Tondre H Block Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, seared salmon.
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the prestigious Tondre Grapefield in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, the Tondre H Block Pinot Noir is a testament to cool-climate viticulture. The vineyard was originally planted in 1997 by Tondre Alarid, a pioneer whose family has deep roots in the region's agricultural history. The 'H Block' is highly prized for its unique positioning, where it receives the full cooling influence of the afternoon winds sweeping in from Monterey Bay. Dominion Tantara utilizes traditional, low-intervention winemaking techniques, including aging in select French oak barrels, to preserve the intense dark cherry, cola, and earthy spice characteristics that define this exceptional terroir.
🍾 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