2013 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills
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Tasting notes
The 2013 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is flat-out gorgeous, and certainly on par with the more expensive single vineyard releases from this estate. Terrific notes of black cherry, kirsch, leafy herbs, game, and spice all emerge from this gorgeously layered, rich, concentrated Pinot Noir that hits all the sweet spots. It’s a beautiful wine. This was a fabulous tasting with winemaker Greg Brewer, and both his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay showed brilliantly. While it’s easy to always focus on the single vineyard releases from a producer, this tasting shows that the appellation blends can be every bit as good. Greg’s Chardonnays are always barrel fermented and aged all in neutral oak, and his Pinot Noir see the same hands-off approach, being fermented with no destemming and aged all in neutral barrels.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Brewer-Clifton's 2013 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is a beautiful example of the appellation. Juicy dark cherries, plums, exotic spices and lavender meld together in an effortless, gracious Pinot endowed with depth and personality. Gently spiced notes add shades of nuance on the racy finish.
The 2013 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is outstanding and shines for its sweet, fruit-forward character. Offering up tons of black raspberry, bing cherry, spice and flowers, drink this medium-bodied, hard-to-resist, supple and straight-up delicious beauty over the coming 4-5 years.
Bright ruby-red. High-pitched red berry and floral scents are sharpened by suggestions of white pepper and allspice. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering intense raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that become fleshier and sweeter with air. Fruit-driven and accessible, finishing with strong punch, repeating florality and slow-building supple tannins.