2012 The Paring Proprietary Red 750 ml

Parker’s Wine Advocate: “Don’t Miss It!”

If you’re the owner of Napa Valley’s ONLY $1,500/bottle brand and you purchase a sprawling property on the high ground of Ballard Canyon in 2000, 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” 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 unable to retain water, it wouldn’t take long for les consultants to say they were flummoxed.

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. The well-heeled proprietors pushed ahead. Eighty of the almost 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 look at how much the owners had already poured into their Oakville winery, and signed on the dotted line. Ballard Canyon would never be the same.

While the 2012 vintage was extraordinary up and down California’s coastline, it achieved perhaps its highest quality in Santa Barbara County. Unlike the North Coast, the winter months featured a normal amount of rainfall, replenishing underground water tables. Spring was mild and dry. Beginning in mid-July, things heated up. Barely a drop of rain fell during the summer. Ballard Canyon was bathed in hot sunshine right through the beginning of October. The Bordeaux varieties at Jonata were harvested under perfect conditions, setting the stage for Matt Dees’ cellar magic.

The 2012 “The Paring” Proprietary Red is the finest example ever to come off this sensational property. Dark purple/ruby in hue. Lavish aromas of black raspberry, plum, and black cherry, a hint of smoke, touched with Asian spices. Rich, sweet, juicy, ultra-refined, and light on its feet, this is a Bordeaux blend of uncommon richness and elegance, finishing with great tension and sandy soil persistence. Drink now-2020.

92 points from Antonio Galloni. 91 more from Parker’s Wine Advocate. 300 bottles are up for grabs.