2023 Dragonette Cellars Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

There's no California Pinot Noir we love more than Dragonette. It's the one we share with friends and family on special occasions. We put it up there with the icons, and we're not alone.

Jeb Dunnuck has called Dragonette "world-class." Just last summer, Antonio Galloni of Vinous called them "one of the most consistent and impressive wineries in Santa Barbara."

The 2023 Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir is another stunning bottling from one of Dragonette's signature sites—a vineyard so magnificent that the owners of Screaming Eagle purchased it in 2014. Aromatic, lush, and luxurious, the '23 Radian Pinot boasts a 96+ points from Vinous, who called it "Masterful” and marvelled over “the utter finesse of the powdery tannins.”

In our view, this Pinot stands with anything being made in California. Someday, it will bear a triple-digit price, and it will be worth it. 

Dragonette continues to work with six distinct vineyard blocks at the Radian Vineyard, which sits on the former Rancho Salsipuedes site (loosely translated to "get out while you can”). Radian is a challenging, cold, windy site, where vines dig into crushed white rocks—ancient diatomaceous soils that contain large chunks as light as feathers. 

The plants struggle in these conditions, producing tiny clusters of small berries that yield a concentrated but perfectly fresh wine with a racy brightness. Grown in the excellent 2023 season—a product of good winter rainfall, a cool spring, and an ideal September that allowed measured, even ripening before a deliberate late harvest in early October—this is take-your-breath-away Pinot Noir that belongs in the conversation with the best of California. It's everything winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis—who boasts one of the most impressive résumés in Santa Barbara, including a stint at Sine Qua Non—was looking for.

When we started offering Dragonette, the winery was a well-kept secret. Demand goes up every year, and we're always grateful to owners John and Steve Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis for every allocation we can share with you.