The aroma is a combination of fruit and spice.
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah really shine through.
It also has an exotic side from Viognier, a blend of 11 varieties grown in Honata.
It has structure and presence, yet is very complex with soft nuances.
It is a vintage with a gorgeous impression that is characteristic of Todos.
The growing season of 2014 was brought forward in many ways, and it was a vintage that gave us a bad feeling.
It would be too late once something has happened, so we controlled the yield on almost all plots to reduce any potential risks.
At Honata, we usually produce two bunches per branch, but in order to minimize the impact of climate change on the grapes, we decided to produce one bunch per branch.
This is a vintage in which the importance of the vineyard is fully reflected in the wine, which has a slightly lighter finish.
In 2000, the owner of Screaming Eagle, a representative California cult wine, became interested in Santa Barbara.
We planted Bordeaux varieties on land that we were told would be better suited for growing asparagus.
This gamble, which he himself described as "a big gamble," led to the creation of a super-premium wine that represents California, thanks to the efforts of Michel Rolland and Matt Dease, who was the winemaker at Staglin.
Robert Parker said: "It's mind-blowing how they've succeeded with Bordeaux varieties in that area.
" He commented,
Honata is 600 acres of gorgeous, golden hills.
Of these, 80 acres were carefully selected for their unique microclimates and soils.
The land is divided into over 50 blocks and sub-blocks, each with a different combination of rootstocks, clones and planting densities.
The result is the diverse flavors that Winemaker Matt wants for Honata.
After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in plant and soil science, Matt moved to Napa Valley to work with Andy Erickson at Staglin Family Vineyards and learn about Bordeaux varietals.
During his three years with Staglin he also worked three vintages of winemaking under Doug Weiser at Craggy Range in New Zealand, adding Syrah and Pinot Noir to his resume.
Matt has learned the importance of expressing vineyard flavors through his work making Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir in both hemispheres.
Dees firmly believes that the world's greatest wines begin in the vineyard.
He joined Honata in 2004 with his extensive and well-rounded background and passion for the vineyard's high quality grapes.
The winery is owned by Stan Kroenke, the owner of the well-known California cult wine Screaming Eagle.
He owns the Denver Nuggets of the NBA and the St. Louis Rams of the NFL, and is also the largest shareholder of Arsenal in the Premier League.