Bien Nacido Vineyard Old Vine Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2029
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted pork tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the legendary Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, this Pinot Noir is sourced from some of the oldest self-rooted vines in California, originally planted in 1973. The vineyard's unique geography, running east-west to the Pacific Ocean, allows cool maritime breezes and morning fog to roll through the vines, extending the growing season and preserving vibrant acidity. Dominion Tantara honors this historic terroir through traditional, low-intervention winemaking, utilizing open-top fermentation and aging in select French oak barrels. The result is a Pinot Noir of exceptional depth, characterized by its signature earthy complexity, bright red fruit, and structural elegance that only old vines can deliver.
🍾 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
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
13.5-14.5%