2009 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills
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Tasting notes
Also from a slightly cooler vintage for the region, the 2009 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is still going beautifully. A hybrid between the '07 and '08, it offers lots of black cherries, incense, and leafy herbs, with plenty of purity and precision in its aromatics. However, it shows more fruit and depth on the palate. It too is a beautifully complex wine that's drinking great today. 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
Vivid red. Pure, energetic aromas of strawberry and raspberry, with sexy floral and spice notes adding complexity. Juicy and precise, with good depth and a seamless texture to its spicy red fruit flavors. Closes on a nervy note, with lingering spiciness and excellent persistence. This drinks very well right now. There's a lot of this to go around--almost 40,000 bottles, in fact.
The 2009 Pinot Noir is a highly expressive wine. Sweet red fruit, herbs, licorice, dried flowers and mint are some of the notes that emerge from this mid-weight Pinot. The 100% stems come through in the wine's aromatic profile and high-toned finish. This is a terrific introduction to the house style and a fabulous effort at this level.
The 2009 Pinot Noir is a highly expressive wine. Sweet red fruit, herbs, licorice, dried flowers and mint are some of the notes that emerge from this mid-weight Pinot. The 100% stems come through in the wine’s aromatic profile and high-toned finish. This is a terrific introduction to the house style and a fabulous effort at this level. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. No one has done more to carry the banner for the Santa Rita Hills than Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton. Both together at Brewer-Clifton and separately in their other projects, Brewer and Clifton consistently deliver delicious wines that are also deeply thought provoking with regards to the potential these vineyard sites hold. The Pinots in particular are compelling. The 2009 Pinots saw a seven day cold soak and fermentations that lasted a total of 35-40 days, with 100% stems. Tel. (805) 735-9184; Fax (805) 735-9185; www.brewerclifton.com