2023 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir 3-D

One of my favorites in the lineup as well as an absolutely magical Pinot Noir, the 2023 Pinot Noir 3D was not destemmed and spent 15 months in 100% neutral oak barrels. It offers medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe raspberries, rose petals, iodine, and peppery herbs. Flawlessly balanced, it has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and extraordinary length. This is easily one of the wines of the vintage. It reminds me of a great Vosne-Romanée with its overall balance and sense of class. It should have 15 years of longevity. Drink 2025-2040. 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.

The 2023 Pinot Noir 3D is deeply mineral and savory, turning out shades of chalk, salt, smoke, crushed rocks and intense, gravelly minerality. Black-tea-like tannins and notes of rooibos tea are enshrouded by particularly suave textures. The 3D presents such a compelling, engaging juxtaposition of textural suppleness vs structural sternness. It's the most cerebral wine in the lineup.