97 points vinous

The 2021 El Desafío de Jonata – 96% Cabernet Sauvignon … Dark fruit, tobacco, incense, scorched earth, minerals and dried herbs all race across the palate. Calistoga meets Saint-Estèphe in Ballard Canyon. El Desafío is one of the most impressive wines I tasted this year in Santa Barbara.

97 points Jeb Dunnuck

The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2021 El Desafío De Jonata … inky hued and boasts awesome notes of blackcurrants, leafy tobacco, sappy flowers, incense, and gravelly earth. With incredible purity, medium to full body, ripe yet substantial tannins, and a great core of beautiful fruit, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for 2-3 decades. It’s that good.