2012BCSRH2012 Brewer-Clifton, Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills.
Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer are two of the good guys in the wine biz, likable, charming and two of California’s great talents, their Brewer-Clifton wines have been wowing us since the late nineties, and now they’ve even raised the bar with their 2012 releases, especially the multi-vineyard cuvee, the Sta. Rita Hills bottling of Pinot Noir. This new edition is simply gorgeous, and amazingly pure, there are no flashy adornments, nor is there any weakness to be found, this wine just sings beautifully with lovely fruit, floral tones and seamless texture, this energy filled and remarkably balanced young Pinot shows the meticulous precision of Greg Brewer’s talents in the cellar, he ferments everything in stainless steel and uses no new oak, and highlights the total commitment to farming the guys are doing, every grape they use now are from vines they farm themselves, this took a big investment and was a risk, as the grapes they were sourcing were from some of the best vineyards in the region and well known, but everything is paying off, and the rewards are really evident in this wine. The vivid and fresh 2012 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot begins with it’s garnet/ruby hue, stunning and bright in the glass, a deep bouquet leading with soft violets, mixed roses and brambly red fruits, sweet herbs with hints of mineral opening to a medium bodied full flavored palate of refined and poised raspberry, plum, currant and dark cherry fruits, super clear, transparent and being lifted by focused acidity, creamy/silky textures and array of subtle complexities including cedar, anise, wild strawberry, pomegranate, stony elements, briar spice and rose oil. This wine is strengthened by the whole, the sum of it’s parts all coming together to be a complete and pleasing wine, Greg and Steve can be proud of their latest wines, and this one in particular is a fantastic Pinot, a real statement of intent, drink now through 2019.
($40 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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