Mentida, or guilty pleasure, is Jillian Johnson DeLeon’s polarizing new brand that embodies how many wine lovers enjoy a delicious bottle of wine. Mentida Wines are produced to go hand in hand with your guilty pleasures. These are wines that you don’t have to swirl and discuss, no wine notes needed or wine snobbery. No contemplating the soil the vines are grown on, the weather that year, or the type of barrel used, just pure unrefined pleasure in each bottle.
Dark fruit and velvety tannins will relax you and chase the heavy thoughts from your mind. Flavors of cherry, and blackberry, with notes of vanilla and mocha with a warm oak spice are a perfect match with any chocolate in the house. Indulging in Mentida Red will have you experiencing your guilty pleasures at a deeper level – you are the poet and the singer you dreamed you could be.
Pair With: Salumi platter, BBQ ribs, pulled pork sandwich, pizza, bacon cheeseburger, eggplant parmesan, and chocolate with salted caramel.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Blend: 70% Syrah, 15% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane
Alcohol: 14.5%
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
4x 2016 Mentida Red
Or
Case:
12x 2016 Mentida Red
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $240/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Onesta Wines
Owner: Jillian Johnson DeLeon
Location: Napa, CA
Jillian found her passion for wine while studying neurobiology at UC Davis. Home brewing introduced her to the magic of fermentation, and after taking the “Introductory to Winemaking” class at UC Davis, she quickly switched her major to Viticulture and Enology. She graduated with her degree in 2001 and soon thereafter found herself as an intern at the famous Bonny Doon Winery.
Her desire to learn more about winemaking has taken her around the globe. To gain essential winemaking experience in a short time, Jillian traveled to the southern hemisphere to work an additional harvest each year. For three years she traveled south to learn how to work with different varieties and observe different winemaking styles. She did internships in McLaren Vale (South Australia), Margaret River (Western Australia), and Stellenbosch (South Africa).
Syrah quickly became her deepest passion and she returned to Bonny Doon as Associate Winemaker in 2005, focusing her talents on the Rhone varieties that the Dooner is known for. She played a major role in the transition to biodynamic winemaking at Bonny Doon. Now a truly seasoned winemaker, Jillian has started her own passion project, Onesta. Her artistic expression is manifested in her wines. Jillian’s wines speak the truth of each growing season and each vintage is a new adventure for her, riding the waves of Mother Nature. Her promise to herself and her customers is to deliver wines with personality and depth every year. Jillian’s wines are made with passion and love, just like she lives her life. Her hope is that every sip of Onesta will ignite the soul with passion and enthusiasm for living life to the fullest.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Mentida Red Blend by Onesta Wines - $41 = 29.07%
Sounds really interesting! I’ve bought 3 cases of Onesta wines from Casemates, and they’ve all been excellent with awesome QPR. Hoping for rattage on this one!
@nklb Shipping rules and requirements are always changing There’s not hate for the midwest, perhaps a bit of frustration with some of the policy makers.
@thompp I generally do not, but it has 22 ratings which is a decent number of ratings, so may be decently reliable. Also, at least some of those ratings are 2 years old. Wines can change in 2 years. Overall I would say that it can help you make a decision, especially if there are a lot of reviews, but should certainly not be the sole factor in said decision.
@icarus8 Yeah, I was supposed to get a non-wine delivery on Monday. Yesterday it was floating out there somewhere, but today it’s on the truck again. Hoping it gets here.
The good news on the Mentida is that it’s a two-day sale, so if it gets to you tomorrow your review will still be relevant, even if it’s on the late side.
@danidani12@KCountry@sallliu@cosmo108@knotworking Well now you all have me craving a Cinsault! Sounds like a plan for tonight…only one question… 2013 or 2015…decisions decisions!!
/giphy decisions decisions
We’ve probably had all the Onesta offerings through CaseMates and have LOVED all of them! The Mentida white blend and the Cinsault are (or were, in our case) fantastic! (As have been the Rose and the Grenache Blanc.) Excited for a rat report or two on this, but seriously thinking it’s not a question of if but when to pull the trigger.
Almost ready to pull the trigger on a case of this even without rats, but I would love to see a quick rat report, so I hope we get one or two.
We’re a big fan of the Onesta Cinsault, just drank a bottle last night, so I’m pretty interested in an affordable Syrah based blend from Jillian, since she must have made some pretty awesome Syrah during her time at Bonny Doon.
Hoping this will turn out to be a killer $8 daily drinker, with a little age on it.
@novium I figured I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. But it’s true, not everybody is a wine nerd and even wine nerds sometimes want a bottle of “yum” wine.
@klezman i think that’s the thing. Being knowledgeable or caring about wine to me is just about being able to appreciate how something was made, and to be actually able to talk about why it tastes good, to put words to the experience. The copy here reminded me of people attacking negative reviews of like, a mediocre big franchise movie, as if there wasn’t a difference between a quality fun movie and a badly made fun movie. So all I see is “our wine is not good enough to stand on it’s own, so we’re playing as if it’s a snobs vs slobs deal so people will pick a side and not evaluate it on its own merits”
Hey all, the branding of Mentida was never meant to offend. I interact with all walks of life in the wine industry. I live in Napa, I make wine, work with winemakers all over the united states, teach wine sensory classes, host tastings with people that know more about wine than me and also with people that prefer to drink beer.
The idea behind Mentida was to make wine inviting for the people that just want to drink and enjoy. Out of the different alcoholic beverage categories, wine holds the smallest piece of the sales pie. Let’s get more people into wine!!! I wanted to make a wine that people did not have to study to drink. That’s all. It’s still delicious, just promoting that wine can be simple and sexy. Pop the cork and drink a bottle without thinking too much about it, enjoy your friends or a good movie, let Mentida be the background.
@WineDocNapa I totally respect your position, Jillian. You’re running a business, after all, not trying to appease fusty collectors and latter-day epicureans. I wasn’t offended at all by:
No contemplating the soil the vines are grown on, the weather that year, or the type of barrel used, just pure unrefined pleasure in each bottle.
I can see how that would appeal to some, it just made me realize that it didn’t appeal to me.
That said, I love your Cinsau(l)t and should have bought more the last time it was offered! Also, I’d love to see your rose 'round here sometime.
@WineDocNapa Thanks Jillian! I, for one, was anything but offended, neither by the branding nor the copy. I was pleased at the frank description of the wine, its goals, and its intended audience. I wish all wine was described as honestly.
I’m not buying daily drinkers (or much of anything) right now. Although your Cinsault from a few weeks ago is happily sitting in the wine pile.
Hello All, Winemaker here…
Thank you all for loving the Onesta wines!! I was blown away by the volume of wine ordered from the last sale of Cinsault, and am cinSOOO happy that this variety is getting a good reputation out there.
At Bonny Doon, almost every wine we made involved some level of blending and we had a huge library of wines to blend with, an amazing experience. With Onesta, I am dedicated to single vineyard, single varietal wines. It is challenging to make these wines.
I wanted to get back to making killer Syrah, but did not want to face the challenge of trying to sell Syrah out there. Anyone heard the joke about Syrah and STDs? Mentida was born as a brand where I could get back to making blended wines and work with my favorite Syrah again. The 2016 Mentida Red drinks like some of the delicious GSMs that we made at Bonny Doon. It has the meaty, spicy notes from the Syrah, lavender/floral character from Carignane, and juicy plum and blackberry fruit from Zin. I drink this wine often, as I blended it to be my week night go to. I hope you all enjoy it.
(Side note - I make a very small amount of kick ass Syrah under the Onesta label, but only for wine club).
I’ve enjoyed the other wines I’ve purchased from Onesta (the Cinsault and the Rosé), but I have to buy this one for the gorgeous label! Pretty sure I’ll enjoy the wine too!
Wow - some interesting comments here. Pedigreed winemaker with a history of over-delivering with her other Casemates offers = confusion? Not sure why. . . Buy with confidence folks…
This wine is quite enjoyable by itself or with a nice steak or pasta. It is rich & robust with fruit notes of juicy blackberry, blueberry and plum, balanced with mocha and vanilla spice.
I would recommend picking this up.
I liked the Cinsault and appreciated the input from Jillian, so will give it a try. I usually do not buy Syrah’s so maybe this will be a jumpstart into them.
/giphy stingy-efficient-banshee
@normanl0 BTW, if the “2017 Kendric Vineyards Syrah Petaluma Gap” ever comes up here on Casemates again, you should REALLY give it a try. Not nearly as “Syrah-ey” as most Syrahs. Not peppery at all (which is what comes to mind to most when we hear Syrah). Check out this tasting note on it: https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=3418684
I just had my first taste of this wine. Straight out of the bottle. And while I may be moderately+ intoxicated at the moment, the only things I could say while drinking this wine were “yumm” and “WOW”. This is exceptional juice! Perhaps one of the best values ever to come out of casemates. And I have been around the block if you know what I mean. The casemates block that is.
2016 Mentida Red
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
Or
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $240/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Onesta Wines
Owner: Jillian Johnson DeLeon
Location: Napa, CA
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, June 25th - Monday, June 29th
Mentida Red Blend by Onesta Wines
4 bottles for $46.99 $11.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $99.99 $8.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Mentida Red
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Mentida Red Blend by Onesta Wines - $41 = 29.07%
Sounds really interesting! I’ve bought 3 cases of Onesta wines from Casemates, and they’ve all been excellent with awesome QPR. Hoping for rattage on this one!
VAN MURALS! GROUND SQUIRRELS! SPIT CURLS! AWESOME!
@mediocrebot Awesome!
VAN MURALS! GROUND SQUIRRELS! SPIT CURLS! AWESOME!
Such a shame Michigan isn’t eligible for this one. (I’ve had no issues ordering others from this vintner, like the excellent Cinsaut)
@nklb Yea - IL left off too - so much midwest hate
@nklb Shipping rules and requirements are always changing
There’s not hate for the midwest, perhaps a bit of frustration with some of the policy makers.
@nklb like Mom used to say: “ it just wasn’t meant to be”
This sounds good. Excited to hear from the rats. Whats the case production like?
@Twich22 No idea if accurate but according to a wine club (not winery) offer 1500 cases
https://www.cawineclub.com/Onesta-Wines-2016-Mentida-Red-Wine_PD3288.html
@Twich22 1,500 is pretty spot on, what we don’t remember is how much we used for R&D before it hit the bottling line
/giphy operatic-mocking-game
/giphy sore-crucial-cake
/giphy healthy-punitive-narwhal
Does anyone trust Vivino? 3.7 out of 5 there, which seems like a good QPR at this price point. https://www.vivino.com/onesta-mentida-red-blend/w/6637242
@thompp I generally do not, but it has 22 ratings which is a decent number of ratings, so may be decently reliable. Also, at least some of those ratings are 2 years old. Wines can change in 2 years. Overall I would say that it can help you make a decision, especially if there are a lot of reviews, but should certainly not be the sole factor in said decision.
@Twich22 Noticed the older ones. Pulled the trigger
/giphy flustered-flatulent-paladin
I was excited to get the nod to lab rat for today’s offering on Monday!
Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the package yet. UPS says “delayed” on the tracking. I’m in NYC so that may be part of why.
That said, if it turns up today I will endeavour to post some notes around dinner time east coast time!
@icarus8 Yeah, I was supposed to get a non-wine delivery on Monday. Yesterday it was floating out there somewhere, but today it’s on the truck again. Hoping it gets here.
The good news on the Mentida is that it’s a two-day sale, so if it gets to you tomorrow your review will still be relevant, even if it’s on the late side.
@icarus8 @InFrom Besides, some wines improve the next day . . . oh, never mind.
Ooh I really liked the Cinsault. Curious to hear reviews on this one!
I’ve been wishing I bought 2 cases of Cinsault, so also hoping rats say good things!
@sallliu same! I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it!
@danidani12 @sallliu I’m with you, I also really liked the Cinsault. I’m curious on this one as well.
@danidani12 Yes, the Cinsault is fantastic!
@danidani12 ditto, ditto! Fantastic QPR!!
@danidani12 @KCountry @sallliu @cosmo108 @knotworking Well now you all have me craving a Cinsault! Sounds like a plan for tonight…only one question… 2013 or 2015…decisions decisions!!
/giphy decisions decisions
@TimW late post but in my opinion the 2013 is the better vintage…at least for now. Hopefully you opened one of each!
We’ve probably had all the Onesta offerings through CaseMates and have LOVED all of them! The Mentida white blend and the Cinsault are (or were, in our case) fantastic! (As have been the Rose and the Grenache Blanc.) Excited for a rat report or two on this, but seriously thinking it’s not a question of if but when to pull the trigger.
/giphy musty-delicate-chain
Almost ready to pull the trigger on a case of this even without rats, but I would love to see a quick rat report, so I hope we get one or two.
We’re a big fan of the Onesta Cinsault, just drank a bottle last night, so I’m pretty interested in an affordable Syrah based blend from Jillian, since she must have made some pretty awesome Syrah during her time at Bonny Doon.
Hoping this will turn out to be a killer $8 daily drinker, with a little age on it.
DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!
@wnance you’re in luck, the rat report below is very quick.
@KitMarlot Well, I’m a man of my word. Lab Rat report in, case ordered. LOL.
Have loved every Onesta so far.
/giphy noxious-abounding-raccoon
@KNmeh7 nature is healing itself…the racoons are riding bikes again.
@KNmeh7 @TimW That’s not all they’re riding. . .
Having enjoyed some of the Cinsaut again, we could no longer resist…
/giphy finicky-hopeful-floor
Never before has a wine turned me off so quickly through the copy alone.
I’m intrigued enough still to hope there are some really rat reviews soon.
@novium I figured I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. But it’s true, not everybody is a wine nerd and even wine nerds sometimes want a bottle of “yum” wine.
@klezman @novium
I thought that’s what the Martin Ray Zinfandel was.
Gave away 3.67 bottles of that four pack.
But, for some, this will be right in the wheel house.
@klezman i think that’s the thing. Being knowledgeable or caring about wine to me is just about being able to appreciate how something was made, and to be actually able to talk about why it tastes good, to put words to the experience. The copy here reminded me of people attacking negative reviews of like, a mediocre big franchise movie, as if there wasn’t a difference between a quality fun movie and a badly made fun movie. So all I see is “our wine is not good enough to stand on it’s own, so we’re playing as if it’s a snobs vs slobs deal so people will pick a side and not evaluate it on its own merits”
@klezman @novium
Hey all, the branding of Mentida was never meant to offend. I interact with all walks of life in the wine industry. I live in Napa, I make wine, work with winemakers all over the united states, teach wine sensory classes, host tastings with people that know more about wine than me and also with people that prefer to drink beer.
The idea behind Mentida was to make wine inviting for the people that just want to drink and enjoy. Out of the different alcoholic beverage categories, wine holds the smallest piece of the sales pie. Let’s get more people into wine!!! I wanted to make a wine that people did not have to study to drink. That’s all. It’s still delicious, just promoting that wine can be simple and sexy. Pop the cork and drink a bottle without thinking too much about it, enjoy your friends or a good movie, let Mentida be the background.
Thanks,
Jillian
@novium Oddly I didn’t even read it before hitting the buy button. The previous Onesta wines have been great, so they are auto-buys for me.
@WineDocNapa I totally respect your position, Jillian. You’re running a business, after all, not trying to appease fusty collectors and latter-day epicureans. I wasn’t offended at all by:
I can see how that would appeal to some, it just made me realize that it didn’t appeal to me.
That said, I love your Cinsau(l)t and should have bought more the last time it was offered! Also, I’d love to see your rose 'round here sometime.
@KitMarlot We will try to get some Rose for you soon
@markgm I just wanted to see the rat reviews
@markgm @novium Well, it was a quick read.
@WineDocNapa Thanks Jillian! I, for one, was anything but offended, neither by the branding nor the copy. I was pleased at the frank description of the wine, its goals, and its intended audience. I wish all wine was described as honestly.
I’m not buying daily drinkers (or much of anything) right now. Although your Cinsault from a few weeks ago is happily sitting in the wine pile.
This was on morningsave for a while I think. Anyone happen to grab it? Purely out of curiosity, I would love to see some notes on the white as well.
Hello All, Winemaker here…
Thank you all for loving the Onesta wines!! I was blown away by the volume of wine ordered from the last sale of Cinsault, and am cinSOOO happy that this variety is getting a good reputation out there.
At Bonny Doon, almost every wine we made involved some level of blending and we had a huge library of wines to blend with, an amazing experience. With Onesta, I am dedicated to single vineyard, single varietal wines. It is challenging to make these wines.
I wanted to get back to making killer Syrah, but did not want to face the challenge of trying to sell Syrah out there. Anyone heard the joke about Syrah and STDs? Mentida was born as a brand where I could get back to making blended wines and work with my favorite Syrah again. The 2016 Mentida Red drinks like some of the delicious GSMs that we made at Bonny Doon. It has the meaty, spicy notes from the Syrah, lavender/floral character from Carignane, and juicy plum and blackberry fruit from Zin. I drink this wine often, as I blended it to be my week night go to. I hope you all enjoy it.
(Side note - I make a very small amount of kick ass Syrah under the Onesta label, but only for wine club).
Thanks,
Jillian
I hadn’t, but Google found it for me (in a 2012 reference to Bonny Doon).
@Mark_L Harder to find than I though it would be, but the article is a pretty good read. Late to the party I know, but Randall Grahm is something!
I’ve enjoyed the other wines I’ve purchased from Onesta (the Cinsault and the Rosé), but I have to buy this one for the gorgeous label! Pretty sure I’ll enjoy the wine too!
/giphy husky-mythical-malt
Wow - some interesting comments here. Pedigreed winemaker with a history of over-delivering with her other Casemates offers = confusion? Not sure why. . . Buy with confidence folks…
@tercerowines Thanks for the thoughts Larry.
Perhaps a whole day with no Rats or winery let the discussion wander a bit more than normal?
Oof, Michigan, get your act together! I want to try this wine
This wine is quite enjoyable by itself or with a nice steak or pasta. It is rich & robust with fruit notes of juicy blackberry, blueberry and plum, balanced with mocha and vanilla spice.
I would recommend picking this up.
@BCwine Thank you for the report
I liked the Cinsault and appreciated the input from Jillian, so will give it a try. I usually do not buy Syrah’s so maybe this will be a jumpstart into them.
/giphy stingy-efficient-banshee
@normanl0 BTW, if the “2017 Kendric Vineyards Syrah Petaluma Gap” ever comes up here on Casemates again, you should REALLY give it a try. Not nearly as “Syrah-ey” as most Syrahs. Not peppery at all (which is what comes to mind to most when we hear Syrah). Check out this tasting note on it: https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=3418684
/giphy diligent-imminent-truck
/giphy faulty-lethargic-harpy
@DanFielding lol
Never met an Onesta wine I didn’t love…in for a case. Onesta = autobuy (didn’t even have to read the description!)
carnivorous-feared-temper
/giphy perceptive-vulgar-pegasus
I have to say that Onesta is almost becoming an auto-buy for me, too.
@TimW in for a case!
/giphy ashamedly-marbled-disease
In for a case, happy to share if anyone in MA is interested as well.
In for one! I had this as a part of a California Wine monthly club with a similar white - enjoyable and easy to drink!
Love Onesta!
/giphy wakeful-wayward-brush
/giphy major-negligent-crib
Arrrg, need more room. Really liked the Cinsault
/giphy nutty-mostly-shape
Perfectly nice everyday wine. I’m drinking some now as a late night “snack”, but this would go great with meat. I’ll definitely enjoy this with steak.
I just had my first taste of this wine. Straight out of the bottle. And while I may be moderately+ intoxicated at the moment, the only things I could say while drinking this wine were “yumm” and “WOW”. This is exceptional juice! Perhaps one of the best values ever to come out of casemates. And I have been around the block if you know what I mean. The casemates block that is.