"STAR STRUCK???" PERHAPS!!!

2005 La Cancion de Jonata - Pinot Noir

Finally I got to drink SCREAMING EAGLE~~~

Oopps sorry~ It's only another project from the Guy that owns Screaming Eagle~

I first heard about this winery back in 2008 when I was celebrating my 40th birthday in April. Perhaps it was the Robert Parker sighting that allowed me to hear about this up and coming new winery owned and operated by the 2 gentleman that purchased Screaming Eagle back in 2006. News around the Grapevine now states that one of the gentleman has left the Screaming Eagle and Jonata project to pursue other wine ventures.. Oh well~

A show of Power?

A flexing of Muscles?

or perhaps 2 guys with way to much money? That just wanted to own the hardest wine to purchase from California EVER~

Either way the "Wine Geek" in me couldn't help to put his name on there mailing list to see if first; I could even get some of the wine and second; see just how good it is. Yes~ I was able to get my hands on the wine. as for ladder;; To Be Determined~

Opening this bottle for myself and 4 of my more knowledgeable Pinot Noir friends was exactly how I wanted it to happen. I wanted to get the reaction of others as to the quality of this wine. The La Cancion de Jonata Pinot is a good wine. A solid wine~ There are so many great producers of Pinot Noir in the Central Coast. Sea Smoke being my favorite, with Paul Lato, Clos Pepe, Alma Rosa, ETC, ETC.

This is a very very green project for this new up and coming winery.. Meaning that they have a lot to learn and or a lot of years of ageing before any really really great comes of this project. The wine had very very heavy tannins on the palate, which tells me that it needs a few more years in the bottle. Beautiful aromas of forest floor very similar to Richard Sanford's Alma Rosa Pinot's. Very nice bouquets of flowers on the nose as well that are so indigenous to a good Pinot Noir.

I wanna not like it; maybe because you hear so many stories about rich people that buy up land or buy up wineries and then think they know what they are doing... They can afford the best wine makers that money can buy for sure. Andy Erickson from Screaming Eagle also makes and consults for several other great wineries. Winemaker Mike Dees of Jonata started his career at Craggy Range in New Zealand. A Pinot Noir that I blogged about a few months back.

Overall the experience that myself and my wine friends had was very positive for the Jonata wine. I will have the chance to taste this and other wines in the near future and perhaps when the economy picks up. Buy a few bottles.

Like any True "Wine Geek" I look forward to it...

Give them a Try!~~

Cheers~~