Winemaker Notes
Pure and elegant bright red cherry and dark blood orange. Added depth from notes of pomegranate, white pepper and rosemary. Black plum and velvet on palate. Sweet aged balsamic and savory tamari. Tremendous density and freshness. Silky, red and supple with enough herbal green personality to lift it out off the glass and create intrigue. Bright, energetic and so tense. The purity of red fruit is mind boggling, but met pound for pound by a saline intensity on the finish with chalky tannins that pushes the finish further and further. Still tightly coiled, but ultimately a balanced wine from deeply rooted, sun kissed and protected vines. A true pleasure to drink today, but the firm, yet deliciously savory structure hints at a long life ahead.
Pop open a bottle to enjoy with a grilled, marinated flank steak.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Notes of bright black cherry and black raspberry fruits, violets, spice box, and a touch of forest floor all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Bentrock Vineyard. Medium-bodied, it has a sensational, elegant, seamless texture, beautiful purity of fruit, a distinct sense of minerality, and a great finish. While approachable today, it’s going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and drink fabulously well for 7-8 years or more.
Wines defined by place, style and time. In the southwest corner of Sta. Rita Hills AVA lies a rugged, windswept, coastal vineyard, called The Hilt Estate; estate grower producer of stunning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reflective of this dynamic corner of California.
Pushing the limits; in the farthest southwest reach of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is home to Radian & Bentrock Vineyards, these vineyards dictate The Hilt style.
The numerous microclimates and unique soils provide a multilayered backdrop to create 3 unique expressions: Estate, The Guards, and Single Vineyards.
In 2014, Matt Dees, Ruben Solorzano & team took on operation and farming of Radian and Bentrock Vineyards and shifted to precise sustainable & organic farming to transform and revitalize the soil.
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.