2012 Dragonette Cellars Radian Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., 200 cases, $54. This vineyard is located at the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. This is an extreme site buffeted by high winds. Vines struggle to set fruit and only a tiny crop of small clusters are able to ripen. Yields in this vintage were .57 to .88 tons per acre. Clones 114 and 667. 100% de-stemmed, 4-day cold soak, native and commercial yeast fermentations. Aged 15 months sur lie in 22% new French oak. Unfiltered. A barrel selection. · A brooding, confined wine that offers very shy black fruits and coffee-scented oak on the nose with a firm, sinewy backbone of tannin. A full-bodied array of dark red and black fruits are soft and smooth on the palate, and although this texture is very appealing, the fruit lack expression at this stage, with oak dominating the theme. Like a puzzle that has not come together, this wine is not as appealing now as it most certainly will be with another few years in bottle. Reviewed September 20, 2014

Winery: Dragonette Cellars
From article: Sips of Recently Tasted California Pinot Noir & Chardonnay & Outliers