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot that was aged in French oak barrels, 80% new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. General Manager Armand de Maigret, Assistant Winemaker Drew Pickering and Vineyard Manager Ruben Solorzano showed me a wide range of wines at Jonata. The estate is currently owned by investor Stan Kroenke. Matt Dees is Winemaker, while Michel Rolland is the consulting oenologist. This large, sprawling estate in Ballard Canyon spans 600+ acres, 82 of which are under vine. Vintage 2008 was a colder year overall, with significant amounts of shatter and heat spikes towards the end of the growing season. The 2009s show more overt, fruit forward personalities. Both vintages are quite beautiful. I also tasted a number of older wines. With the exception of the Sangre, the wines appear to be aging at a fairly fast pace. Of course, drinking windows remain a highly personal aspect of wine appreciation, but readers who own the estate’s older vintages should be checking in on the wines periodically to chart their development. I don’t see too much upside potential from cellaring those wines, the 2005s and 2006s in particular, further. Accordingly I have kept drinking windows for the 2008s and 2009s relatively short. I will be thrilled if the wines end up exceeding my expectations, but at this stage only the Sangre appears to be a wine with medium and long-term aging potential.Tel. (805) 564-8581; www.jonata.com