Hilliard Bruce Sun Pinot Noir 2011
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
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Wine Enthusiast
The descriptor “Sun” is apt, for this Pinot brims with the ripe, fruity flavors that only a brilliant, moderate climate can achieve. Raspberries and cherries flood the palate, brightened by crisp coastal acidity, and given structure by silky, complex tannins. As delicious as this wine is, it should gain bottle complexity over the next eight years.Cellar Selection
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More elegant, supple and pure, with more red fruits, dried flowers, underbrush and spice, the 2011 Pinot Noir Sun is the estate’s flagship release and spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. Lightly textured, it has beautiful precision and focus, as well as a clean, lengthy finish that fleshes out nicely with time in the glass. This beautifully defined, elegant and pure Pinot Noir will benefit from short-term cellaring and have over a decade of longevity. Drink 2015-2023.
Other Vintages
2013-
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
Today John and Christine are intimately involved with every step of running Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, from viticulture and winemaking to sales. Christine heads Hilliard Bruce’s Chardonnay production, while John focuses on several Pinot Noir bottlings.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.