Tondre Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the prestigious Tondre Grapefield in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands, this single-vineyard Pinot Noir is a testament to the region's dramatic maritime climate. Planted in 1997 by Tondre Alarid as a tribute to his family's deep agricultural roots in Monterey County, the vineyard benefits from the cooling winds of Monterey Bay and morning fog, allowing for a long, slow ripening period. Dominion Tantara crafts this wine using traditional Burgundian techniques, including gentle handling and aging in select French oak barrels. The resulting wine beautifully captures the signature Santa Lucia Highlands profile: rich, dark fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and a distinct earthy undertone, all framed by silky tannins.
🍾 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