Winemaker Notes
Dark and brooding with a cooling herbal temperament. Typical of site with strong notes of black pepper, blackberry, pancetta and mint, but with an added floral note in 2018 reminiscent of lavender. Fruit-driven and coiled with a succulent, savory side and tons of kinetic energy. Black tea, black currant pastilles and cured meat. Finely ground espresso alongside pine resin and forest floor leaves. Structurally it is redolent of the diatomaceous earth on which it grows, as it is ultimately fresh, cooling, fine grained and balanced. A wine of polar opposites…dark, sweet and luscious black fruit alongside a tremendous light touch with elegance, pedigree and refinement. It zips up on the back-palate to show off tremendous poise, tension and energy.
Serve today with the true food of kings: simple and pure carnitas tacos.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
A stunning bottle, the 2018 Pinot Noir Radian brings together all the elements that make the Hilt wines so compelling. Rich, deep and beautifully resonant in the glass, the Radian has so much to offer. A rush of dark red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender, mint and sweet spice build in a dramatic, statuesque Pinot loaded with character and personality. The interplay of textural richness and energy is simply breathtaking.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is a more chiseled, focused wine. Racy black cherry and mulberry fruits, lots of candied violets and blood orange notes, medium-bodied richness, and present yet fine tannins all make for a brilliant, racy, singular Pinot Noir that will benefit from a year or three of bottle age and keep for a decade.
Rating: 95+
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.