Winemaker Notes
A beautiful and disarmingly pure expression of fresh red raspberry, black cherry, black tea, black pepper, and orange blossom. Wonderfully evocative and seamlessly changing between dazzling lifted fruit, deeply earthy notes, enticing toasty qualities and a deft touch of savory stem-inclusion. A precise display of the generosity of fruit from the 2019 vintage. Plush and silky, yet also undeniably coiled and powerful. Perfectly encapsulates the sunshine from 2019 alongside the always vibrant, tense, and focused nature of The Hilt's rugged and windblown estate vineyards. Great balance between the darkness of Radian and the generosity of Bentrock vineyards. One of those rare Pinot Noirs that will be welcome on the table tonight, but also certainly repay cellar time.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate is also terrific and shows the classy, medium-bodied, fresher style favored by this estate. Bright cherry, darker raspberry, flower, and violet notes all define this wonderfully complete, balanced, elegant Pinot Noir. It’s going to keep for at least 7-8 years, and probably over a decade.
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James Suckling
Hibiscus with oranges, walnuts and white pepper on the nose. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a fresh, vivid finish. Linear and spicy at the end with cloves and white pepper. Drink or hold.
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.