Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared scallops, roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Bien Nacido Vineyard, planted in 1973 by the Miller family in the Santa Maria Valley, is one of California's most historic and revered cool-climate sites. Benefiting from the unique transverse mountain ranges of Santa Barbara County, the vineyard is subjected to daily maritime fog and cool Pacific winds, allowing for a long, slow ripening period. Dominion Tantara's Chardonnay from this legendary site is crafted using traditional Burgundian methods, including barrel fermentation and aging in French oak. The result is a wine that beautifully captures the vineyard's signature profile: vibrant citrus, stone fruit, and a distinct saline minerality derived from the region's ancient marine soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1997 by Virginia natives Bill Cates and Jeff Fink, Dominion Tantara (originally founded as Tantara Winery) was born from a mutual passion for cool-climate Burgundian varieties. Operating out of the historic Rancho Tepusquet within Santa Maria Valley's celebrated Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery sources fruit from elite Central Coast terroirs, including Dierberg, Talley Rincon, Zotovich, and old-vine blocks of Bien Nacido. Benefiting from east-west transverse maritime corridors that funnel morning fog and cool Pacific winds across benchland sandy-loam soils, the estate emphasizes long hang-times with natural acidity preservation. Viticultural practices focus on sustainable management with meticulous canopy care. Cellar vinification embraces low-intervention Burgundian traditions: selective whole-cluster fermentations, native yeasts, and aging in fine-grained French oak barriques. Benchmark bottlings include single-vineyard expressions such as Bien Nacido Vineyard O Block Chardonnay, Zotovich Vineyard Chardonnay, and Dierberg Vineyard Pinot Noir, prized for their tension, crystalline minerality, and savory aromatic depth.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.5-14.5%