Welcome to what is the best Pinot Noir from this producer we have ever tasted! The Hilt is based in the cool, wind-swept Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County and focuses on top notch Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. It's also worth mentioning that the property is owned by Stan Kroenke, who also owns Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley. While these two properties share the same owner and the same dedication to world-class wines, they are completely separate entities, with their own winemakers, vineyard managers and winemaking facilities.
Their Radian vineyard is rugged and extreme. The upper portions of the vineyard are exposed to near-constant high winds, resulting in structured tannins. But outcrops of diatomaceous earth and rocky soils offer heat retention, which allows for ripe fruit to bring balance to the finished wines.
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "More crushed stone, darker cherry, iron, and sea breeze notes emerge from the 2022 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard, an utterly classic Sta. Rita Hills release with its savory, structured, medium to full-bodied richness and marine-like influences. As with the Bentrock release, it blossoms with time in the glass and will have 10-15 years of longevity."
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Pinot Noir Radian is a potent wine very much shaped by this site's exposure to the elements. A brooding, tannic young Pinot, the 2022 is quite backward at this stage, even though it was done with more destemmed fruit than is the norm. Crushed rocks, herbs, menthol and licorice explode through the palate-staining finish. This is a rare vintage in which the Radian Pinot has less textural density than the Bentrock."
Their Radian vineyard is rugged and extreme. The upper portions of the vineyard are exposed to near-constant high winds, resulting in structured tannins. But outcrops of diatomaceous earth and rocky soils offer heat retention, which allows for ripe fruit to bring balance to the finished wines.
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "More crushed stone, darker cherry, iron, and sea breeze notes emerge from the 2022 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard, an utterly classic Sta. Rita Hills release with its savory, structured, medium to full-bodied richness and marine-like influences. As with the Bentrock release, it blossoms with time in the glass and will have 10-15 years of longevity."
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Pinot Noir Radian is a potent wine very much shaped by this site's exposure to the elements. A brooding, tannic young Pinot, the 2022 is quite backward at this stage, even though it was done with more destemmed fruit than is the norm. Crushed rocks, herbs, menthol and licorice explode through the palate-staining finish. This is a rare vintage in which the Radian Pinot has less textural density than the Bentrock."
