Lolita Red
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Dominion Tantara's Lolita Red is a compelling expression of the Santa Ynez Valley, sourced from the esteemed Lolita Vineyard. Nestled in a unique microclimate where warm days are tempered by cool evening breezes sweeping in from the Pacific Ocean, this vineyard features gravelly loam soils that are particularly well-suited for Bordeaux varietals, most notably Cabernet Franc. The winemaking philosophy here emphasizes traditional, low-intervention French techniques, utilizing gentle extraction and aging in French oak barrels to allow the distinct terroir to shine. The resulting wine is celebrated for its elegant structure, showcasing a beautiful balance of bright red fruit, savory herbal undertones, and refined tannins that reflect the unique maritime-influenced climate of Santa Barbara County.
🍾 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
Cabernet Franc