2011 The Paring Red Wine 750 ml

Robert Parker: “What they are accomplishing with Bordeaux varietals is mind-boggling.”

If you’re the owner of Screaming Eagle, and you purchase a sprawling property on the high ground of Ballard Canyon, you spare no expense in evaluating the potential for growing world-class Bordeaux varieties. Not surprisingly, then, soon after the most talked-about land grab in Santa Barbara County history was announced, the new owners called in Pauillac’s most celebrated “A-Team” — led by a viticultural consultant from First Growth Château Latour — to conduct soil studies.

When the team from Bordeaux arrived, they were charged with studying the makeup of each of the ranch’s almost 600 acres, determining which hillsides were best suited for vineyards. The property, the Frenchmen quickly discovered, was comprised almost entirely of Careaga sand that runs nearly 800 feet deep. Nutrient poor, and virtually unsuitable for water retention, it wouldn’t take long for les consultants to return with a two-word suggestion for next steps: “Plant asparagus!”

While the owners paid ample heed to the French report, eventually they reasoned differently, citing a number of prominent French and Italian counterexamples.

Château Rayas, the most legendary wine of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is grown on sand. Yields are tiny, but the combination of concentration and floral complexity is unmatched in the southern Rhône. Even more cogently, at Château Cheval Blanc, clay soils are intermixed with clumps of sand, largely accounting for the magical lightness of being of one of Bordeaux’s most celebrated estates.

While they couldn’t help but put in a few asparagus patches, the proprietors pushed ahead. Eighty of the 600 acres were selected for the planting of Rhône and Bordeaux varieties.

Then, in 2004, Jonata struck gold in the form of one of the most brilliant young winemakers in the world. Matt Dees came armed with a degree in soil science from the University of Vermont, and a resume that included cellar stints at Staglin in Napa and Craggy Range in New Zealand. Dees took one look at the unique potential of Jonata’s sandy soil, another at the resources and resolve of the Screaming Eagle ownership, and signed on the dotted line. Ballard Canyon would never be the same.

Wine Spectator described 2011 as a “Cinderella Year” in Santa Barbara County. The growing season began with a rare April that put a damper on yields before the vines really got started. The Ballard Canyon superstars — Beckmen, Stolpman, and Jonata — were all hit hard, each losing 20-50% of the potential crop. Then, during bloom, an intense wind howled for nearly three weeks, damaging flowers. July was unusually cool, further retarding the maturation cycle. Then fog settled over the canyon in August, remaining steadfast until the last week of September.

It’s often said in Bordeaux that vintages are made or lost in the last weeks before harvest. Such was the case at Jonata in 2011. The sun finally broke through in late September. October was magnificent, featuring near-perfect Indian summer conditions. Dees waited — and waited — as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon took full advantage of the added hang time. Sugars climbed incrementally as seeds browned and tannins softened. The November harvest went off without a hitch. Yields were tiny. Clusters were pristine.

The 2011 “The Paring” is brilliant purple/ruby in hue. Gorgeous aromas of black raspberry and black cherry, smoke, and sweet spice. Sweet, juicy, and ultra-refined on the attack, silken in texture, this is a Bordeaux blend of uncommon richness and elegance, filled with crushed red and black fruits, finishing with terrific length and sandy soil persistence. Drink now-2020.