Tantara Dierberg Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
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One of the newest wineries in Santa Barbara County, Tantara is dedicated to producing the very finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our wine is vineyard designated from such growers as Bien Nacido, Talley, Pisoni and Laetitia.
In 1999 we planted ten acres of Pinot Noir and two acres of Syrah, which will bring our own vineyard holding to about fifteen acres when these new plantings come on-line in 2003. This fruit will then make up our estate bottling.
Also, we are happy to announce that we are in our new home. Thanks to the faith and support of Bien Nacido Vineyard, we are the proud inhabitants of our renovated barn, located on the beautiful Bien Nacido Vineyard. We are very fortunate to have secured this location.
Because of our commitment to detail and the finite amount of fruit that meets our standards, total production will be limited.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.