Jada Strayts is made from Paso Robles   51% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petite Sirah, 13% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec.

One of the most challenging yet rewarding grapes to grow on the Jada Estate Vineyard, Merlot still dominates this blend at 51% of the volume. Bright cherry and plum with balanced barrel spice, black pepper, clove and dried tea leaves. Creamy, milk chocolate mouthfeel and refreshing acidity on the finish.

Strayts refers to the Straits of Messina, a body of water that separates Italy from the Sicily and the city from which they get their family name. For those literary scholars amongst you, it may have been the inspiration for the legend of Scylla and Charybdis, described by Homer in the Odyssey. No sea monsters or whirlpools here.

The Strayts is a Merlot-focused blend, using Merlot from one block in the Jada Estate Vineyard. The block encompasses elevation changes over 75 feet, as well as soil types ranging from calcareous to deep, clay loam. The 2017 vintage demanded multiple picks on this block, starting 9/14/2017 and ending 10/6/2017, to see proper maturity throughout. Fermentations in this blend ranged from 14 to 19 days using a combination of pump-overs and hand punch-downs. The blend is aged in mostly medium toast barrels to preserve delicate aromatics, while supporting the richness and spice of the Merlot. Aging for 15 months (31% 500L barrels, 69% 225L barrels) in 53% New French Oak, 47% Neutral Oak.

Review:

"The Merlot-dominated cuvée, the 2017 Strayts is a blend of 51% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petite Sirah, 13% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec. Notes of black cherries, toasted spice, dried earth, underbrush, and graphite notes all flow to a medium-bodied, rounded, supple wine that has good tannins, outstanding balance, and a charming, character-filled style."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 2019), 91 pts