Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken, pan-seared scallops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Dominion Tantara's Chardonnay is a masterclass in cool-climate California winemaking, drawing inspiration directly from the storied traditions of Burgundy. Sourced from prestigious, wind-swept vineyards in Santa Barbara County, where the unique transverse mountain ranges pull chilly Pacific fog directly into the vines, this wine benefits from an extended growing season. This dramatic maritime influence preserves a vibrant, electric acidity that perfectly balances the grape's natural richness. In the cellar, the winemaking team employs classic French techniques, including barrel fermentation, native yeast usage, and regular battonage (lees stirring) in French oak barrels. The result is a Chardonnay of remarkable depth, marrying bright citrus and stone fruit notes with a subtle, creamy texture and a distinct mineral backbone that reflects 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%