2018 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Hapgood Vineyard
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The medium ruby colored 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood, made with 100% whole clusters, features scents of crushed rhubarb and blueberries with notes of licorice, violet, blood orange and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied with perfumed flavor layers, finely grained and seamlessly fresh with a long, floral finish. This offers a bit more oomph and power than the other wines in the lineup this year and is immediately accessible, although it will age well in bottle. Only 97 cases were made.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood is another savory, incredibly complex wine from this estate. Offering up plenty of redcurrants, mulled blackberries, dusty earth, spring flowers, and baking spices, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant texture, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges. It's another brilliant Pinot Noir from Brewer that can be enjoyed today or cellared for over a decade. This is another brilliant lineup from Greg Brewer, and these Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (as well as a terrific Syrah) are up with the finest wines in this report. These wines are never shrinking violets and have loads of fruit and texture, yet they always show singular characters, stunning balance, and weightless, elegant textures that make them a joy to drink. I think they're some of the finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming out of California today.
The 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood is marked by very strong stem component, which is likely the result of a cold site in a cold year and 100% whole clusters. It will be interesting to see if more fruit emerges.