Winemaker Notes
Classic Estate noseof black fruit, red cherry and tobacco. Bigger and broader and more generous thanprevious vintages due to naturally low yields, a perfectly warm vintage andincreased concentration from fifteen-year-old vines. Supple and soft. Nothing outof place in this wine. It highlights the diatom structure with fine grain grit andforgiving, but long-lasting tannins. Almost decadent fruit, but it is held in check byearthy notes of porcini and dried herbs. Savory and refreshing. Dark and brooding,but absolutely buoyed by acidity and fresh verve. Sophisticated, sensual, complexand utterly delicious. A pinot noir that checks all of the boxes. Long race on thefinish between silky dark fruit and a delicate dusting of tannin.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful dark, dusky fruit and precise balance give this medium-bodied wine a good, linear drive and refreshing texture. Red and black cherries, good acidity and subtle savory, spicy nuances.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is again centered around Radian, which forms just over half the blend, followed by almost equal parts of Bentrock and Sanford & Benedict. It opens with a darker-fruited profile than I typically associate with the vintage, featuring distinctly savory, earthy aromas that introduce a supple, seamless palate and a chalky conclusion.
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.