So, I came onto this wine last year from a local merchant. The 2012
I have to say that it is quite delicious. I really like this Red Blend. I have a few more of the 2012 but the 13 is out now and Vivino shows it rated a tad higher.
A site that I found on the web says the following.
Today we offer a 92 point Cabernet-based California red blend that thoroughly over-delivers! From the owner of Screaming Eagle, the hottest cult wine in California, Jonata’s “The Paring” is flat-out delicious. Antonio Galloni calls it “easily one of the very best values readers will find in California.”
They do some nice work with Bordeaux varieties (plus syrah/Sangiovese) in Southern California, definitely marketed as premium with a more modest sister winery The Hilt (Pinot/Chard). Same OWNER as Screaming Eagle, not the same wine-making team however, most write-ups do tend to really punch up the Screagle connection though I don’t understand how a billionaire financier makes the wine. Jonata’s wine maker Matt Dees does great work though.
Thanks Rory
The red is great especially at the price point.
It’s interesting that it is from that central southern region of CA.
Not that I know what that regions cabs are like other than Paso Robles which is distinct in its difference from Napa / Sonoma.
Could have sworn this was northern CA fruit.
I’ve been buying The Paring Red as a cellar defender for years! I can usually find it locally for less than $25 and it over delivers for that price IMO.
Well I’m not so sure, Jonata is located in Santa Ynez, but I just read the Paring is a vineyard blend of leftover fruit from both Jonata and The Hilt’s sources, and the AVA is listed as just ‘California’ so likely its a real mix of regions.
Definitely not under any radar. Matt is an amazing winemaker but Jonata has been around and priced very high compared to anything around the area. I love their wines but man are they pricey. The Paring is a great value and would be a solid candidate for the best 2nd label wine thread.
Agree not under the radar, for sure. Wondering what similar quality red blends from the area you would recommend that are less expensive? Would love to try.
From what I understand, some of these are blends of fruit from their holdings up in Napa with Santa Barbara county fruit and some use only SB County fruit. There is no way to tell at all.
I’ve been a buyer since the 2005 vintage and considerate this an annual purchase; as others have stated, great QPR and Matt Dees is extremely talented and a good guy
Yes some stores were pushing the Paring around 5+ years ago (when I first came across it) as being secretly the “parings” from the Screaming Eagle bottling.
I picked up a bottle of the 2012 recently and opened it Friday. WAY too much oak for my palate. Toasted oak, cocoa galore with an abundance of oak tannin. My wife and I drank the bottle over about 4 hours in one evening. Not decanted, but left one glass in air for about an hour. The oak did not seem to integrate at all through the evening. Absolutely hated it.
I posted a note on the 2013 in my Saturday Bordeaux thread, and while it isn’t the style I prefer, I didn’t find the wood overwhelming and expressed more as caramelized brown sugar than vanilla and it had enough savoriness that I found it perfectly drinkable.
I haven’t tried the 2013, so I can’t comment on it vs. the 2012. The other notes on the 2012 in CT and Vivino don’t make much mention of the oak, but there are many mentions of “dark fruit”. I am of the opinion that most of these “dark fruit” comments are really referring to the flavors imparted by the toasted oak, but recognize it as fruit flavors. In any case, most folks seem to love lots of oak in their red wine, so carry on with the love-fest for The Paring. I’m not going to purchase any other vintage of this wine, but if one shows up at a tasting, I’ll give it a go.
If you come across the 2013, I’d be interested to see your impressions. It may be that we just react differently to different expressions of oak and you find the 2013 too marked by oak as well. I find that I’m much more tolerant of wood when there is savoriness in the wine to offset it and when it is expressed more in the way of coffee, caramel, and spice than vanilla, coconut, or dill.