2022 Brewer Clifton - Chardonnay 3D Santa Rita Hills (750ml)
From Brewer Clifton, the Santa Rita Hills label co-founded in 1996 by Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, this 2022 Chardonnay 3D embodies the winemaking ethos of the region: low intervention, single-vineyard expression, and a focus on terroir over oak. Greg Brewer helped map and establish the Santa Barbara County AVA in 1997, and his hands-on approach informs every bottle under this label. The 3D bottling comes from a single, predominantly sandy 10-acre vineyard planted with five Chardonnay clones in equal measure. Santa Rita Hills sits in one of the coolest pockets of the West Coast, a growing season long enough to give grapes unusual depth of flavor while retaining acidity. True to Brewer-Clifton's style, the wine sees no new oak, aging in neutral barrels after whole-cluster pressing, letting the vineyard's own character carry the wine rather than any winemaking influence.
Tasting profile
- Appearance: medium gold
- Aroma: exotic perfume of honeyed stone fruit, orange blossom, chalk, and brioche
- Palate: medium- to full-bodied, richly textured with layered citrus and almond flavors and a touch of salinity
- Finish: mineral-driven and long
Wine details
- Vineyard: single, predominantly sandy 10-acre vineyard
- Clones: five Chardonnay clones in equal measure
- Oak regimen: no new oak; aging in neutral barrels after whole-cluster pressing
- Appellation: Santa Rita Hills
- Case size: 750ml bottle
Food pairings
- Roasted halibut
- Lobster
- A creamy goat cheese tart