Winemaker Notes
Sincere and evocative expression of the brooding Radian fruit with tremendous spice and herbal nuance. Black plum, chanterelle, rooibos, black pepper, and rosemary. Literally smells like a walk through the wild and wind-blown Radian property. Expansive and generous fruit today, but still a coiled and formidable personality. Pure Radian vineyard with qualities of steeped black tea and notes of hibiscus and clove. Sleek fruit slides over a finish highlighted by ultra-fine, but persistent diatomaceous earth-driven tannins. Saline and supremely graceful.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
In the same realm, the 2019 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard offers more red and blue fruits (black raspberries, cherries, blueberries) as well as ample minerality and graphite. It too is medium-bodied, utterly seamless, flawlessly balanced, and concentrated. As with all of these 2019s from Dees, it has slightly more texture and suppleness than past vintages and is going to drink nicely for a decade.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.