ANTONIO GALLONI 96+ 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 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is another knockout wine in this lineup. What strikes me most—aside from the expressiveness of the fruit and the notably complex accents of seaweed, oyster shell and iodine—is the utter finesse of the powdery tannins. The 2023 just keeps expanding and broadening with aeration. Time is very much on its side. Masterful."
JEB DUNNUCK 95+ 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."
"From a Grand Cru site on the western cliffs of the appellation, the 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard shows a deeper ruby, translucent hue and delivers vibrant black cherry, mulberry, rose petal, sappy underbrush, and floral notes. Including 5% whole clusters, it has a medium-bodied, grippy, and structured mouthfeel with ripe tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and a salty, mineral-drenched finish. It’s brilliant all the way and will benefit from a year or two of cellaring before drinking well over the following decade. Drink 2026-2036."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis and team produced an impressive set of 2023 wines that capture the elegantly dense and calibrated tenacity of the vintage, rendered with the contemporary polish that characterizes the house style. As one might expect at this address, readers will find a high-quality lineup that covers the entire Santa Ynez Valley through many of its most notable vineyards, arrived at through acreage contracts that allow the team to tailor prescriptive organic methods to their preferences with a view to reducing yields and concentrating flavors."
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is one of the darkest and most intense Pinot Noirs in the range, bursting from the glass with aromas of black fruit, dried herbs, kelp and oyster brine, lifted by a touch of citrus-driven energy. The palate combines a silky, racy texture with elegant, creamy richness and an umami-driven undercurrent, culminating in a high-toned finish framed by fine-grained tannins and chalky top notes. I found another level of purity and completeness here relative to several of the other Pinot Noirs in the range this year."
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is another knockout wine in this lineup. What strikes me most—aside from the expressiveness of the fruit and the notably complex accents of seaweed, oyster shell and iodine—is the utter finesse of the powdery tannins. The 2023 just keeps expanding and broadening with aeration. Time is very much on its side. Masterful."
JEB DUNNUCK 95+ 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."
"From a Grand Cru site on the western cliffs of the appellation, the 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard shows a deeper ruby, translucent hue and delivers vibrant black cherry, mulberry, rose petal, sappy underbrush, and floral notes. Including 5% whole clusters, it has a medium-bodied, grippy, and structured mouthfeel with ripe tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and a salty, mineral-drenched finish. It’s brilliant all the way and will benefit from a year or two of cellaring before drinking well over the following decade. Drink 2026-2036."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis and team produced an impressive set of 2023 wines that capture the elegantly dense and calibrated tenacity of the vintage, rendered with the contemporary polish that characterizes the house style. As one might expect at this address, readers will find a high-quality lineup that covers the entire Santa Ynez Valley through many of its most notable vineyards, arrived at through acreage contracts that allow the team to tailor prescriptive organic methods to their preferences with a view to reducing yields and concentrating flavors."
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is one of the darkest and most intense Pinot Noirs in the range, bursting from the glass with aromas of black fruit, dried herbs, kelp and oyster brine, lifted by a touch of citrus-driven energy. The palate combines a silky, racy texture with elegant, creamy richness and an umami-driven undercurrent, culminating in a high-toned finish framed by fine-grained tannins and chalky top notes. I found another level of purity and completeness here relative to several of the other Pinot Noirs in the range this year."
