La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept Sta. Rita Hills, the Dominion Tantara La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir is a profound expression of one of California's most iconic cool-climate sites. Originally planted by the legendary pioneer Richard Sanford, La Encantada Vineyard is defined by its unique transverse valley orientation, which draws chilly Pacific fog and persistent ocean breezes directly over the vines. This extreme maritime influence, combined with nutrient-poor, diatomaceous soils, forces the Pinot Noir vines to struggle, resulting in small, concentrated berries. Tantara's winemaking philosophy honors this exceptional terroir through traditional, low-intervention practices, including gentle open-top fermentation and aging in select French oak barrels. The resulting wine is celebrated for its striking balance of bright acidity, deep red fruit character, and a distinct, savory undertone of wild herbs and earth.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1997 in California's cool-climate Santa Barbara County, Dominion Tantara is an artisan producer renowned for its site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Sourcing fruit from celebrated Central Coast terroirs such as Bentrock, Dierberg, and La Encantada vineyards, the winery emphasizes low-intervention, Burgundian-inspired winemaking techniques that showcase the purity of each vintage. Its cellar regime prioritizes indigenous fermentations, gentle handling, and judicious use of French oak to produce focused, elegant wines of remarkable depth and ageability. In addition to its acclaimed single-vineyard and reserve Pinot Noirs, Dominion Tantara crafts refined, small-lot expressions of Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14.5%