Dragonette 'Radian Vineyard', Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills 2022
96pts Wine Advocate | 96pts Wine Enthusiast | 95pts Vinous
Fabulous, wild, dramatic, extreme, otherworldly. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of Radian. The landscape is stark, steep, scraggly and covered in poison oak and chapparal. The steep slopes are battered daily by cold, salty, high winds, and the soils are parched dry and silty, with diatomaceous earth outcroppings and thin layers of sandy and clay topsoils that cling to the ground against the onslaught of the mighty Pacific.
Yields are frightfully low here, as tiny clusters dangle precariously within the small canopies. The small clusters though are immensely flavorful and full of complex savory, spice, and marine notes. We love the wines from here, a product of great vision and dedication by Matt Dees, Ruben Solarzano and the vineyard team there.
In 2022, the Radian grapes were harvested after the heat wave; in the cooler location the grapes had not been that close to ripeness. There was some dehydration and vine stress, but with proper field sorting by us, the grapes that made it to the winery were in excellent shape. The 2022 Radian was fermented on native yeasts, and the wine then aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak cooperage (40% new) before bottling without fining or filtration.
96pts Wine Advocate | 96pts Wine Enthusiast | 95pts Vinous
Fabulous, wild, dramatic, extreme, otherworldly. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of Radian. The landscape is stark, steep, scraggly and covered in poison oak and chapparal. The steep slopes are battered daily by cold, salty, high winds, and the soils are parched dry and silty, with diatomaceous earth outcroppings and thin layers of sandy and clay topsoils that cling to the ground against the onslaught of the mighty Pacific.
Yields are frightfully low here, as tiny clusters dangle precariously within the small canopies. The small clusters though are immensely flavorful and full of complex savory, spice, and marine notes. We love the wines from here, a product of great vision and dedication by Matt Dees, Ruben Solarzano and the vineyard team there.
In 2022, the Radian grapes were harvested after the heat wave; in the cooler location the grapes had not been that close to ripeness. There was some dehydration and vine stress, but with proper field sorting by us, the grapes that made it to the winery were in excellent shape. The 2022 Radian was fermented on native yeasts, and the wine then aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak cooperage (40% new) before bottling without fining or filtration.
96pts Wine Advocate | 96pts Wine Enthusiast | 95pts Vinous
Fabulous, wild, dramatic, extreme, otherworldly. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when we think of Radian. The landscape is stark, steep, scraggly and covered in poison oak and chapparal. The steep slopes are battered daily by cold, salty, high winds, and the soils are parched dry and silty, with diatomaceous earth outcroppings and thin layers of sandy and clay topsoils that cling to the ground against the onslaught of the mighty Pacific.
Yields are frightfully low here, as tiny clusters dangle precariously within the small canopies. The small clusters though are immensely flavorful and full of complex savory, spice, and marine notes. We love the wines from here, a product of great vision and dedication by Matt Dees, Ruben Solarzano and the vineyard team there.
In 2022, the Radian grapes were harvested after the heat wave; in the cooler location the grapes had not been that close to ripeness. There was some dehydration and vine stress, but with proper field sorting by us, the grapes that made it to the winery were in excellent shape. The 2022 Radian was fermented on native yeasts, and the wine then aged on its lees for 18 months in French oak cooperage (40% new) before bottling without fining or filtration.
