Dragonette Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2018

90 points Connoisseurs' Guide: "[$50 list] Polish and careful crafting mark this wine from beginning to end, and, if not quite as rich or deep in fruit as the other Dragonette Pinots in 2018, it is a lovely, very refined rendition all the same with a fine and inviting, slightly velvety mouthfeel and neatly integrated acidity lending brightness and length. Admittedly hard to resist now as a partner to pan-roasted duck breasts, it has the stamina to keep and is sure to please for another four or five years. (Nov 2020)"

Producer notes: "[$50 list] This wine is crafted from several of the finest vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, including, for the first time, the old vines from the famous Sanford & Benedict Vineyard (30%). The blend is rounded out with Bentrock (23%), La Rinconada (14%), John Sebastiano (14%), Radian (7%), Spear (6%), Fiddlestix (3%) and Donnachadh (3%). Wines form the warmer parts of the SRH provide dramatic fruits and baking spices, wines from the cooler portions provide, higher toned red fruits, fresh herbs, minerals and great acidity. The multiple vineyards combine to create great complexity, and 15 months aging on the lees provides texture, structure and length. Although young, the wine’s great freshness and lift provides delicious drinking already, and the wine has a long life ahead of it."