2023 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Machado
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Chardonnay Machado offers up the most distinctly floral and exuberant bouquet of the Brewer-Clifton roster, striking a balance between a pretty, perfumed and herbal nose and a broad, lush backdrop of golden orchard fruits. Similarly, the palate balances a vertical, elastic energy with a horizontal staying power, retaining sleek energy through the soaring, chalky finish. With time in the glass, this mellows out a bit, but it remains one of the more alluring and multifaceted of the Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Based on 100% Pinot Noir that was not destemmed and was aged 15 months in 100% neutral oak barrels, the 2023 Pinot Noir Machado offers Bing cherries, red plums, candied violets, peppery herbs, and incense. It's medium to full-bodied, has a broad, layered mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and blockbuster length. It's a big, rich, opulent beauty that does everything right. I doubt it's for the low alcohol crowd (it's 15%), but it's a brilliant, singular Pinot Noir that has so much character, as well as a decade of prime drinking. Drink 2025-2035. Greg Brewer has stayed laser-focused on site expression in the Sta. Rita Hills, fermenting everything with 100% whole clusters and aging exclusively in neutral oak, with the goal of keeping the spotlight on the vineyards. Looking at the vineyards, 3D sits along the Santa Rosa Road corridor between Lafond and Ampelos and is typically one of the brighter, more mineral-driven wines in the range, and I always find a certain saline edge and remarkable balance from this site. Machado lies on sandy clay loam just north of Clos Pepe, west of Buellton, and while the Chardonnay here tends to be racy and mineral-driven, the Pinot Noir is broader and more opulent and always a big wine. Hapgood sits directly across the road from Machado and is planted on sandier soils, which tend to bring more depth and structure; both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from this site show savory, marine-like nuances, and they’re a beautiful expression of the Sta. Rita Hills. A relatively new site from Brewer, Perilune sits north of Melville and spans varied elevations and soils, from sand to botella clay. The wines from this vineyard, whether Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Syrah, all share an exotic, layered profile with a distinctive saline and marine influence. Across the board, the 2023s show the acids, minerality, and transparency paired with serious richness that have made Brewer-Clifton a reference point for Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In short, don’t miss these wines.