ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 95 POINTS - "I tasted a broad range of wines with Winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis that made me feel like I was listening to a greatest hits record. The 2023s at Dragonette are, quite simply, off the charts. The winemaking here is all about site transparency and farming, which Sparks-Gillis describes as 'almost like bonsai. We are so meticulous and prune heavily to severely limit yields.'"
"The 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard opens with a deep, savory base layers that delves even deeper into a well of ultra-ripe golden apple, ginger, slate and accents of petrol. This is a dynamic, amplified Chardonnay that expands in every direction. Serious phenolic grip and chew wrangle the palate on the long, saline finish. There's so much power here."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "One of the more impressive wines in the lineup, the 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard showcases a honeyed, borderline opulent profile that remains admirably balanced and energetic. A lush bouquet of sun-kissed orchard fruits, pastry cream, white chocolate and nougat introduces a similarly broad, textural, saturated palate propped up by a taut, bracing core. It concludes with a layered finish that gives equal measure to rich, nutty decadence and soaring minerality laced with saline and herbal accents."
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Dragonette continues to fire on all cylinders, and this lineup showcases why they're one of Santa Barbara County's most complete producers. Brothers John and Steve Dragonette, along with Brandon Sparks-Gillis, work across multiple AVAs and varieties with remarkable consistency."
"Exotic stone fruits, honeyed flowers, almond paste, and minty herb notes all emerge from the 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard, which comes from a great vineyard on the western side of the Sta. Rita Hills. This Meursault-like effort is medium-bodied, beautifully textured, with integrated acidity and a great finish. It benefits from air, and I suspect it will blossom with a year or two of bottle age and keep nicely through 2035. Drink 2027-2035."
"The 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard opens with a deep, savory base layers that delves even deeper into a well of ultra-ripe golden apple, ginger, slate and accents of petrol. This is a dynamic, amplified Chardonnay that expands in every direction. Serious phenolic grip and chew wrangle the palate on the long, saline finish. There's so much power here."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "One of the more impressive wines in the lineup, the 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard showcases a honeyed, borderline opulent profile that remains admirably balanced and energetic. A lush bouquet of sun-kissed orchard fruits, pastry cream, white chocolate and nougat introduces a similarly broad, textural, saturated palate propped up by a taut, bracing core. It concludes with a layered finish that gives equal measure to rich, nutty decadence and soaring minerality laced with saline and herbal accents."
JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Dragonette continues to fire on all cylinders, and this lineup showcases why they're one of Santa Barbara County's most complete producers. Brothers John and Steve Dragonette, along with Brandon Sparks-Gillis, work across multiple AVAs and varieties with remarkable consistency."
"Exotic stone fruits, honeyed flowers, almond paste, and minty herb notes all emerge from the 2023 Chardonnay Rita's Crown Vineyard, which comes from a great vineyard on the western side of the Sta. Rita Hills. This Meursault-like effort is medium-bodied, beautifully textured, with integrated acidity and a great finish. It benefits from air, and I suspect it will blossom with a year or two of bottle age and keep nicely through 2035. Drink 2027-2035."
