2023 Brewer Clifton - Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills (750ml)

Brewer-Clifton was built entirely around a singular focus on the Sta. Rita Hills, founded by Greg Brewer, who was named Wine Enthusiast's Winemaker of the Year in 2020. Brewer has spent his career convinced that the appellation's unusual east-west orientation and transverse valleys create ideal conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and every wine in the portfolio is built to let a specific vineyard's imprint come through with as little winemaker interference as possible.

This appellation-level bottling draws on four distinct sites within Sta. Rita Hills, the 3D, Machado, Hapgood, and Perilune vineyards, each fermented and aged separately before blending. The wine was made using a high percentage of whole cluster fermentation, left mostly undestemmed, then aged entirely in neutral oak barrels so that the fruit and stems, rather than the wood, define the finished wine's character. The appellation's marine influence and varied soils show clearly in the glass.

Aromas of pomegranate, white tea, and raspberry lead into flavors of dried fig, white truffle, and ripe cherry, with a savory, rooibos-like quality carrying through the finish. Bright acidity and fine tannins keep the wine lifted and food friendly. It pairs well with grilled branzino, a wild mushroom galette, or fresh burrata.