Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the dramatic and rugged Radian Vineyard, located at the extreme western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, this Pinot Noir is a testament to viticulture on the edge of the continent. Often described as a 'moonscape' due to its steep, exposed ridges and white, diatomaceous soils rich in marine fossils, Radian is constantly battered by fierce, chilling winds from the nearby Pacific Ocean. This harsh, cold environment forces the vines to struggle, resulting in tiny berries with thick skins. Dominion Tantara captures this intense terroir through traditional, low-intervention winemaking, utilizing open-top fermenters and aging in select French oak barrels. The resulting wine is renowned for its dark fruit profile, vibrant, structural acidity, and a distinct, wild herbaceousness and mineral salinity that reflects its coastal origin.
🍾 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%