Dragonette Cellars

The Dragonette Cellars logo represents the old alchemist symbol for the “elixir of life” or “drinkable gold,” and although founders John and Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis, don’t promise liquid gold, they do promise the utmost quality and purity from the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast to create their wines. Their dream had always been to make the wine themselves, from vineyard to bottle, and today every bottle that leaves Dragonette winery is 100% produced by their family members.

Tasting Note: The nose is loaded with fresh and pure fruits of peach, apricot, pear, and quince along with creamy mango sherbet notes. The flavors build, and aromas of straw, wet stone, and fresh coconut emerge with a subtle smokiness and a salty sea-air freshness. In the mouth, the wine is powerful, with a nice mouth-coating glycerin and fruity richness. The flavors echo the abundant fruit found in the nose, and the wine finishes with gorgeous clean acidity and a refreshing kiss of honey. Exuberant, but light and fresh at the same time. Luscious and delicious! $25.00 per bottle.

As Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (IWC) writes in Issue 153, Nov/Dec 2010, “Bright yellow. Deeper and riper than the Santa Ynez bottling, displaying scents of ripe pear, melon and white peach, with hints of honey and baking spices. Supple, juicy orchard and pit fruit flavors are given lift and spine by sneaky acidity and pick up a floral quality with air….

As Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (IWC) writes in Issue 153, Nov/Dec 2010, “Saturated ruby. A heady bouquet displays an array of red and dark berry, floral and spice qualities, along with underlying smokiness. Then sweet and sappy, offering fresh raspberry and blackberry flavors along with an exotic note of candied violet. Spicy and precise on the finish, which is impressively fragrant and very long. As complex as this wine is today I’d bet it would reward at least another five years of patience.

Here are Dragonette’s tasting notes on the MJM: Large scaled, but incredibly light on its feet for such a big guy, never heavy or cloying. Intense aromas of black and blue berries, vanilla, cedar and other lighter, toasted wood spices are intermixed with dried and raw meat notes. The wine is full in the mouth, displaying, a torrent of fresh blackberries, blueberry, and kirsch in a creamy milk-shake-like mélange of flavors. The wine has great depth and concentration, lingering on the palate before the solid but ripe tannins and round acidity arrive to carry them through to the long distinguished finish. MJM would be best served with strongly flavored dishes of beef or game (venison comes to mind), with or without sauces (peppercorn, bordelaise) or strong blue cheese. It’s good on its own too. Of course, MJM would benefit from several years aging, if you could keep your hands off. We suggest buying several.

To Join Dragonette for a taste head to their tasting room. They are open Thursday through Monday from 11am to 5pm, or by appointment. Come meet the winemakers in this new location in the premier wine country destination of Los Olivos.