2015 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

The Finest Vines in Santa Barbara

Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls Dragonette “one of the most fascinating wineries on the Central Coast,” and deems their wines “truly world-class,” so it is no surprise that very few cases of Dragonette Cellars’ small-batch Santa Barbara Pinot Noirs ever make it beyond their rabid mailing list and a few favored restaurants. We feel extremely fortunate for the chance to offer the 2015 Dragonette Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills. Dragonette’s Pinot sources include six of the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County, five of which—Radian, Fiddlestix, John Sebastiano, Cargasacchi, and Duvarita—have supplied Dragonette’s coveted single-vineyard wines. This 2015 Sta. Rita Hills rendition is concentrated and lush with satin-like tannins, medium body, bright acidity, and flavors of red fruits, orange zest, clove, and fruit compote. This is one of the stars of Santa Barbara County.  

The terms “hand-crafted” and “small-batch” are thrown around so recklessly these days, it’s tough to say exactly what they mean. But you know it when you see it. And I saw it when I walked in to Dragonette, where vintage U2 was blasting and the winery’s two co-owners and co-winemakers, John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis, were hard at work, moving heavy barrels around without help. If any scene captured the Dragonette ethos, this was it.  

John and Steve Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis didn’t start Dragonette with a boatload of cash and a celebrity winemaker, nor did they get into wine because of family tradition or an investment opportunity. Their beginnings in the wine business go back to their days working at Wally’s, one of the most respected wine retailers in Los Angeles, where they cultivated a passion for Pinot Noir. A decade and a half later, that passion—and the work ethic we saw on display on our visit—have driven Dragonette to its status as one of Santa Barbara’s most praised brands.

The 2015 Dragonette Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, from a drought year that produced low yields of outstanding fruit, is sourced from six vineyards whose accolades are too extensive to list completely: the foggy, low-yielding Duvarita vineyard; Radian vineyard, which was just purchased by the owners of Screaming Eagle; and Fiddlestix, which has been synonymous with top-quality Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir for two decades. With a total case-production numbering in the mere hundreds and loyal customers claiming most of them, this is the kind of offer that disappears very quickly.