#7 on Hi-Time's Top Red Wines from North America
For 30 years, winemaker Greg Brewer has been honing his skill of crafting impeccable wines from Santa Barbara County, with a specific focus on the Sta. Rita Hills sub-AVA. In fact, Greg Brewer helped to map and define the Sta. Rita Hills area in 1997, which helped its official approval in 2001. In addition, Greg has been previously named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. Brewer-Clifton is now using 100% Estate Grown grapes, and they do not purchase grapes from other owners. This ensures that every attention to detail can be covered, and only the highest quality grapes enter through the winery doors, and they use sustainable and/or organic farming methods whenever possible. This Pinot Noir offering is a blend of their 3D, Machado and Hapgood vineyards; three vineyards that helped to produce single-vineyard wine with scores as high as 99 points! The vineyards are planted on a mix of sand and clay. This may decrease vigor and yields, but it intensifies the aromatics and flavors; the vineyards have been planted to a mix of several different clones, which aids in complexity. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels, so while you will get a hint of oak, the purity of the fruit is what shines.
This wine exemplifies all the beauty that Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir has to offer, and has struck a chord with consumers and critics alike. In fact, Jeb Dunnuck rated this at 95 points.
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "As with all the Pinot Noirs from this talented winemaker, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills was not destemmed and was aged all in 100% neutral oak barrels. Medium ruby-hued, darker berries and redcurrants intermixed with rose, damp forest floor, and subtle spicy, meaty nuances all emerge from the glass. It's remarkably pure and medium-bodied, with a pure, seamless, layered mouthfeel and ultra-fine tannins. This is classic Greg Brewer brilliance with Pinot Noir. Drink bottles any time over the coming decade. Drink 2025-2035."
WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "A savory-edged version, with bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes at the core and a flash of bracing oyster shell minerality through the finish. Drink now through 2028. 8,475 cases made."
For 30 years, winemaker Greg Brewer has been honing his skill of crafting impeccable wines from Santa Barbara County, with a specific focus on the Sta. Rita Hills sub-AVA. In fact, Greg Brewer helped to map and define the Sta. Rita Hills area in 1997, which helped its official approval in 2001. In addition, Greg has been previously named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. Brewer-Clifton is now using 100% Estate Grown grapes, and they do not purchase grapes from other owners. This ensures that every attention to detail can be covered, and only the highest quality grapes enter through the winery doors, and they use sustainable and/or organic farming methods whenever possible. This Pinot Noir offering is a blend of their 3D, Machado and Hapgood vineyards; three vineyards that helped to produce single-vineyard wine with scores as high as 99 points! The vineyards are planted on a mix of sand and clay. This may decrease vigor and yields, but it intensifies the aromatics and flavors; the vineyards have been planted to a mix of several different clones, which aids in complexity. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels, so while you will get a hint of oak, the purity of the fruit is what shines.
This wine exemplifies all the beauty that Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir has to offer, and has struck a chord with consumers and critics alike. In fact, Jeb Dunnuck rated this at 95 points.
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "As with all the Pinot Noirs from this talented winemaker, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills was not destemmed and was aged all in 100% neutral oak barrels. Medium ruby-hued, darker berries and redcurrants intermixed with rose, damp forest floor, and subtle spicy, meaty nuances all emerge from the glass. It's remarkably pure and medium-bodied, with a pure, seamless, layered mouthfeel and ultra-fine tannins. This is classic Greg Brewer brilliance with Pinot Noir. Drink bottles any time over the coming decade. Drink 2025-2035."
WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "A savory-edged version, with bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes at the core and a flash of bracing oyster shell minerality through the finish. Drink now through 2028. 8,475 cases made."
