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: 2014 Dragonette Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

2014 Dragonette Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

SKU #1281844 92 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Dragonette's 2014 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is absolutely delicious. Plump, juicy and fruit-forward, this fleshy, undeniably appealing Pinot will drink well upon release. Sweet red cherry and plum are nicely pushed forward, while more exotic spice notes from a small amount of stems add further shades of nuance. (AG) Inner quote mark (9/2017)

92 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark There's a slight bit of pleasant funk to the nose of this appellation blend, as well as graphite, sour cherry, soy and shiitake mushroom aromas. The palate is wound around tight acidity, with wild raspberry flavors lifted by incense and pine forest elements. (MK) Inner quote mark (6/2017)

90 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Moving to the reds, Dragonette's 2014 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is made to showcase the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and comes mostly from the John Sebastiano Vineyard, with smaller amounts from La Encantada, Radian, Cargasacchi, Fiddlestix and Duvarita. Almost completely destemmed and aged 15 months, on lees, in 9% new oak, it offers a ripe, exuberant bouquet of cranberry, strawberry, spice and underbrush. It has good acidity, plenty of texture and light, graceful tannin, all suggesting it will evolve nicely for a decade. Unquestionably one of my favorite estates in Santa Barbara County, Dragonette is run by brothers John and Steve Dragonette, and friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis. (JD) Inner quote mark (8/2017)

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2014 Dragonette Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Price: $39.99

Quantity:

VN: 92

WE: 92

JD: 90

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Varietal:

Pinot Noir

- One of France's most legendary grapes and the grape that earned Burgundy its reputation. The parent of varietals like Pinot Gris/Grigio and Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir is blue to violet to indigo in color with relatively thin skins, and it is said to have been cultivated in France for more than 2,000 years. At its best, Pinot Noir creates elegant wines that are filled with primary red fruit aromas and flavors while young, revealing with an array of secondary characteristics like earth, smoke, violet, truffle and game with age. The varietal is also known, perhaps better than any, for its ability to translate terroir, or a sense of place. While the best Pinot Noir still comes from Burgundy, it is being produced with increasing success in cooler climates around the world. In France, it is part of the trifecta of grapes that can go into Champagne, and it is also grown in Alsace, Irancy, Jura, Savoie, Lorraine and Sancerre. Outside of France it is produced under the names Pinot Nero and Blauburgunder in Italy's mountainous regions, as Spätburgunder in Germany and as Blauburgunder in Austria. In the US, Pinot Noir has found suitable growing conditions in the cooler parts of California, including Carneros, the Russian River Valley, the Anderson Valley, the Sonoma Coast, Monterey County, the Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Barbara County, as well as in Oregon's Willamette Valley. In recent years, New Zealand has demonstrated its ability to interpret this hard-to-grow varietal, with successful bottlings coming from careful and attentive growers in Central Otago, Martinborough and Canterbury. Chile is also an up-and-coming region for Pinot Noir, creating fresh, fruit-forward, early-drinking and affordable Pinots from the coastal Casablanca Valley and the Limari Valley.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Santa Maria/Santa Barbara

- Santa Maria and Santa Ynez make up the two AVAs of Santa Barbara County, an area known for its natural beauty and temperate climate. The best grape-growing areas, however, are located on the very coastal reaches of these two appellations, and are cooled by ever-present fog and ocean breezes (it is even cooler and foggier here than Carneros!). As expected, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhône blends.