Search results for: 'The Hilt Pinot Noir The Vanguard Santa Rita Hills 2011'
- Sandhi Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2022WA94$39.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills comes from declassified fruit grown at Domaine de la Côte, plus purchased fruit from three other vineyards, including La Rinconada. It's a particularly complex and expressive iteration of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir from Sandhi. It has an alluring perfume of raspberry, strawberry, tea leaves, tobacco, potpourri and gravel dust, and it reveals botanical undertones as it spends time in the glass. The light-bodied palate has a deep core of spicy, herbal fruit, a frame of chalky tannins, energetic acidity and a long, layered finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 8 LEFT! - Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2021WE95JD95Availability:In Stock
95 Points! Leading off the reds, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills offers a pure, complex, intense perfume of ripe raspberries, peppery herbs, exotic flowers, and underbrush. This deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir has a layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. It will stand up to anything in the vintage and should be snatched up by savvy readers. Jeb Dunnuck
95 Points! Even Greg Brewer’s appellation cuvée carries his hallmark, addictive combination of sensory sensations. Light in the glass, it begins with aromas of fresh strawberry, red plum, wild thyme and chaparral spice on the nose. The palate snaps with refreshing acidity, powering through vibrant red fruit, earthy herb and peppery spice flavors. Delicious, fun, memorable. The Wine Enthusiast
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 1 LEFT! - Chanin Pinot Noir Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 2020JD94+WA92VM93$69.98Availability:In Stock
94+ Points! From a site on the other (southern) side of the appellation, the 2020 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir saw quite a bit more stems and was fermented with 40% stems and brought up in 20% new oak. It has a wonderful nose of ripe red and black currants as well as subtle woodsmoke, dried herbs, and forest floor. This carries to a pure, medium-bodied, balanced Pinot Noir with ripe tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It opens up nicely with time in the glass and will no doubt benefit from another year or two of bottle age. These latest releases from Gavin Chanin are pretty much straight-up brilliant across the board. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn More - Fennell Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2019$31.98Availability:In Stock
From the winery: The first grapes for Fennell Family Wines, the Pinot Noir from Peake Ranch, were just beautiful. Made from two very complementary clonal selections of Pinot: clone 667 provides excellent structure, dark fruits and richness, and clone 115 gives bright red fruits, spice, and high-toned floral aromatics. After hand picking at night, the fruit was destemmed with whole clusters added in layers for complexity. Cold soaking in open-top bins provided slow extraction before fermentation began naturally. Gentle punch downs allowed the tannin profile to build while cooling the warm, fermenting cap. The wine was pressed shortly after dryness and moved to barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. Bottled after ten months in barrel, this wine has developed well with time in bottle.
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- Ancien Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Fiddlestix Vineyard 2019WS94$49.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! This isn't shy, offering up a pretty large core of kirsch and linzer torte notes, while racy red tea, dried anise and savory details add energy along the edges. Nice underlying minerality keeps the fruit honest through the finish, too. Drink now though 2030. - Wine Spectator
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 12 LEFT! - Samsara Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 2018$57.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! The 2018 Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard has a pale ruby color and fragrant scents of red berries, black tea leaves, lemon peel and earth. The medium-bodied palate is intense yet delicately styled, with a soft, grainy frame, bright, crunchy fruits and a long, spicy finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
Learn More - The Hilt Chardonnay 2018$44.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! Starting with the appellation 2018 Chardonnay Estate, this wine has a vivid gold hue as well as classy notes of sliced apple, nectarines, and honeyed flowers, with just a hint of salinity and minerality. It's elegant, beautifully balanced, and has a great finish, all while staying in the more vibrant, fresh style of this estate. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 9 LEFT! - Chanin Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 2020$59.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! Coming from one of the top sites in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2020 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard spent 15 months in 20% new French oak. A brilliant effort, it reveals pure, crisp notes of orchard fruits, chalky minerality, honeyed flowers, and brioche. These carry to a medium-bodied Chardonnay that stays tight and compact on the palate, with good mid-palate density, integrated yet high acidity, and a distinct salinity and minerality on the finish. It's another brilliant, classy, age-worthy Chardonnay that should keep for 10-15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 7 LEFT! - Brewer Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2021JD96Availability:Out of Stock
96 Points! Ripe orchard fruits, butted lemon, crushed stone, and salty, marine-influence notes all emerge from the 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, a concentrated, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay with a liquid rock-like sense of minerality, beautiful mid-palate density, and a great finish. You should never underestimate these appellation releases from Greg Brewer. This is an insane value in top Chardonnay from California. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn More - Alma Rosa Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2020WA94$29.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! The 2020 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills has gregarious white peach and baking spice to begin, with touches of lime peel, flint and white flowers. The palate offers fragrant peach and lime character with juicy acidity, and it finishes with broader, honeyed fruits. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 7 LEFT! - Melville Estate Syrah Sta. Rita Hills Donna's 2021WE97JD98$59.98 As low as $53.98Availability:In Stock
98 Points! The 2021 Syrah Donna's is all varietal and comes from the Melville Vineyard. Its vivid ruby/plum hue is followed by classic Syrah notes of ripe blackberries, mulberries, pepper, violets, and gamey meats. These carry to a full-bodied Syrah with ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and a gorgeous finish. This absolutely captivating Syrah is already impossible to resist yet is going to evolve for 15-20 years with ease. It's up with the finest vintages of this cuvée produced. Hats off to Chad Melville for a brilliant, world class Syrah! - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 3 LEFT! - Fennell Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2019$24.98Availability:In Stock
From the winery: I selected clone 548 Chardonnay from Peake Ranch for its tendency towards focused citrus flavors and distinctive minerality. After hand picking at night, the fruit was gently pressed as whole clusters, the juice was settled overnight, then transferred to barrels for a native fermentation. The slow conversion of grape sugars gives complexity and increased mouthfeel. A lengthy primary and secondary ferment was encouraged by occasional stirring of the yeast lees. Like an “old world” Chardonnay from an esteemed vineyard, this wine hid its true qualities for months in the barrel. Allowing the wine to develop gradually before bottling in the spring, after the next vintage, let this late bloomer shine.
Learn More - Belle Glos Chardonnay Glasir Holt Sta. Rita Hills 2022$48.98Availability:In StockHURRY, ONLY 12 LEFT!
- Paul Lato Pinot Noir 'Suerte' Solomon Hills Vineyard 2021JD95WA97VM94$89.98Availability:In Stock
97 Points! The 2021 Pinot Noir Suerte Solomon Hills Vineyard comes from 21-year-old vines planted in sand and was matured for 17 months in 53% new French oak. It has a deep, alluring perfume of strawberry, raspberry and pomegranate, with nuances of blood orange, tea leaves, graphite and fresh tobacco that continue to unfurl as it spends time in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is more coiled at this youthful stage, its flavors driven by iron-like mineral tones. It has a fine, powdery texture, mouthwatering busts of acidity that call you back to the glass and a long, spicy finish. It deserves 3-5 years in bottle to unwind and will be long lived. 344 cases were made. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
95 Points! I always love Lato's Pinot Noir from this site, and his 2021 Pinot Noir Suerte Solomon Hills Vineyard is no exception. Revealing a ruby hue as well as gorgeous notes of wild strawberries, black tea, toasted spice, and exotic flowers, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a round, layered, supple texture, integrated tannins, and outstanding length. Drink this more up-front, fruit-loaded, gorgeous Pinot Noir over the coming 5-7 years. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 10 LEFT! - Cristom Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills 2021DEC95JD96JS95VM96$74.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! At the top of this estate site, the Eileen Vineyard sits adjacent to Eola's iconic Temperance Hill and stares down the barrel of the Van Duzer Corridor, where those Pacific winds take dead aim at this part of the AVA. The resulting wine is a study in Eola-Amity terroir, a combination of soil diversity and those famed winds that make this place possible. White pepper and crushed basalt aromas blend with violet florals and juicy cut blood orange. The palate is fleshy, with a core of dark fruit wrapped up in savoury elegance, white pepper, and spice from these stony hills carry the wine into its amply structured finish. - Decanter Magazine
96 Points! Deeply seductive, the 2021 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard opens with a burst of mentholated herbs, licorice and sweet autumnal spices. Juicy and broad upon entry, this envelopes the palate with ripe red and hints of blue fruit, giving way to suggestions of cola and lavender. Its mineral core comes forward through the finish, gaining tension through a blend of fine tannins and residual acids as spice and floral notes resonate throughout. The Eileen Vineyard is refined using 46% whole clusters and 34% new French oak barrels for eighteen months. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 8 LEFT! - Stolo Pinot Noir Hillside Reserve 2021WA96Special Price $44.98 Regular Price $72.98Availability:In Stock
96 Points! Medium ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Hillside Reserve opens with broody tones of flint and oolong tea leaves, with a core of cranberry, sour cherry, tangerine and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate strikes a fine balance of generous, crunchy fruit and savory undertones. It has a frame of chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a long finish with fine earthy accents. Yum! - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
Learn More - Cristom Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills 2021DEC95JD94VM93$74.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! The Louise Vineyard is about 10% warmer than Jessie, and it also sees less wind, so these vines have life a little easier and as such, you see that in the wine's opulence. Aromas of dark bramble berries, black plum skin, and touches of savoury spice. The palate shows flashes of black tea, clove and rose hips alongside early-season blackberries. This site has a lot of geological complexity, and this structured Pinot will go the distance. - Decanter Magazine
Learn More - Cristom Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills 2021DEC95JS94VM94$74.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! Winemaker (and vineyard manager) Daniel Estrin refers to the Jessie Vineyard Pinot as a velvet sledgehammer, saying ‘this site has power and intensity with smooth edges.’ Aromas kick off a sweet blue fruit note with turned earth and fresh herbs accented by plenty of violets. These east-facing slopes see no afternoon sun and retain great freshness. The palate reflects those lively blue fruits, showing real depth and texture. There is fresh mint and touches of balsamic and soy umami. Seriously structured to lay down for many years. - Decanter Magazine
94 Points! Scented nose with wild strawberries, spiced cherries, dried herbs, baking spices and a touch of leather. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Vivid red currant and succulent sour cherry character on the mid-palate. Juicy and focused with harmonious structure and a long, intense finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 10 LEFT!