Jonata’s Fenix is the estate’s Right Bank-inspired Bordeaux blend, a predominantly Merlot-driven wine that draws on the full range of Bordeaux varieties cultivated within the Ballard Canyon property. Where the Sangre channels the power and perfume of the Northern Rhône and the Todos assembles a cross-section of the entire estate, the Fenix is Jonata’s most deliberately European and intellectually Bordelaise expression, structured around the softness and fleshy complexity that Merlot achieves in the warm, sandy soils of Ballard Canyon.

The 2020 Fenix is composed of approximately 70% Merlot with complementary proportions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, aged in a blend of new and neutral French oak. The 2020 California vintage was defined by the most widespread fire season in recent memory, with a Labour Day heatwave accelerating maturity across the region. Jonata’s Ballard Canyon, sheltered from the worst of the smoke events, produced a vintage of concentration and depth, with the Merlot delivering particularly rich, plush fruit in line with its inherent temperament in these warm sandy soils.

The Fenix occupies a distinctive place in Jonata’s portfolio as the estate’s most understated and food-compatible expression, designed for drinking within a shorter window than the Sangre or Desafio. The wine sits within the wider family that includes The Hilt and The Paring, all overseen by winemaker Matt Dees and all rooted in the same polyculture farming philosophy that governs every aspect of the Ballard Canyon estate. The 2019 Fenix received scores of 95 from Vinous and 94 from James Suckling, establishing the cuvee’s strong recent critical trajectory.

Dark ruby with a perfumed nose of black olive, dark chocolate, mulberry, spice and a distinctly savory character of dried herbs and salinity. The palate is plush and velvety with supple tannins, generous mid-palate weight and a cooling, mineral finish. Approachable now but with the structure to develop over the coming five to seven years.