2021 Winter Release

New Winter Release

2018 Pinot Noir, Black Label
2017 MJM
2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard

Greetings from Dragonette Cellars

Happy Winter! Here in the Santa Ynez Valley, we are enjoying the cold winter mornings (well, just being below freezing is cold for us), which are sending the vines happily into dormancy. While dormant, the vines store up carbohydrates which they will use as energy for the upcoming growing season (kicking off in March or April). Rainstorms are providing much needed water to the vineyard soils, cleansing them of salts, while building up a profile for use later as well. As always, we hope for a number of storms, spaced far enough apart to allow the water to penetrate the soils. Too much, and the water runs off where it is of little use or can cause damage. With the recent fires, we are especially wary of slides in the burn areas, and thus, we are measured in our wishes. Of course, this is all up to Mother Nature, and we can only see what she has in store for us this year. We think good thoughts.

In between the storms Santa Barbara County is typically brilliantly clear and sunny. Indeed, from a visual point of view, the winter season might well be the most stunning one we have. The low angle of the sun provides the most brilliant and crisp light which simply illuminates everything we see, from the landscapes around us to the looming mountains in the distance. Colors are vivid, and sunsets are simply magical. When this lockdown is lifted (soon!), we will look forward to welcoming you up to enjoy these cool winter months in Santa Barbara wine country.

In the meantime, we are pleased to announce the Winter Release of new wines. This is a top-notch release, with our oldest single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, and the two Black Label wines, Pinot Noir and MJM (Syrah). As always, these wines are crafted in tiny amounts – all less than 375 cases, and the large majority will be going to the Wine Club in the next few months. We have reserved a small portion for non-members; however, these will not last long. We continue to suggest joining the Wine Club to ensure access to these singular, highly rated, highly sought-after wines. We know that you will love these wines as much as the critics do. Hopefully even more.

The Wines

Reds

Pinot Noir

2018 Pinot Noir Black Label, Sta. Rita Hills

This wine is a rigorous selection of our most dramatic, flavorful and expressive barrels in the cellar. Due to their intensity and extract, these barrels receive the longest barrel aging regime of the Pinot Noirs, and the resulting structure makes this wine the longest lived of the Pinot Noirs as well. It is a special wine.

In 2018, we enjoyed the coolest vintage since 2011. Winter rains and a cool early spring helped delay budbreak, while providing for a good soil water profile. Weather was good during set, allowing for reasonable yields. A warm early summer promoted ripeness, but in late August the weather turned quite cool, with only moderate daytime highs, lots of clouds and cold nights. The grapes, generally, moved very slowly toward full ripeness, which is ideal for us, as we are able to pick deliberately, with each vineyard block harvested at peak quality levels and under perfect conditions (early morning picks with one of us sorting in the field). The cool year meant that the 2018 grapes had excellent flavors at lower sugars and with plenty of energetic acid and good freshness. The solid yields meant that we had plenty of grapes from our favorite sites, making blending more challenging, but also more rewarding in the end.

The 2018 Black Label is comprised of grapes from Radian (62%), Fiddlestix (20%) and Bentrock (18%). The grapes were harvested in small, careful picks with strict field sorting, before being largely destemmed (3% whole clusters), given a 4 to 7 day cold soak and carefully fermented with native yeasts and temperature control. At dryness, the wine was transferred directly to the finest French oak cooperage (66% new, selected coopers) and aged on the lees for 19 months before selection, blending and bottling. The wine is expressive and had amazing textures and flavors with lots of fruit and great structure. It should age splendidly on its intensity and balance. Drink 2022-2032+.

The 2018 wine has not yet been rated, but the 2017 version was highly rated, including 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 94 Points by Antonio Galloni and a “best of” wine by Connoisseurs Guide. Of course, by the time the scores come out, the wine will be gone.

Extremely Limited. Only 375 cases were made. This is a Spring Wine Club selection (April 2021), and therefore only a few cases remain for non-members.

Syrah

2017 MJM (Syrah)

MJM is our flagship, Syrah-based blend, named in honor of our wives Michelle, Jen and Mitchi. We farm Syrah from several precise blocks in both Ballard Canyon and Sta. Rita Hills, and we select only the finest, most dramatic, barrels for this blend, to which we add small amounts of Grenache and Viognier. The resulting wine is given additional aging until we feel it is ready for bottling. Depending upon vintage, élevage lasts anywhere from 24 to 34 months.

The 2017 Vintage was a difficult one, as the effects of a five-year drought and shatter (incomplete pollination) at set reduced yields in many of the vineyards well below 2 tons per acre. The resulting grapes were incredibly deep and intense, with thick skins, loads of fruit and a serious tannic spine. Even with gentle extraction techniques, we knew that the MJM would benefit from longer barrel aging than in past years. Ultimately, the 2017 MJM was crafted from wines from John Sebastiano (50%, three blocks) and Stolpman (50%, three blocks). Clones included 470, 383, Estrella, 174, and Alban 1. This dramatically intense wine was aged for a total of 30 months in the finest French oak cooperage (Sylvin, Ermitage & Seguin Moreau) of which 44% was new.

The 2017 MJM will be one of the more long lived MJMs, as it has concentration and large scaled, yet ripe tannins. Indeed, it reminds us of the 2015, another hot dry vintage. The wine should age well for 15 years and hold for another 10. Drink 2023-2035+.

The wine was rated in barrel by Jeb Dunnuck who gave it 96-98 Points and said:

“The 2017 Syrah MJM might be a candidate for the Syrah of the vintage…Beautifully pure crème de cassis, licorice, crushed stone, graphite, and ground pepper notes all emerge from the glass. It’s full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, yet as with all the wines from this team, it’s perfectly balanced, has awesome tannins, and a great finish.”

Extremely Limited. Due to the small yields, we only made 315 cases of this wine, and most of that will go to the Wine Club in the Winter Shipment (early February). We suggest acting fast on this one.

Whites

Sauvignon Blanc

2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard

Vogelzang is one of the most celebrated Sauvignon Blanc sites in California. We have leased several acres here since 2009, working with the same vineyard management team for more than a decade to fine tune our pruning, canopy and crop management and deficit-irrigation strategies. They do an amazing job, and the resulting grapes are of the highest quality, with great concentration and complexity.

Upon harvest, these spectacular grapes are immediately whole cluster pressed, settled overnight, and then transferred to oak barrels of varying sizes (228L, 350L, 500L, 276L “cigars”), a small portion of which is new, for fermentation. At complete dryness, the barrels are topped up, and the wine is aged on its lees for 16-18 months before racking, cold stabilization, a light fining and very gentle cross flow filtration. The results have been exceptional over the years and our wines from this vineyard have been among the most distinguished (and highly rated) Sauvignon Blanc wines produced anywhere.

The 2018 version of this wine is no exception. The long cool season allowed extended maturation of the grapes on the vine, and we actually picked these grapes in several passes through our three blocks in mid-September, which is among our latest harvests ever. The cool summer allowed picking under ideal conditions as well, the cold mornings helping to lock in terrific acidity and letting us pick in the morning light where we can sort out unwanted clusters, leaves, etc. The resulting wine shows classic Vogelzang character of powerful stone fruit, mango and pineapple flavors, with great concentration and texture, but with a laser like spine of acidity and mineral character. The 2018 will drink well upon release, but should age for 10-15 years on its structure and balance. Drink 2021-2031+.

Jeb Dunnuck gave the wine 95 points, calling it “powerful, broad, concentrated, and beautifully balanced”. Antonio Galloni gave it 94 points, calling the wine “compelling…incredibly complex and delicious…another superb wine from Dragonette.”

Extremely Limited. Only 260 cases produced, the large majority of which will go straight to the Wine Club in February. Act fast, this is always a favorite.

Tasting Room Update – Curbside Pick Up Continues

The Tasting Room remains closed for tasting as we weather what we hope are the final days of the shutdown. Until the lockdown is lifted, the Tasting Room will be Open for Curbside Pickup and Direct Sales (No Tasting). And who knows? Visitors might meet one of the owner/winemakers in the Tasting Room as we juggle staffing and duties. The winemakers apologize in advance for our lack of information technology skills, though we are improving.

Call the Tasting Room at 805-693-0077 to place orders and make appointment for pick-ups. We look forward to seeing you.

In Conclusion

We are happy to kick off this new year with some of our finest, most age worthy wines. We suggest grabbing a few to follow over the coming years. When you do open them, please let us know. We love hearing how the wines are performing over time.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

Special Release – XV 15th Anniversary Cuvée (Syrah)

We are excited to announce the release of a unique and special wine, which was five years in the making.

Dragonette Cellars XV 15th Anniversary Cuvée (Syrah)

You will immediately note that there is no vintage for this wine. Rather, it is a blend of some remarkable Syrah wines from three different vintages. We gave the components of this wine exceptionally long aging in barrel before carefully blending them to make a completely unique and stunningly complex wine. We made this wine in homage to the famous Único, Reserva Especiale wine of Vega Sicilia in the Ribera del Duero (Spain), and we commissioned unique and special artwork to adorn its bottle. You can see details on the artist and artwork below.

History of the XV

In 2016, as we tasted the lots that would be used to make the 2015 MJM, we noted that the wines were truly exceptional. Products of extremely low yields and a hot, dry year, the wines were dense, concentrated and packed with flavor, yet balanced by powerful (yet ripe) tannins. We wondered whether even further barrel aging beyond the MJM’s typical 27-34 months would bring even more intrigue. We decided to experiment keeping one 228L barrel of the 2015 MJM blend for even longer aging. The ensuing 2017 vintage produced Syrahs of similarly immense structure, and we reserved some wines from that vintage as well. Ultimately, we tasted numerous potential cuvees with other vintages of MJM and MJM components before deciding upon this blend.[1] Each vintage increases the complexity of the final blend. We like to think of it as adding “vertical” complexity to the “horizontal” complexity one creates by blending wines from multiple sites in the same vintage. As always, the Syrah for this wine comes from some of the finest sites and finest growers in Santa Barbara County, and we farm each site carefully for vine balance, appropriate yield and highest quality.

[1] Interestingly, we did not include any 2016 MJM in this wine, and that wine ended up garnering a 99-point score from Jeb Dunnuck. Still, that wine was of a different character than the XV, as it was more open and generous and perhaps a wee bit less structured that the 2015 and 2017.
Technical Specifications

The wine is comprised of three vintages: 2015 (45%), 2017 (45%), and 2018 (10%).

Vineyard sources include: Stolpman (48%, 3 blocks), John Sebastiano (42%, 3 blocks), Kimsey (8%, 3 blocks), Larner (2%).

The wine is 95% Syrah, 4% Grenache, and 1% Viognier.

We aged each vintage component of XV as a separate blend anywhere from 15 to 51 months in barrel and bottled the wine in January 2020 for our 15th anniversary.

Extremely Limited. Only 55 cases made.

Tasting Notes and Reviews

This is one dramatic and powerful wine, which displays loads of dense red, blue and black fruits, with kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors of dried and fresh meats, spices and herbs. The wine is balanced by fantastic structure that is ripe and round enough to allow more immediate consumption while providing an upside of at least 20 years. The finish can be measured in minutes. Drinkable now for its sheer harmony, we suggest storing several away in a cold cellar to revisit in 2025, 2030 and so on. If drinking it soon, we suggest decanting for at least one or two hours.

The wine scored 97+ points from Jeb Dunnuck who said:

“More chocolate, blackcurrants, roasted herbs, ground pepper, and meaty notes emerge from this beauty. Dense and full-bodied, it needs 3-5 years of bottle age, but it should see its 20th birthday in fine form. It’s a powerful, meaty wine from this team.”

Antonio Galloni/Vinous gave the wine 95 points and stated:

“The MV Syrah XV is dense, rich and powerful. Red cherry/plum fruit are front and center in a Syrah built on textural depth and striking intensity. Time in the glass brings out striking aromatics that add presence. This is an especially lush style, but everything works so well together. Pomegranate, mint, cedar and sweet red cherry linger nicely on the persistent finish.”

How to Purchase

Clink the link below to order. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

$150 per 750 ml bottle
$320 for 1.5L magnums (signed, only 6 made).

About the Label/Artwork

The label is based upon:
‘Float’

by Scott André Campbell

Mixed media on paper on panel
26” x 32”

Scott is a long-time friend of Brandon, whose work came to fascinate us as we were deciding on a label for the wine. The production process and visual effect echo some of the themes we employed in creating this wine. The work involves blending (print, paint, collage) much like the XV which is created of various vineyards, grapes, and vintages. It is extremely layered and complex and his process of creating these requires time (lots of printing, cutting, layering, waiting for things to dry, etc.) The work is now hanging proudly in the Dragonette Cellars Study in Los Olivos. The former gallery in which it was shown (in Burlington Vermont) noted the work contains “an underlying structure to the vibrating layers.” We think the piece (and thus the label) provides great complexity of image and thought, as the eye turns the image over and over, looking for depth, angles, and structures. We hope the wine does the same for the taster as it evolves in the glass.

About the Artist

Artist Scott André Campbell is an artist and designer currently living in Burlington, VT. Campbell applies techniques and technologies traditionally favored by the graphic design world to his art making with a decidedly analog approach. Ardently taking ownership of all individual visual marks, Campbell digitally creates original graphic components that he integrates into his collaged surfaces through a series of physical actions including vinyl cutting, printing, silkscreening, and stenciling. Hand-drawn graphite perspective systems provide an underlying structure to the vibrating layers of color, line, and form, challenging the two-dimensional reality of his chosen mediums.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2020 Fall Release

Happy Autumn everyone! As befitting the transition from Summer to Fall, the winery is buzzing. We have the last of the Pinot Noir and first of the Syrah lots coming off the vine and into the winery, several active fermenters of Pinot Noir bubbling away and getting ready for draining and pressing, and barrels stacked everywhere full of fermenting Chardonnay and Grenache rose. Meanwhile we are continuing to sample and plan for the next picks of Syrah. It is a real juggling act, particularly when you add in the fact that one or two of us is walking the rows tuning up the vineyard and then actually sorting with the picking crews at each pick. This quality control is in our opinion a most critical step, as only the best grapes make the best wine, and we toss away many, many clusters because of bird and bee damage, the occasional boytritis (rot), sunburn, raisining and under ripeness. Scant few wineries do this in the field, but we think it is vital that the fruit arrives at the winery in pristine shape.

We are able to manage all these overlapping tasks thanks in large part to Bryan Sparks, our all-star cellarmaster, who gets by with a little help from his friends on the Sales team and some very high-end coffee. Way to go, Bryan! Despite the craziness, it is the best time of the year for a winemaker. We have just enough time for hundreds of decisions (and for a hundred visions and revisions). If anyone gets that reference, email us within 12 hours and we will enter you in a drawing to win a bottle of Seven, no purchase necessary. We simply live for this time of year – Cheers!

New Releases

Fall is also the perfect time to release fantastic new wines which have been slumbering in the cold cellar for the last six to nine months and are now ready to head out into the world. This release, we are turning to Syrah, the great, powerful yet balanced, meaty and spicy wine which is perfect for Fall feasts. This release includes the majestic 2018 John Sebastiano Vineyard (JSV) Syrah and the 2018 Seven, which blends Syrahs, from multiple fascinating, highly acclaimed vineyards in Ballard Canyon and the cool Sta. Rita Hills with a touch of Grenache and a splash of Viognier. Longtime fans recognize the aromatically complex Seven as one of the most versatile wines for food paring, while the JSV Syrah was acclaimed from barrel as “full of old world charm” and given a 93-95 point score.

Finally, we are also releasing the 2018 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, which has been dubbed “a textbook Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay” by Jeb Dunnuck, who further states: “Readers looking to learn what topflight Chardonnay from this region tastes like should latch onto bottles.” (JebDunnuck.com, August 2020). We agree with Jeb!

All these wines are made in very limited quantities, and you should act fast to request some before they are gone. Better yet, join the wine club and ensure access to both these very limited Syrahs, as well as other highly rated, extremely limited wines (such as the upcoming 98 point MJM).

Notes from Los Olivos

We would be remiss if we did not doff our hats in salute to Nick, Kristin, Kevin, Blake, and Kate (with the occasional pinch hitting from Megan) for handling the tasting room with aplomb during the craziness of 2020. Besides Covid, with moving tastings outside and all the sanitizing protocols, we have had two near-Biblical heat waves and then days of smoke from all the fires (now gone, thankfully). They have been troopers and have managed to give guests the usual top-flight tasting experience under all conditions. The same has been true of Megan (with pinch hitting from Kevin) with the winery tastings in Buellton. The team has been flexible, accommodating and dedicated to providing the best possible hospitality around. We know you agree; we see the sales and the tips.

As we ease into Fall, we are hopeful for the usual lovely Fall days, perfect for enjoying our wines outside in the gentle afternoon breezes. Make an appointment to come see us soon; we know you will enjoy tasting here in our beautiful Santa Barbara wine country!

The Wines
Whites

Chardonnay

2018 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

Ironically, when considering the grape’s historical dominance over the white wine scene in California, Chardonnay at Dragonette Cellars does not get the attention it deserves. Many of you might know that we helped launch the Liquid Farm Chardonnays in 2009, and that we have been making Chardonnay under our label for 7 years. With the success of our highly rated Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs and Syrahs, and with our very small production (less than 600 cases of 4 wines), Chardonnay seems to languish in relative obscurity. This is unfair both to the noble grape and to its particularly spectacular expression in the cool, marine-influenced Sta. Rita Hills. Luckily, once tasted, the wine shines and impresses as it is gorgeous, fantastically tasty, yet supremely balanced. Indeed, it has already been rated 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck who stated:

“The 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills reveals a medium gold hue as well as a textbook, classy bouquet of golden apples, citrus blossom, spice, and salty minerality. A textbook Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay, it’s medium-bodied and has a wonderful texture as well as a great finish. Readers looking to learn what topflight Chardonnay from this region tastes like should latch onto bottles.”

Grape sources for this wine are all organic or SIP certified sustainable and include Donnachadh (Clone 4)(50%), Spear (Wente)(30%) & Radian (548)(20%). The cool 2018 vintage saw extended hang time for Chardonnay as well as the other grapes, with pick dates in late September to mid-October at very reasonable sugar levels. The wine was fermented and aged in French oak barriques (10% new), with partial malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously in barrel. The resulting wine is aged for 16 months on its lees without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling.

We love the complexity and energy of this wine, which represents a fascinating cross section of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Extremely limited. Only 240 cases produced.

Reds

Syrah

2018 Syrah, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

**Note to Wine Club Members – This wine will appear in your Fall 2020 Shipment (October 2020).

This dramatic hillside site lies on the eastern border of the Sta. Rita Hills and is one of the coolest sites planted to Rhone varietals in all of California. We pay extra to have our carefully selected hillside blocks farmed organically. Each block contains a different clone and rootstock combination (470 on 5BB, Estrella and 383 are own rooted). Soils range from clay-loam to almost pure sand. The cool wind and fog at this site provide for an extremely long season. These grapes produce a dark, intensely aromatic wine, with cool black and blue berry fruits, great freshness, mineral lift and solid structure for aging. We have made a single vineyard Syrah from this site since 2013, as the alluring aromas and flavors simply had to be showcased on their own.

The 2018 Vintage

2018 was the coolest vintage since 2011. Winter rains and a cool early spring helped delay budbreak, while providing for a good soil water profile. Weather was good during set, allowing for reasonable yields. A warm early summer promoted ripeness, but in late August the weather turned quite cool, with only moderate daytime highs, lots of clouds and cold nights. Indeed, the summer barely topped 85 degrees in Ballard Canyon and 75 in Sta Rita Hills. The Syrah hung for so many long cool days, very slowly adding layers of flavors while sugars barely inched forward. We picked Syrah in late October to early November. It was very late for us, but the fruit was worth the wait.

The Wine

A blend of three separate blocks and clones (470, 383, Estrella), each of which was picked separately in multiple passes as ripeness developed. Each lot was processed separately (92% destemmed; 8% whole cluster) into 1.5-ton, open top fermenters and given a 2-4 day cold soak. Fermentation was spontaneous with native yeasts. At dryness, the wines were drained, pressed and transferred to French oak barrels (228L barriques and a few 400L barrels), 38 percent new, with various coopers (Sylvain, Ermitage, Seguin Moreau) and toast levels (M, ML, M+). The wine undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel and no additional sulfur is added (there is a small amount added to the juice the day of harvest/processing) until ML was complete in April, 2019. The wine was ultimately aged on its lees for 9 months before selection and blending, then the blended wine returned to barrel for an additional 9 months before bottling. The wine is fantastic in this cooler, more elegant year. Drinkable now, it will improve for 5-15 years or longer.

Jeb Dunnuck rated the 2018 from barrel giving it 93-95 Points and saying “The 2018 Syrah John Sebastiano is also terrific, with plenty of Old-World charm in its dark fruits, tapenade, gamey, salty, peppery aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied and powerful yet has terrific tannins as well as balance.”

Extremely Limited. 300 cases produced.

2018 Seven (Syrah) (Santa Ynez Valley)

**Note to Wine Club Members – This wine will appear in your Spring 2021 Shipment (April 2021).

Seven is our Syrah-based blend, originally named for the seven exceptional cool climate vineyard sites from which it was comprised. Over the years we have refined our vineyard sources (dropping some, expanding into others), selecting precise blocks and clones to increase aromatic and flavor complexity. The 2018 Seven is comprised of 95% Syrah, 4% Grenache and 1% Viognier sourced from top-flight vineyards in Sta Rita Hills and Ballard Canyon: John Sebastiano (30%) Stolpman (25%), Spear (25%), Larner (10%) and Kimsey (10%). The wine was aged in French oak barriques, 400L, and 500L puncheons (10% new) for 18 months before blending and bottling.

The vintage and winemaking notes above for the JSV Syrah apply equally here.

We are thrilled with the performance of this wine, as it is already beginning to show off explosive, complex aromatics (red, blue and black fruits, spices and meats), a rich, yet lifted palate, smooth texture and a scintillatingly long finish for such a young wine. We expect this wine to continue to develop for 5-10 years and to last for well over a decade after that. Very Limited. Only 450 cases produced.

The 2017 version of this wine was rated 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck who called it more “Cote Rotie” to the JSV’s “Hermitage” with a “perfumed bouquet of black raspberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, smoked game with silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.” We love the reference to the northern Rhone and the score and expect the 2018 to perform fantastically as well.

Thanks, as always, for your support.

Special Release

Happy Harvest!

New Releases: 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix & 2018 Chardonnay Black Label

Harvest Notes

Greeting from sunny Santa Ynez Valley! As many of you saw on our Instagram account, harvest commenced rather suddenly. Our cool July and early August gave way to a massive, somewhat atypically long duration heatwave, beginning around August 18 and lasting for 6 days. Temperatures shot to 105 (nowhere near the 111 of 2017, but that one only lasted 2 days) across the entire valley from Happy Canyon to the Sta. Rita Hills. Fruit that was close to being ready suddenly was very much ready. Thankfully, we had the ability to quickly pick all of our blocks of Sauvignon Blanc under good conditions in the very early morning. Sugars were elevated slightly, and dehydration meant we lost perhaps 15-20% of the crop, but the fruit that came in was in fantastic shape. Quantities will be down, but we think the quality will be there in the end, as acids were perhaps surprisingly excellent. Thankfully, this week the heat dissipated, and fog and winds returned to Sta. Rita Hills. Nonetheless, some of the Pinot Noir has been pushed to readiness here as well, and we commenced picking Pinot Noir at the famed Fiddlestix vineyard on August 25. Sugars are still reasonable there, but the canopy and fruit have told us that it is time to pick. Several other Pinot vineyards, which had been behind, are still a couple weeks away. The good news is that the cellar is primed and ready for some excellent fruit.

Notes from Los Olivos

This week’s cooler temperatures are hugely welcome, and we are thankful that we have avoided the fires that have been plaguing northern California, though even down here we had some days with significant smoke. All is clear and beautiful here now, and we welcome visitors to a much more enjoyable Los Olivos. The forecast suggests pleasant days and cool nights (mid 50’s) for a while. Los Olivos resembles the center of a European village with walk-streets full of outdoor tables in the sunshine. Come visit. The wines are terrific and the setting beautiful. Or get a look behind the scenes at a bustling winery during harvest with a Winery appointment.

New Releases

We are pleased to announce the release of two very special wines. First up is the always beloved Fiddlestix Pinot Noir, which is just singing in the fresh, approachable, yet oh so complex, medium bodied 2018 vintage. Secondly, we have a new wine; the 2018 Chardonnay Black Label (Sta. Rita Hills), which as you might expect is a combination of our three favorite barrels of Chardonnay. Coming from the esteemed sites of Rita’s Crown, Bentrock and Radian, this wine has incredible structure and acidity which lifts all the gorgeous tropical, stone and melon fruit flavors and sticks them to the palate like Dustin Johnson’s irons stuck his shots to the greens as he carded his 30 under score at the Northern Trust Open recently. Jeb Dunnuck gave this wine 96 points, calling it “a flawlessly balanced beauty with a stacked mid-palate and a monster of a finish.”

Both are extremely limited, and you should act fast to secure some before they are gone. Cold chain shipping and special GSL shipping in the west means these wines can be shipped fairly quickly to you.

The Wines

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2018 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard

Fiddlestix needs no introduction to long time club members or to fans of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Planted in 1998, this vineyard is one of the stalwarts of the SRH, along with Sanford & Benedict across the street, La Rinconada and La Encantada, contiguously adjacent to S&B, and Sea Smoke on the steep hills just across the river to the north. We like to call this the historic core of the SRH appellation. So many famous wines were born of this section of the SRH which appears as a fairly wide section of gently sloped land between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Santa Rita Hills and adjacent to the Santa Ynez River. Daily wind and fog make their way up this river valley from the cold deep blue Pacific, keeping this area extremely cool, even in summer. For most of July 2020, for example, the daily highs were between 70-72, with breezes 10-20 mph. The thick morning fog typically burns off around 11:00 am, leaving brilliant sunshine and a big, blue sky. By 1:00 pm the sunlight reflects wildly off the vine leaves as they are blown about by the winds, almost seeming to dance throughout the afternoon. One feels an incredible sense of peace out here among the proud vines.

The 2018 Vintage

2018 was the coolest vintage since 2011. Winter rains and a cool early spring helped delay budbreak, while providing for a good soil water profile. Weather was good during set, allowing for reasonable yields. A warm early summer promoted ripeness, but in late August the weather turned quite cool, with only moderate daytime highs, lots of clouds and cold nights. The grapes, generally, moved very slowly toward full ripeness, and we picked our blocks at Fiddlestix at a leisurely pace on September 12, 13, 17, 19 & 21.

The nine-day gap between first and last pick at Fiddlestix is very unusual, as the vineyard is relatively consistent. In many years, we find that several blocks are ready at the same time, and we will pick two or even three blocks (with multiple crews) on the same day. Those are fun days, where we share sorting duties at the same time, sometimes only several rows apart from each other.

The Wine

A blend of five separate blocks and clones (113, 115, 667, 777 and clone 4 Pommard), the wine was fermented with 14% whole clusters in classic Burgundian methods; 2-4 day cold soak and spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. At dryness, the free run juice drained and transferred directly to barrels, and the remaining berries gently pressed to tank (to remove some of the heavy lees) and barreled separately the next day. Cooperage was all French oak, 30 percent new, with various coopers (Cadus, Francois Freres, Rousseau, Seguin Moreau), forests (Vosges, Allier, Troncais) and toast levels (M, ML, M+). The wine undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel and no additional sulfur was added (there is a small amount added to the juice the day of harvest/processing) until ML was complete in late March, 2019. The wine was ultimately aged on its lees for 18 months before selection, blending and bottling. The wine is fantastic in this cooler, more elegant year. Fiddlestix always presents as one of the more broad-shouldered wines in our portfolio, with plenty of punch and robust tannins. In the cool 2018, there is concentration and power, but in a more medium bodied frame, with beautiful freshness. Indeed, we think this wine gives that “holy grail” sensation of power without weight. Drinkable now, it will improve for 4-12 years or longer.

Jeb Dunnuck has provisionally rated the ’18 94 – 96 Points, saying “Lots of spice, ground herbs, and bright cherry fruits emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix, which has some classic Burgundian reductive notes, medium body, and a seamless, flawlessly balanced style on the palate.”

Extremely Limited – only 320 cases produced, the large majority of which will go to the wine club. Order today

**Note to Wine Club Members – This wine will appear in your Winter 2021 shipment (February of 2021).

PURCHASE

Whites

CHARDONNAY

2018 Chardonnay, Black Label (Sta. Rita Hills)

This wine was bound to happen. With sites like Rita’s Crown, Bentrock and Radian, it was only a matter of time until we would be forced to craft a best of the best like the MJM and Black Label Pinot Noir. And here, Sta Rita Hills really shows off its cool climate origins; the wine is simply packed with flavor that is held tightly together by stunning acidity and minerals, giving an extraordinary finish.

In 2018, the wine was comprised of Bentrock (40%), Radian (30%) and Rita’s Crown (30%). Grapes were harvested in the early morning hours with field sorting before being whole cluster pressed to tank for cool settling overnight. The juice was transferred to a mix of French oak barrels (barriques and a 350L barrel, 70% new) for fermentation with native yeasts. At dryness, the barrels were topped up and wine was allowed to go through spontaneous malolactic fermentation, which finished in March. The wine aged on its lees without racking for 18 months before bottling. These barrels were selected for this wine after approximately a year of elevage. It is our first ever Black Label Chardonnay and we are thrilled with this uniquely powerful, but beautiful wine.

Jeb Dunnuck’s 96-point review said it well;

“Lastly, the 2018 Chardonnay Black Label is a selection from the Bentrock, Radian, and Rita’s Crown vineyards that was aged 18 months on lees in 70% new French oak. Notes of ripe nectarines, Meyer lemons, brioche, white flowers, and honeyed minerality all emerge from the glass, followed by a medium to full-bodied and flawlessly balanced beauty with a stacked mid-palate and a monster of a finish. Beautifully done, it’s going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for a solid decade or more.”

Extremely Limited. Only 50 cases produced. A very special wine.

PURCHASE

As always, we thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2020 Summer Release

New Release: 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara and 2018 Pinot Noirs, Radian Vineyard and Sta. Rita Hills

Update From the Tasting Room, Winery and Study!

Let us begin with an enormous thanks to the tasting room staff for their manning of the first post-Covid tastings. We planned out the new spaces and protocols, and the team executed like crazy. We had a fantastic re-opening weekend, with many groups, safely enjoying (and buying) the new wines. Thanks Team! We learned a few things about how to operate the electronic scheduling and the room, and we will implement those as we go forward to make all of your tastings run as smoothly and tastily as possible. Whether you fancy a private visit at the Study or Winery, or a table in the bustling, happy tasting room, come see us soon! (reserve with our online reservation system).

New Release Wines

We are thrilled to announce three new releases of exciting new wines. These wines are available at the Tasting Room, or in our store. Get some while they last!

The Wines

Whites

SAUVIGNON BLANC

2019 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

Just in time for summer, we are ready to release the 2019 version of our well known blend of Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is crafted from grapes from some of the most outstanding vineyards in Santa Barbara: Grassini, Grimm’s Bluff and Vogelzang. Each vineyard is meticulously farmed for balanced yields and extremely high quality, and we utilize grapes from three distinct blocks and two clones in each vineyard. Each block contributes personality and complexity to the blend. Befitting the concentration and intensity of these obsessively farmed sites, the juice was fermented, and wines aged on their lees in a mix of 75% neutral oak and 25% stainless steel for 7 months before bottling. 2019 was a truly great vintage in Santa Barbara, and the grapes were picked at a perfect ripeness, with ideal acidity. You will want this wine with grilled seafood, vegetables, pasta or any number of good appetizers. It works well all by itself too.

The 2018 version of this wine earned a sterling review and 92 points from Antonio Galloni in Vinous Media. He called that wine “goregous … with striking aromatic intensity and depth” among other glowing comments. We think the 2019 wine is similarly constructed and accolade-worthy.

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2018 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard

Always one of the most anticipated wines we make, Radian makes a slightly earlier appearance this year, both because it is tasting delicious already and because the 2018 Pinot Noir Duvarita Vineyard sold out so fast (we are saving some for the red-only wine club). The 2018 Radian is deep and complex as usual, with concentrated red fruits, exquisite minerals, and a good solid backbone of herb-edged tannins; however, in 2018 it is so far showing a particularly fresh acidity which seems to lift the fruit up and let it slowly descend upon the palate, seemingly like a billowy parachute. This wine was made in tiny quantities (450 cases), most of which will go to the Wine Club.

The wine received 94-96 + points from Jeb Dunnuck, who wrote:

“Another stunner, the 2018 Pinot Radian is a more mineral-laced, elegant, focused wine that has bright acidity as well as great aromatics of tart strawberries, raspberries, spring flowers, and sappy herbs. There’s a terrific sense of minerality in this wine, which has ripe tannins, beautiful purity, and a great finish…” JebDunncuk.com, August 2019

2018 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

The Sta Rita Hills program combines fruit from multiple blocks and four distinct vineyards to create complexity and balance. We have always believed that blending diverse terroirs could yield a whole which would be greater than the sum of its parts. Wines form the warmer parts of the SRH would provide dramatic fruits and baking spices, wines from the cooler portions would provide, higher toned red fruits, fresh herbs, minerals and great acidity.

Like its predecessors, the 2018 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is an appellation blend in name only. This wine is crafted from several of the finest vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, including, for the first time, the old vines from the famous Sanford & Benedict Vineyard (30%). The blend is rounded out with Bentrock (23%), La Rinconada (14%), John Sebastiano (14%), Radian (7%), Spear (6%), Fiddlestix (3%) and Donnachadh (3%). The multiple vineyards combine to create great complexity, and 15 months aging on the lees provides texture, structure and length. Although young, the wine’s great freshness and lift provides delicious drinking already, and the wine has a long life ahead of it.

Critical acclaim has always been excellent on this wine, with the last five vintages scoring between 92-94 points. The 2018 should garner similar reviews.

Last Calls

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard. Only a few cases remain. 95 points and among the best reviewed Sauvignon Blancs in the world. Great with seafood, creamy pasta, goat cheese. Ageable as well. You all know this wine, and in the world of Sauvignon Blanc, this is a steal. As Jeb Dunnuck says, “another singular, gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc from this estate that’s up with the best of the best.” JebDunnuck.com

And Do Not Forget

The 2019 Rosé is still around, though with California restaurants reopening, the orders are starting to take off. We recommend getting some soon, before it is all gone. Fresh and lively, with inviting aromas and complex flavors, this is definitely one of our favorites. The perfect wine for summer: days by the pool, picnics, trips to the beach, and of course pairing with food off the grill. Yum.

In Conclusion

We look forward to seeing you in the tasting room, the Study, the Winery and online in one of our livestream events. And, do let us know what you are tasting and what you are pairing the wines with; we love hearing your stories.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2020 Spring Release

New Release: 2019 Rosé and Friends, $1 Shipping Offer

Greetings from the beautiful, green, windy, rainy Santa Ynez Valley.

Our hearts go out to all of you as we all try to negotiate these challenging times.

Sometimes we feel the only thing we can do is offer you a break from the news, a beautiful thought, a short trip out into paradise, if even for a moment. We will look forward to welcoming you here when the crisis has passed.

In the meantime, here we are, and it is Spring in Santa Barbara wine country. The vineyards are the same as every spring; cover crops in bloom, budbreak commencing soon, crews still out working the vines (agriculture is a critical industry, and the vines cannot wait to be tended). We are reminded that time marches on, and there is always a new season and new challenges, but also new possibilities. We are hopeful that this current situation will resolve sooner than later, and we can all get back to doing what we did only a few short weeks ago.

Fortunately, the winemaker’s life cannot be completely interrupted. The vines continue to grow, the wines evolve in the cellar and when it is time, they must be bottled. That is what we have been up to the last several weeks (keeping our entire team busy and employed!) Some of the wines are now ready to be released to you today.

First the new Rosé! The 2019 seems a particularly exuberant version of Rosé; one that is cheerful and a perfect antidote to the current news. Pair with almost anything (Mitchi’s modified New York Times Albondigas soup, Brandon’s grilled cheese sandwiches, John’s seafood paella, a good bouillabaisse) and watch your spirits lift.

Second, two fantastic new single vineyard Sauvignon Blancs from Grassini and Grimm’s Bluff. Handcrafted, small production, mostly barrel fermented and aged, these wines are standard bearers for what Sauvignon Blanc can be if treated like the noble grape it is. Intensity, depth, exuberant fruit, but structured and very much ageworthy. Our nod to the great whites of Bordeaux.

Finally, the 2018 Pinot Noir, from the biodynamically farmed Duvarita Vineyard. Beautiful aromatics, elegantly textured, long and intriguing, this wine is always a fan favorite and with its tiny production, sells out quickly.

Wines are available for pick up (only) at the Los Olivos Tasting Room by appointment, or for shipping. Special shipping rates apply during the coronavirus lockdown: $1 for 3 bottles or more anywhere in the U.S.A. (that allows direct shipping). Use offer code 1SHIPPING on checkout.

We hope that each of you stays healthy and positive, and that we are soon back to enjoying our lives and appreciating our freedoms.

New Release Wines

Rosé
2019 Rosé, Happy Canyon

Sauvignon Blanc
2018 Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Vineyard
2018 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard

Pinot Noir
2018 Pinot Noir Duvarita Vineyard

The Wines

Whites

ROSÉ

2019 Rosé, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

Here it is! The 2019 Rosé is the product of another exceptional vintage. We enjoyed an extremely rainy winter in 2019, which set the stage for a great year. The weather was actually quite cool during spring which led to an extended flowering period. Early Summer was likewise cool, but in late July the weather turned to sustained heat, with consistent highs in the 90’s in Happy Canyon. Luckily, we avoided substantial (100 degrees +) heat spikes. The consistent heat allowed the vines to catch up for their slow ripening, though we were required to drop a significant portion of green clusters a month before harvest. Ultimately, we were very happy with the crop harvested, as it showed very good flavor development at reasonable sugar levels. This wine is a blend of Grenache from Vogelzang vineyard and another mystery vineyard of great promise of which we are sworn to secrecy.

The 2019 smelled absolutely incredible from tank at bottling, and it promises to be a delightful, ebullient, and truly happy wine. Good aromas, perfectly balanced red and citrus fruits and watermelon, with lip smacking acidity; this wine just makes you smile. The perfect wine for spring and summer! Only 600 cases produced; everyone deserves a case of this.PURCHASE

SAUVIGNON BLANC

2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Grassini Family Vineyard

Grassini is a stalwart in our portfolio and one of the true stars of Happy Canyon. We have made wine here since 2008, and the vineyard always delivers. We have three blocks in which we employ special pruning, canopy management (dappled light leafing on the afternoon side of the rows) and crop load strategies, and we limit irrigation to keep plant balance at lower yields. We harvest, press and ferment each block (or portion of a block) separately in a mixture of French oak barrels stainless steel. The result is highly complex, expressive wine that simply screams Grassini.

The 2018 wine was crafted from our favorite French oak barrels (88%) and stainless steel. (12%). 20% of the barrels were new. The wine was aged on its lees for 15 months before bottling. The wine shows its usual kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors, with nice lift from vibrant acidity. The 2018 follows admirably, the 2017 version of this wine, which received a whopping 96 points from Jeb Dunnuck, who wrote:

“Ripe, rounded, and brilliantly textured, with a rocking ﬁnish, it’s up with some of the ﬁnest Sauvignon Blancs coming from California today. I’d happily include this in a blind tasting with a great vintage of Haut Brion Blanc.” (JebDunnuck.com 10/31/19)

We think the 2018 is right there, perhaps even a little more open knit and accessible early, but with a long life ahead. The acidity on all the Sauvignons this year were insanely good.

This is a Fall 2020 Wine Club Wine, and so remaining allocations are infinitesimal. Act fast.

2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard

We continue to be smitten with the unique and powerful fruit from Grimm’s Bluff. Painstakingly and biodynamically farmed for top quality grapes, we have expanded our sections here over the last several years. The vineyard produces extremely low yielding, highly concentrated fruit, and we selected three separate blocks (head trained clone 1, VSP clone 1 and VSP musque clone) to increase complexity. The juice from these grapes absolutely demands fermentation and aging in larger format French oak barrels and specially designed cigar shaped barrels, a small portion of which is new (light, long toast). The wood acts like a corset, shaping the wine as it slowly ages on its lees for upwards of 16 months, depending upon vintage.

In 2018, we aged the wine for 15 months on its lees in French oak of various shapes and sizes (18% new). The resulting wine is tremendous; taut as a gymnast and loaded with rock solid fruit and minerals, with a scintillating spine of round, pleasing acidity that holds the wine aloft on the palate for minutes. We think this wine will age extremely well, 10 to 15 years at a minimum. This wine is extremely limited, only 150 cases were produced. We know this wine will be very well received, just as the 2017 was (94 points Jeb Dunnuck). Get some while you can.
PURCHASE

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2018 Pinot Noir, Duvarita Vineyard (Santa Barbara County)

The first Pinot Noir of the lovely 2018 vintage! Duvarita Vineyard, just west of the Santa Rita Hills appellation lies on south-facing slopes of almost pure sand. The grapes here are farmed biodynamically by the friendly, dedicated, obsessive Brook Williams. The low vigor soils, very careful irrigation, small canopy, and a low fruit zone combine to make this one of the lowest yielding and earliest ripening vineyards we farm. The small clusters here give wines that are lean and elegant, with terrific intensity, minerality and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels.

2018 was an excellent vintage at Duvarita. Yields were balanced and the fruit very healthy at harvest. The wines are perhaps more fresh, generous and juicy than the more austere 2017, and they will certainly drink well earlier. Still, the material and structure are there for aging as well. As usual, the wine is on the elegant side, just the way we like it. The wine was aged on its lees for 16 months in French oak barrels (15% new) and bottled without filtration. Extremely Limited. Only 150 cases produced.PURCHASE

In Conclusion

We hope that you are safe and healthy, and surviving this crisis with your families. In these times, a good meal is a real treasure, and we are ready to help garnish the table with some of Santa Barbara’s finest. That connection to the earth and to each other seems awfully important.

As we mentioned above, we are offering $1 shipping on orders of 3 bottles or more sent anywhere in the US. Call us at the Tasting Room (805-693-0077) or order on our online store and use the offer code 1SHIPPING at checkout.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2020 Winter Release

Greetings from Dragonette Cellars

Special Winter Release & Announcing the Grand Opening of the “Study” in Los Olivos

The winter rains and cold have arrived, turning the hillsides a lovely shade of green. Sunny days are cool with enormous clouds in the brilliant blue sky, while nights are cold and the otherwise black skies twinkle with trillions of stars. The vineyards are bare and seemingly quiet, yet earthwork (composting, tilling, cover crops), and planning (evaluation of vine health and pruning protocols) are underway for 2020. And in the cellar, we are preparing for the bottling of the 2018 wines, who have enjoyed the extra time in barrel, evolving into more complete and complex wines. We enjoy all the seasons here, and winter is no exception. The cool, crisp days seem to move quickly, yet quietly, enveloped in beauty and timelessness. It is a fantastic time of the year to visit Santa Barbara.

In the tasting room, we have rapidly worked through the Fall release wines, and, after careful consideration are now ready to release the rest of the 2017 wines. Therefore, we hereby announce this special Winter Release of new wines! We have the exciting arrival of the longest aged 2017 Pinot Noirs, the Fiddlestix and Black Label, along with the 2017 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills and the newest MJM, the wonderful 2016. For whites, we have two highly rated Chardonnays from Rita’s Crown and Duvarita. Many of these wines are reserved for the wine club, and thus we can only sell a very small amount of these wines to the general public. They will go even quicker than usual, so order now, or, better yet, join the Wine Club. That way you ensure your access to these wines every year. We hope you enjoy these wines. We enjoyed making them for you.

Finally, we announce the grand opening of the Dragonette Cellars Study in Los Olivos. With this new space we can offer guests a special, sit down educational and tasting experience that includes our most limited offerings including the reserve-tier “Black Label” wines. See below for more details.

The Wines

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2017 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

The Fiddlestix vineyard performed admirably in 2017 despite the difficult conditions found elsewhere in Sta. Rita Hills. Yields were down, of course, but not nearly as dramatically as some other vineyards. Older vines (now 20 years old) are established and able to withstand difficult weather better than others. Grapes from five separate blocks (five different clones) comprise this wine, each of which was individually monitored, harvested, fermented, barreled, and aged. We fermented this wine with selective use of whole clusters (15% of the blend). The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (30% new).

The 2017 version of this wine is concentrated and deep, with its signature red fruit character, coiled around sufficient tannins to repay aging. The texture is velvety as usual, and the wine finishes very long, with great spice intrigue from whole clusters and well-integrated new oak. Not yet rated, but a worthy successor to the 2016 version of this wine which was given 95+ points by Jeb Dunnuck and 92 by Antonio Galloni. Extremely Limited. 300 cases produced, most of which is going to the wine club. Order now!

2017 Pinot Noir, Black Label (Sta. Rita Hills)

Our Black Label Pinot Noir is our most sought-after Pinot Noir. It is a reserve-tier blend of our favorite barrels from the vintage. Stylistically, this is the boldest, most dramatic Pinot Noir in our portfolio. We select individual barrels for their complexity, intensity, structure and velvety mouthfeel. This wine typically contains the highest percentage of new oak barrels and will be the most long lived of our Pinot Noirs.

In 2017, the wine was comprised of grapes from Bentrock (36%), Radian (25%), Fiddlestix (25%), John Sebastiano (7%), and Duvarita (7%). The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (50% new). This wine is always well received by the critics; the 2016 version of the Black Label received a whopping 97 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 94 Points from Galloni. Only 300 cases made, most of which is going to the Wine Club. There are approximately 20 cases left for the rest of the world.

2017 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

The 2017 SRH Pinot Noir combined fruit from multiple blocks and four distinct vineyards to create complexity and balance. We have always believed that blending diverse terroirs could yield a whole which would be greater than the sum of its parts. Wines form the warmer parts of the SRH would provide dramatic fruits and baking spices, wines from the cooler portions would provide, higher toned red fruits, fresh herbs, minerals and great acidity.

In 2017 the wine hailed from the remote, windswept slopes of Bentrock (45%), the sandy hillsides of John Sebastiano (27%), the steep clay slopes of Spear (18%) and the well-drained shale soils of the renowned Fiddlestix vineyard (10%). The grapes were fermented carefully in small lots (7% whole clusters) and then carefully aged the wines on their lees for 16 months in neutral French oak barrels before bottling.

The incredibly small yields of 2017 meant that only 300 cases of this wine were produced; less than half than planned. This wine has not yet been rated, but its predecessor, the 2016, received a great review and 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck who called it “worth seeking out and a great example of the quality coming from this producer.” We like to agree.

SYRAH

2016 MJM Santa Ynez Valley (Syrah Blend)

Our signature Syrah, this wine is a selection of our favorite barrels of Syrah, blended with small amounts of Grenache (4%) and Viognier (1%), and then given extended barrel aging as dictated by the vintage character of the wine.

In 2016 this wine was selected from multiple blocks at three great vineyards: John Sebastiano (65%); Stolpman (27%); and Kimsey (8%). After selection and blending, the wine was put back to barrel and ultimately aged 27 months in oak barrels (36% new).

A product of the sparkling 2016 vintage, the 2016 MJM will be perhaps more drinkable in its youth than the burly 2015 MJM, yet still keep for 15 years at a minimum. The wine is large scaled and intense, with big black and blue fruit flavors, notes of game and spice, the wine features a full-bodied frame with tremendous structure and length. We are excited to bring her out into the light of day after a year of extended bottle aging.

Although slightly different stylistically, the 2016 is a worthy successor to the 2015 MJMs which was given 96+ points by Jeb Dunnuck and 94 by Galloni.

Production was extremely limited; only 300 cases were produced. This is mostly headed to the wine club. Order soon or miss out.

Whites

CHARDONNAY

2017 Chardonnay, Rita’s Crown Vineyard. (Sta. Rita Hills)

Rita’s Crown is a spectacular vineyard at some of the highest elevations in the Santa Rita Hills. Located right above the historic Mount Carmel monastery, our south west facing blocks are steep and cobbled with large amounts of diatomaceous earth. The winds are constant and strong, with a feeling of saltiness from the nearby ocean and a decided marine chill. The Chardonnay in this block typically sets 2-2.5 tons per acre from a relatively small canopy. These low yields and long cool season results in ripeness at incredibly strong acid levels. We think this is a hallmark of great sites. The wines are dramatic and expressive, with a tremendously long finish.

The 2017 wine fermented separately in French oak barrels, 20% new. The resulting wine went through partial malolactic fermentation in barrel and was then aged for 17 months on its lees, without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling.

Jeb Dunnuck gushed over this wine giving it 95 points and stating:

“With beautiful overall balance, nicely integrated acidity, hints of salinity, and a great finish, it’s another brilliant effort, but there are only 200 cases produced.”

This wine is almost all going to the wine club, so get yours today.

2017 Chardonnay, Duvarita Vineyard (Santa Barbara County)

In addition to fantastic Pinot Noir, the biodynamic Duvarita Vineyard grows intense yet balanced Chardonnay from its gentle slopes of sandy soils further down the hill. Wines here are medium bodied and elegant, with a stony minerality and a remarkable depth of flavor. These wines evolve slowly and will absolutely repay bottle aging (under appropriate storage conditions).

The 2017 Duvarita Chardonnay was given a fantastic review and 96 points by Jeb Dunnuck:

“Similarly colored, the 2017 Chardonnay Duvarita Vineyard comes from sandy, loamy soils and was brought up in 35% new, larger format French cigar barrels. Golden fruits, brioche, toasted spices, white flowers, and white currant notes all emerge from this incredibly layered, medium to full-bodied, textured effort. It’s a powerful, sexy wine yet stays vibrant, balanced, and classically styled. It’s a killer Santa Barbara County Chardonnay!”

Extremely limited, Only 125 cases produced.

New Tasting Experiences in Los Olivos and at the Winery in Buellton

In addition to the new wines, we also have new experiences to help you explore the history, philosophy and wines of Dragonette Cellars. We have recently built out an area of our tasting room in Los Olivos for the Dragonette Cellars “Study”, which will provide space for in-depth, sit down, educational experiences. This tasting will include discussions of our inspiration and philosophy within the context of the global wine world; the geology, viticulture, and winemaking practices of our wines; and tastings of the most exclusive wines in the cellar, including the Black Label wines. In addition, we are expanding our Private Winery Tasting Program, with more times for tasting limited addition and library wines in an intimate setting at our production facility in Buellton. Depending upon your timing, you might well enjoy a visit from one of the winemaker/owners, while they are doing production work. Both tastings are made by appointment only. Book either the Study Experience in Los Olivos or the Winery Tour & Tasting among the barrels at our production facility in Buellton on our online reservation system. Discounts are available for Wine Club Members.

In the meantime, order some of these new wines soon, and enjoy them in health and happiness.

Cheers,

John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2019 Fall Release

Greetings from Dragonette Cellars

We are pleased to announce the Fall Release of new wines from Dragonette Cellars.

Wine Club Members

This Fall Release does not affect your current wine club allocation. Your orders from this Fall Release will be shipped together with your Fall Wine Club allocation. You will receive these wines in your Fall 2019 Shipment (October 2019):

*2017 Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Family Vineyard
2017 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard
2017 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard
* Red-Only members will receive the 2017 Pinot Noir Duvarita Vineyard

A club shipment announcement will be coming your way soon with further details on your upcoming Fall allocation.

The Fall Release wines all come from the extremely low quantity 2017 vintage, and include the following handcrafted wines:

Reds

Pinot Noirs

2017 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard (Wine Club Fall 2019)
2017 Pinot Noir, Duvarita Vineyard (Certified Biodynamic Vineyard, Extremely Limited)

Syrah

2017 Syrah, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Wine Club Exclusive Fall 2019)
2017 Syrah, “Seven” (95% Syrah, 4% Grenache, 1% Viognier) (Will be featured in Wine Club, Spring 2020)

Grenache

2017 Grenache, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Red-Only Wine Club Only, Winter 2020)

Whites

Sauvignon Blanc

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard (Will be featured in Wine Club , Winter 2020)

Notes on the 2017 Vintage

2017, was an extremely small crop across all varieties; however, what was produced was of extremely high quality, particularly the Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs. The hallmark of the vintage was extremely cool and rainy weather during flowering, leading to shatter, particularly in the Pinot Noir and Syrah. As a result, we had a much smaller than normal crop, in many cases as much as 40% below normal. The weather was good throughout the summer and the vintage looked extremely promising, until a massive heatwave over the Labor Day weekend sent the mercury to 111 degrees Fahrenheit in the Sta. Rita Hills (and higher elsewhere!) for several days. Fortunately, we saw the heat coming and picked all the grapes that would have been damaged. Thus, we finished picking all of the Sauvignon Blanc and most of the Pinot Noir (all of the Duvarita and Fiddlestix) before the heat. Some of the cooler vineyards, such as Radian, Bentrock and Rita’s Crown were still weeks away from harvest and were able to withstand the heat, albeit with further reduction in yields due to a bit of dehydration. The quality of what was harvested, however, was excellent, with very good natural acidity. The Syrah and Grenache were not significantly affected by the heat.

The wines of 2017 show intense concentration and brooding power, and we expect that they will age well. However, they were produced in significantly smaller amounts than in past years and will not last long. This is not a vintage to wait around on.

The Release will remain open until October 3rd. Orders will ship in mid to late October, weather permitting.

Announcing Upgraded Online Store

We are happy to announce that have made some upgrades to our secure online store which will make it easier to obtain your favorite Dragonette Cellars wines.

To gain access to your account, you need only follow a few brief instructions, and you will be all set to browse the new releases and add them to your secure cart.

Fall shipping season begins soon, so let’s make sure you have all the wines you need.

Here are the details:

1. All wine club members and past website purchasers have an online account with us.

2. To access your account, go to
https://store.dragonettecellars.com/index.cfm?method=members.showlogin
(you can also click on the person icon on the bottom right of any DC webpage or select account from the menu on the bottom of any webpage).

3. Click on “forgot password” and enter your email address. The system will send you a “reset password” email, and you can reset your password to get logged in. If the system doesn’t recognize your email and you believe you should be in our system, please contact us before creating a new account/login. We may have a different email on file for you and can quickly correct that.

From there you can update addresses, shipping and credit card information and be ready for fall holiday planning and gift giving.

If you have any issues accessing your account, please call the tasting room at 805-693-0077 or email orders@dragonettecellars.com and we will help you get logged in.

The Wines

Reds

PINOT NOIR
2017 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

Radian is one of the most dramatic, remote and extreme sites in Santa Barbara County. Located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, high atop the sparse, chaparral and poison oak studded Santa Rosa Hills, it literally wraps itself around crevasses and steep cliffs. The top blocks provide a direct sightline to mighty Pacific Ocean, whose influence completely dominates the site, from the cold, powerful winds, to the salty air and the presence of diatomaceous earth (ancient fossilized algae) in the soils. We identified this site at its inception and chose a (semi-vertical) patchwork quilt of blocks, each of which yields a tiny crop of small clusters. The resulting wines are deep and intense, with a fascinating mineral streak and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels. We have received several outstanding reviews on these wines.

The 2017 vintage provided the lowest yields we have ever experienced at Radian (only 35% of expected). The grapes that were picked, however, were of extremely high quality, albeit in a darker, more masculine and musclebound manner. The wine was aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak barrels (38% new). The wine has great complexity and depth of flavor balanced by terrific energy and mineral notes. Extremely Limited, Only 300 cases produced, most of which will go to the Wine Club.

2017 Pinot Noir, Duvarita Vineyard (Santa Barbara County)

We are pleased to report that Duvarita Vineyard received its Biodynamic Certification in 2017 (it takes 3 years of meticulous farming and recordkeeping). Located just west of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, the vineyard lies on south-facing slopes of almost pure sand. The low vigor soils, small canopy and a low fruit zone combine to make this one of the lowest yielding and earliest ripening vineyards we farm. The small clusters here give wines that are lean and elegant, with terrific intensity, minerality and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels.

2017 was another solid vintage at Duvarita. The heat wave did not affect this wine at all, as it was entirely picked before the weekend. As usual the vines yielded less than 1.5 tons per acre, making the wine concentrated and in short supply. The wine was aged on its lees for 16 months in French oak barrels (17% new). The wine has volume and depth in its usual elegant package, and it is, at this point, only hinting at its usual kaleidoscopic aromatics, which are certain to unfold with time. Extremely Limited. Only 140 cases produced.

SYRAH

2017 Syrah, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

John Sebastiano Vineyard, on the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, is one of the coolest sites planted to Rhone varieties in all of California. We selected sites in this vineyard at its initial planting and have been buying fruit by the acre here (and paying a premium for Organic farming) ever since, slowly acquiring new blocks and clones to increase complexity. The Syrah here enjoys an extraordinarily long cool growing season, and these grapes benefit from long hang time without the development of excess sugars or overripe elements, and plenty of acid and tannin. We now source fruit from three separate Syrah blocks, each with different aspect, slope and clone/rootstock combination. The result is a remarkably expressive wine with a cooler, blue, purple and black fruit character with lots of spices, and fantastic length.

In 2017, incredibly low yields led to a wine of intense concentration and length. The wine was aged in French oak barriques and 400L barrels (15% new) for 18 months before being bottled without filtration. This wine is a WINE CLUB EXCLUSIVE. Only 275 cases produced.

2017 Syrah, “Seven” (Santa Ynez Valley)

Seven is our Syrah-based blend, originally named for the seven exceptional cool climate vineyard sites from which it was comprised. We have refined our vineyard sources for this wine over the years, selecting precise blocks and clones to increase aromatic and flavor complexity, rather than sheer fruit power. The 2017 Seven is comprised of 95% Syrah, 4% Grenache and 1% Viognier. The wine is sourced from John Sebastiano Vineyard (30%) Stolpman Vineyard (30%), Larner (15%), Kimsey (15%) and Spear (10%). The wine was aged in French oak barrels and puncheons (10% new) for 18 months before blending and bottling.

We are thrilled with the performance of this wine, as it is already beginning to show off explosive, complex aromatics (red, blue and black fruits, spices and meats), a rich, yet lifted palate, smooth texture and a scintillatingly long finish for such a young wine. We expect this wine to continue to develop over the coming years and to last for well over a decade. Extremely Limited. Only 300 cases produced (50% of normal).

The 2016 version of this wine was rated 93 points and labeled one of the “Year’s Best Syrah’s” in the Wine Enthusiast.

GRENACHE

2017 Grenache, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

As with the Syrah, the 2017 vintage was miniscule. We utilized a significant amount of whole clusters (20%) in 2017, as we found the stems to be spicy and not bitter. The wine is typically cool, energetic and mineral-laden, with high toned red and black fruits, and great aromatics, but with good volume and weight. We only wish we had more of it. Only 75 cases produced.

Whites

SAUVIGNON BLANC

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard (Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara)

Vogelzang is situated on a gently sloping bed of well drained, gravelly loam soil with serpentinite in the heart of Happy Canyon. We’ve leased several acres here for a decade now, taking full responsibility for pruning choices, canopy and crop management and deficit-irrigation strategies. Fruit from Vogelzang is of the highest possible quality, meticulously farmed for low yields. We harvest these blocks in multiple passes to ensure ideal ripeness levels. The wine is immediately whole cluster pressed, briefly settled and then transferred to 90% French oak barrels (228L, 350L, 500L, 276L “cigars”(10% new) and 10% stainless steel for fermentation and aging. After one year in barrels, the wine is racked to tank where it harmonized for approximately 6 months before bottling.

The 2017 has not yet been rated, but the 2016 version of this wine was the second highest scoring Sauvignon Blanc (worldwide) in the Wine Spectator. Extremely Limited. Only 235 cases produced.

Cheers

John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2019 Spring Release

Springtime. Brilliant sunshine, green hills from the abundant (thankfully!) winter rains, and the first pushing of the young shoots from the vines. As always, the vigneron is filled with energy and optimism as the vines begin their march toward creating the grapes for the 2019 wines. There will be much work ahead as we monitor the quantity and quality of the shoots and clusters, the potential for vigor in the canopy, and the potential crop. In the cellar, we have completed all bottlings for 2019, and we are now planning for the 2019 harvest (buying barrels, fine tuning vineyard contracts as necessary). And, we have shipped off the Spring wine club; filling an entire 53-footer with happy packages on their way to our valued wine club members.

It is now, therefore, time to announce to the 2019 Spring Release! We have the exciting arrival of the longest aged 2016 Pinot Noirs, the Fiddlestix and Black Label, and the newest MJM, the majestic 2015. For whites, we have a fabulous (though very limited) crop of whites: the 2017 Sauvignon Blancs from Grassini (sold out/wine club only) and Grimm’s Bluff Vineyards, along with the new 2017 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills. Finally, we announce the release of two 2018 wines, the Rosé (Grenache) and the Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon.

Wine Club Members
This announcement of the Spring Release is going out to the general public, and thus it does not affect your current wine club allocation(s).

You have already received the 2016 Pinot Noir Black Label and 2016 Seven in your Winter 2019 shipment and the 2016 Fiddlestix and the 2015 MJM in your Spring shipment. You will receive the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Vineyard in the Fall 2019 shipment.

We did, however, want you to know about other exciting wines that are not part of the wine club program (we can only put so many wines in the club shipments!)

The Wines

Reds
Pinot Noirs
2016 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard
2016 Pinot Noir, Black Label (Extremely Limited)

Syrah
2015 MJM (Extremely Limited)

Whites
Sauvignon Blanc
2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Grassini Vineyard *Wine Club Only*
2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard
2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (Blend)

Chardonnay
2017 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

Rosé
2018 Rosé, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

Most of the wines in this offering are extremely limited, some less than 25 cases remaining. Additionally, the warmer weather means that shipping options will be limited. As a result, we are keeping this offer open to May 15, 2019.

The Wines

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2016 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

The Fiddlestix vineyard performed admirably in 2016, and we are pleased to introduce our 10th vintage of this wine. Grapes from five separate blocks (five different clones) comprise this wine, each of which was individually monitored, harvested, fermented, barreled, and aged. We fermented this wine with selective use of whole clusters (15% of the blend). The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (15% new).

The 2016 version of this wine is beautifully textured and very long, with great spice intrigue from whole clusters and the signature red fruits of Fiddlestix. Not yet rated, but a worthy successor to the 2015 version of this wine which was given 93 points by Jeb Dunnuck and 92 by Antonio Galloni. Extremely Limited. Only 350 cases produced, most of which was sent to the wine club. Order now!

2016 Pinot Noir, Black Label (Sta. Rita Hills)

Our “Black Label” Pinot Noir is our most sought-after Pinot Noir. It is a reserve-tier blend of our favorite barrels of Pinot Noir from the vintage. Stylistically, this is the boldest, most dramatic Pinot Noir in our portfolio. We select individual barrels for their complexity, intensity, structure and velvety mouthfeel. This wine typically contains the highest percentage of new oak barrels and will be the most long lived of our Pinot Noirs.

In 2016, the wine was comprised of grapes from Radian (50%), Fiddlestix (40%) and Bentrock (10%). The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (37% new). This wine is always well received by the critics – the 2015 version of the Black Label received 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 93 Points from Galloni. Only 325 cases made, most of which went to the Wine Club. Only a few remain.

SYRAH

2015 MJM Santa Ynez Valley (Syrah Blend)

Our signature Syrah, this wine is a selection of our favorite barrels of Syrah, blended with small amounts of Grenache and Viognier, and then given extended barrel aging as dictated by the vintage character of the wine.

In 2015 this wine was selected from multiple blocks at three great vineyards: Stolpman (45%), John Sebastiano (38%) and Kimsey (17%). After selection and blending, the wine was put back to barrel and ultimately aged 27 months in oak barrels (25% new).

A product of the ultra-low-yielding, highly concentrated 2015 vintage, the 2015 MJM is clearly a wine for the cellar. Drinkable now with a good decanting, the wine is large scaled and intense, with big black and blue fruit flavors, notes of game and spice, the wine features a full-bodied frame with tremendous structure and length. This wine will easily age for 15-20 years.

The 2014 and 2013 MJMs were 95-point wines (Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast, respectively) and we expect similar acclaim with the 2015. The smaller vintage meant that it is extremely limited. Only 330 cases were produced, most of which was just shipped to the wine club. Order soon or miss out.

Whites

SAUVIGNON BLANC

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Grassini Family Vineyard – Wine Club Only/Sold Out.

Grassini is one of the stars of Happy Canyon. It was planted 2007, with high density spacing on thin soils of sandy clay loam with some serpentinite. We purchase the fruit from three distinct blocks here, paying by the acre so that we can employ special pruning, canopy management and crop load strategies, limit irrigation and control yields. We harvest, press and ferment each block (or portion of a block) separately in a mixture of French oak barrels (75% of the total, 5% new) and stainless steel (25%). The result is highly complex, expressive and concentrated wine.

The 2017 wine was crafted from our favorite barrels from the vineyard, which were given extended aging. The wine shows kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors, from peach, honeydew, kiwi fruit, granny smith apple, pineapple and fresh coconut, to stony mineral notes of granite, graphite, and a touch of sea shell, to fresh herbs (thyme, basil) and spices (nutmeg, clove). The 2016 version of this wine received 92 points from Galloni and the Wine Enthusiast. Wine Club Exclusive. Only 250 cases produced, which is all going to the wine club in the Fall.

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard

Grimm’s Bluff is one of the most exciting projects in the Santa Ynez Valley. The vineyard was planted for the purpose of producing the highest quality grapes, and it has been lovingly farmed with biodynamic methods since its inception. We source fruit from three blocks here, the largest section in the unique head trained section of the vineyard. The vineyard produces tiny clusters for Sauvignon Blanc, resulting in low yields and extreme concentration. This fruit demands fermentation and aging in French oak barriques and specially designed cigar shaped barrels, sur lie, in order to match the texture of the wine, and to allow for a long slow evolution.

In 2017, we aged the wine for 16 months before a gentle cross flow filtration and bottling. The wine is simply loaded with character; it is incredibly taut and precise, with large scaled flavors and concentration in a steely, mineral flecked, highly driven style. We think this wine will age extremely well, 10 to 15 years at a minimum. Only 125 cases produced, we know this wine will be very well received. Get some while you can.

2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

By now, most of you will have heard about Happy Canyon’s unique soils (marine, sand and serpentinite) and climate (warm to hot summer days and cool to cold evenings) which are ideally suited for producing exquisite Sauvignon Blanc. We have been sourcing fruit here for over a decade now (and prior to the establishment of the AVA) and have gained a solid reputation for crafting wines of distinction from these grapes. We utilize acreage contracts at several exceptional sites here and work continuously with the vineyard teams throughout the season to achieve plant balance at lower yield in order to maximize fruit quality.

2018 was a surprisingly cool vintage, coming after a series of very warm, early harvest years. Late budbreak and a cool summer led to a long season that extended into late September. Yields were healthy further extending the season. Late August and September were quite cool, with moderate daytime highs, lots of clouds and cold nights. The grapes, generally, moved very slowly toward full ripeness, with harvest being spread throughout September.

The wine is a blend of grapes from three top vineyard sources: Grassini (60%), Vogelzang (34%) and Grimm’s Bluff (6%), with a total of 9 separate and distinct blocks represented in the final blend. The site diversity provides complexity to the wine which was fermented and aged for 7 months in oak barrels (73%) and stainless steel (27%). The wine admirably succeeds the 90-91 point wines from past several vintages, with perhaps an little extra energy and freshness, but no less flavor. Enjoy with fish and shellfish, vegetables and sunshine.

CHARDONNAY

2017 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

The 2016 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills was a huge hit, and we think the 2017 is even better. Lower yields and new vineyard blocks make this wine even more chiseled and intense, while still enjoying solid ripeness, flavors and texture. Grape sources for his wine are all organic or SIP certified sustainable and include Donnachadh (Clones 4 and 548) – 50%, Spear (Clones Wente & 96)(30%) & Bentrock (96)(20%). The use of multiple blocks and clones increased complexity, as did fermentation and aging in French oak (10% new), with partial malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously in barrel. The resulting wine is aged for 15 months on its lees without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling.

We love the complexity and energy of this wine, which represents a true cross section of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. A tiny production; only 225 cases were produced.

ROSÉ

2018 Rosé, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara

Here it is! The 2018 Rosé is officially released, and it is a winner. 2018 saw a return to the weather of the cooler years such as 2010/2011 which allowed the grapes more hangtime than during the last several years. Flavor development was excellent, even at lower sugar levels. This wine is a blend of Grenache from Vogelzang vineyard and another mystery vineyard of great promise of which we are sworn to secrecy.

We are debating internally whether this is the best Rosé ever. Wild strawberry, watermelon jolly rancher, citrus notes of ripe orange and a blast of juicy acidity highlight this energetic lip-smacking wine. The perfect wine for spring and summer! Only 575 cases produced, most of which is already spoken for at restaurants and shops. It will not last long.

In Conclusion

Please enjoy these wines; we had a fantastic time crafting them. We also recommend joining the wine club to ensure access to the most limited production wines as well as special events, such as pick up parties, vineyard walks and library tastings. Call the Tasting Room at 805-693-0077 for details or go online at www.dragonettecellars.com.

Cheers
John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team

2018 Fall Release

Hello Everyone

We are pleased to announce the Fall Release of new wines from Dragonette Cellars.
** Wine Club Members see below for details on your shipment **

These wines all come from the excellent 2016 vintage, and include the following low production, handcrafted wines:

Reds

Pinot Noirs
2016 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
2016 Pinot Noir Duvarita Vineyard (Extremely Limited)
2016 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard (Wine Club Fall 2018)

Syrah
2016 Syrah “Seven” (89% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 1% Viognier)
2016 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard (Wine Club Exclusive Fall 2018)

Grenache
2016 Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard (Extremely Limited)

Whites

Sauvignon Blanc
2016 Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Family Vineyard (Wine Club Exclusive Fall 2018)
2016 Sauvignon Blanc Vogelzang Vineyard (Extremely Limited)

Chardonnay
2016 Chardonnay, Rita’s Crown Vineyard (Extremely Limited)
2016 Chardonnay, Duvarita Vineyard (Extremely Limited)

The 2016 Vintage

2016 was a highly successful vintage. We finally enjoyed significant rainfall in the winter (though not the drought busting amounts seen by our friends up north). We also avoided the truly terrible May weather of 2015 (and 2017) that led to very poor set and extremely low yields. Decent 2016 production was welcome in helping offset the drastically (almost tragically) low production in the years bookending 2016. Wines were typically elegant, fresh and vibrant with good concentration and depth. These wines will drink well young but still have the stuffing and structure to repay mid-term aging.

Wine Club Members
This Fall Release does not affect your current wine club allocation. Your orders from this Fall Release will be shipped together with your Fall Wine Club allocation. You will receive these wines in your Fall 2018 Shipment:

2016 Sauvignon Blanc Grassini Family Vineyard
2016 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard
2016 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard

The Release will remain open until September 15. Allocation requests will be collected online, and processed in the order received based upon wine club membership level and order history. Wines will ship in October, weather permitting (expedited shipping options available).

Reds

PINOT NOIR

2016 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

Radian is one of the most dramatic, remote and extreme sites in Santa Barbara County. It is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, high atop the sparse, chaparral and poison oak studded Santa Rosa Hills, and it literally wraps itself around crevasses and steep cliffs, its tiny roads literally clinging to hillsides in some spots. From here one has a direct sightline to the huge expanse of the mighty Pacific Ocean, whose influence completely dominates the site, from the cold powerful winds, to the high proportion of prehistoric algae skeletons (the silica based diatomaceous earth) comprising the soils. This vineyard actually seems to rest, somewhat precariously, upon this remarkably hardscrabble land. We identified this site at its inception and chose the most extreme blocks, which yield a tiny crop of small clusters. The resulting wines are intense, with a fascinating mineral streak and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels. We have received several outstanding reviews on the wines from this site.

2016 was an excellent vintage at Radian, with healthy vines producing a small crop of fabulous grapes. The wine was aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak barrels (25% new). The wine has great complexity and depth of flavor balanced by terrific energy and mineral notes. Very Limited, only 490 cases produced.

2016 Pinot Noir, Duvarita Vineyard (Santa Barbara County)

Duvarita Vineyard, just west of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation lies on south-facing slopes of almost pure sand. The grapes here are farmed biodynamically. The low vigor soils, small canopy and a low fruit zone combine to make this one of the lowest yielding and earliest ripening vineyards we farm. The small clusters here give wines that are lean and elegant, with terrific intensity, minerality and a remarkable depth of flavor even at lower alcohol levels.

2016 was an excellent vintage at Duvarita. The wine was aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak barrels (14% new). The wine has great volume and depth and is, at this point, only hinting at its usual kaleidoscopic aromatics, which are certain to unfold with time. We recently received word that the 2015 Duvarita received 95 points in the Wine Enthusiast, and with supplies extremely low, you should secure some of the 2016 without delay. Extremely Limited. Only 165 cases produced.

2016 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

The SRH Pinot Noir is all about complexity and balance. From the inception of our winery we have believed that blending Pinot Noir from diverse vineyard blocks and sites would create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Wines form the warmer parts of the SRH would provide dramatic fruits and baking spices, wines from the cooler portions would provide, higher toned red fruits, fresh herbs, minerals and great acidity. Over the years we have selected vineyard sources for the purpose of crafting this wine, and in 2016 we blended grapes from 7 different vineyards to make this wine sing the song of the Santa Rita Hills – beautifully pure, fairly rich red fruits, excellent spices and big but beautiful structure. We carefully age the wines on their lees to limit movement and retain freshness and energy. In 2016 the wine was comprised of grapes from Bentrock (35%), John Sebastiano (22%), La Encantada (20%), Radian (10%), Fiddlestix (7%), Cargasacchi (4%), Spear (2%). The wine was aged on its lees for 16 months in French oak barrels (10% new) before bottling. It is already displaying excellent aromatic and flavor complexity.

SYRAH

2016 Syrah “Seven” (Santa Ynez Valley)

Seven is our Syrah-based blend, originally named for the seven exceptional cool climate vineyard sites from which it was comprised. We have refined our vineyard sources for this wine over the years, selecting precise blocks and clones to increase aromatic and flavor complexity, rather than sheer fruit power. The 2016 Seven is comprised of 89% Syrah, 10% Grenache and 1% Viognier. The wine is sourced from John Sebastiano Vineyard (54%) Stolpman Vineyard (30%), Kimsey (8%) and Spear (8%). The wine was aged in French oak barrels and puncheons (10% new) for 18 months before blending and bottling.

We are thrilled with the performance of this wine, as it is already beginning to show off explosive, complex aromatics (red, blue and black fruits, spices and meats), a rich, yet lifted palate, smooth texture and a scintillatingly long finish for such a young wine. We expect this wine to continue to develop over the coming years and to last for well over a decade. Limited. Only 575 cases produced.

2016 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

John Sebastiano Vineyard is a dramatic hillside site on the very eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. It is one of the coolest sites planted to Rhone varieties in all of California, and we have been buying fruit by the acre here since its first leaf. The Syrah here enjoys an extraordinarily long cool growing season, and these grapes benefit from long hang time without the development of excess sugars or overripe elements and plenty of acid and tannin. We source fruit from 4 separate Syrah blocks, each with different aspect, slope and clone/rootstock combination; the result being additional aromatic and flavor complexity. This remarkably expressive wine demonstrates a cooler, blue and black fruit style, with lots of spices, and fantastic length. This wine was not produced in 2015. WINE CLUB EXCLUSIVE. Only 240 cases produced.

GRENACHE

2016 Grenache, John Sebastiano Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills)

Our John Sebastiano Vineyard Grenache grows on a steep, southeast facing hillside of fascinating diversity. On the eastern edge, the block is almost pure sand, while as one moves to the west, there is heavier clay loam mixed with the sand. Moving west the block contains longer rows which start at higher elevation and extend to lower elevation than the eastern rows. As a result, we pick this block in several different passes, sometimes as much as two weeks apart. Due to the cool western location and steep windy aspect, this block enjoys a long cool growing season, giving excellent aroma and flavor compounds at lower sugars, with solid acidity. We ferment the grapes from each pick with differing percentages of whole clusters based upon fruit and stem character of each section. The sandier sections tend to give smaller clusters with more high-toned aromatics, and good spicy stems. The more heavily clay sections provide weight, structure and depth. We blend the diverse wines from these sections to make a finished wine that is typically cool, energetic and mineral-laden, with high toned red and black fruits, and great aromatics. Extremely Limited. Only 220 cases produced.

Whites

SAUVIGNON BLANC

2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Grassini Family Vineyard (Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara)

Grassini is an exceptional vineyard located upon small hills and river benches of well drained, super fine clay loam soils and serpentinite in the southern part of Happy Canyon. The vineyard is meticulously managed and farmed to our specifications for low yields and high quality. We source fruit from three distinct blocks and harvest, press and ferment them separately in a mixture of French oak barrels and stainless steel. This single vineyard wine was crafted from our favorite barrels which were given extended aging. Fermented and aged in 75% oak (5% new) and 25% stainless steel, the wine developed kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors, from peach, honeydew, kiwi fruit, granny smith apple, pineapple and fresh coconut, to stony mineral notes of granite, graphite, and a touch of sea shell, to fresh herbs (thyme, basil) and spices (nutmeg, clove). WINE CLUB EXCLUSIVE. Only 180 cases produced.

2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard (Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara)

Vogelzang is situated on a gently sloping bed of well drained, gravelly loam soil with serpentinite in the heart of Happy Canyon. We’ve leased several acres here for a decade now, taking full responsibility for pruning choices, canopy and crop management and deficit-irrigation strategies. Fruit from Vogelzang is of the highest possible quality, meticulously farmed for low yields. We harvest these blocks in multiple passes to ensure ideal ripeness levels. The wine is immediately whole cluster pressed, briefly settled and then transferred to French oak barrels of varying sizes (228L, 350L, 500L, 276L “cigars”), 12% new, for fermentation and aging. After one year in barrel, the wine is racked to tank where it harmonizes for approximately 7 months before bottling.

The 2015 version of this wine was the second highest scoring 2015 Sauvignon Blanc (worldwide) in the Wine Spectator. Extremely Limited. Only 235 cases produced.

CHARDONNAY

2016 Chardonnay, Rita’s Crown Vineyard. (Sta. Rita Hills)

Rita’s Crown is a spectacular vineyard at some of the highest elevations in the Santa Rita Hills. Located right above the historic Mount Carmel monastery, our Chardonnay block is incredibly steep and windswept. The block faces south/southwest and has an incredible view of much of the notable, even famous vineyards along Santa Rosa Road. Up here, one feels a certain indescribable timelessness. Soils here are sand and clay loam, with large deposits of diatomaceous earth, giving the sand a ghostly white color and reflecting heat off the ground. The winds are constant and strong, with a feeling of saltiness from the nearby ocean and a decided marine chill. Chardonnay from the site struggles to grow, though we have been able to coax a reasonable canopy and a small yield of intensely flavored grapes. A strong sensation of minerals and chalk seems to permeate the resulting wines, despite their intense tropical and stone fruits and laser-like acidity. The wines are dramatic and expressive here, with a tremendously long finish.

The 2016 wine was harvested in two separate passes and each fermented separately in French oak barrels, 20% new. The resulting wine went through partial malolactic fermentation in barrel and was then aged for 17 months on its lees, without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling. Extremely Limited. Only 290 cases produced.

2016 Chardonnay, Duvarita Vineyard (Santa Barbara County)

2016 saw a small crop which was individually harvested in the cool morning hours, with field sorting. We gently pressed the whole clusters, settled the juice overnight and then transferred the juice directly to barrels for fermentation and aging, with partial malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously in barrel. The resulting wine is aged for 18 months on its lees without stirring, before selection, blending and bottling. We love the balance and texture of this wine. Extremely Limited. Only 200 cases produced.

Place your orders soon, quantities are severely limited for most wines.

Cheers

John, Steve, Brandon and the entire Dragonette Cellars team