2020 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

Of all the wineries we’ve discovered, we’d be hard pressed to think of one that has been more rewarding than Dragonette Cellars. 

Run by John and Steve Dragonette and their friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis, the winery has been roundly praised by just about every critic who covers California. Antonio Galloni of Vinous has called their wines “truly world class,” adding, “and I don’t use those words lightly.” Jeb Dunnuck called it “unquestionably one of my favorite estates in Santa Barbara County.”

Grown on a legendary vineyard in one of the most sacred terroirs in Santa Barbara—if not all of California—we’d put this straight-up stunner up against any Pinot at this price. Galloni called it “outrageously beautiful” in his glowing 96-point review—and only one wine in the entire Sta. Rita Hills appellation scored higher. Ruby-hued, vibrant, and flawlessly balanced, it’s a snapshot of one of the region’s most revered sites. 

Any time you see “Fiddlestix” on a Pinot label, you know you’re in for something special. A quintessential site on par with legendary Sta. Rita Hills vineyards like Clos Pepe, Sanford & Benedict (which sits just across the street), and La Encantada, it’s located at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley inside what is essentially a wind tunnel. The briny Pacific breezes that blow through refresh the vines and regulate temperatures that just flirt with the mid-70s, resulting in Pinot Noir grapes that have developed slowly to show full-bodied, majestic opulence.

This bottle shows just how great the site is, how excellent the Dragonette team is at expressing it. It’s pure Pinot Noir elegance.