Dragonette Cellars' 2019 MJM is a premium Syrah-based blend sourced from three exceptional vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The wine showcases the unique characteristics of each terroir, with John Sebastiano Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills contributing remarkable aromatics, spices, dark fruits, meat, and earth notes. Stolpman Vineyard in Ballard Canyon adds intense red fruits and meaty notes from low-yield, older vines, while Larner Vineyard, also in Ballard Canyon, provides dark, rich, meaty Syrah flavors with blueberry and game notes. The winemaking process for the 2019 MJM is meticulous, beginning with hand-harvesting and sorting of the grapes. The fruit is 96% destemmed, with 4% whole cluster inclusion, followed by a cold soak lasting 2-4 days. Native yeast fermentation is employed, along with gentle extraction techniques to preserve the wine's delicate flavors and aromas. After fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels, using both 400L and 228L sizes, for a total of 28 months. Small amounts of Grenache are blended in to add complexity, and the final product is bottled unfiltered to retain its full character.
This wine has a complex bouquet of dark fruits, spices, and meaty notes on the nose. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with intense flavors of blackberry, blueberry, and savory elements. Structured tannins are balanced by the wine's natural acidity, leading to a long and persistent finish that showcases the wine's depth and complexity. This meticulously crafted wine reflects the expertise of proprietors/winemakers John Dragonette, Steve Dragonette, and Brandon Sparks-Gillis, who have skillfully blended the unique characteristics of each vineyard to create a harmonious and expressive Syrah-based wine.
