95 Point Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay!

“DEEP, RICH AND THRILLINGLY TEXTURED” – Jeb Dunnuck

“Brewer-Clifton is easily one of the most prominent and critically acclaimed Chardonnay & Pinot Noir producers in the highly-regarded Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Their single-vineyard Chardonnays list for $70-$75, but their blend of estate vineyards is, as Jeb Dunnuck describes, ‘the smart value play of the lineup as it’s half the price, but more than half the wine.’ The Brewer-Clifton team know what they’re doing, from careful cultivation in the vineyard (all estate fruit here) to the winemaking techniques that encourage the fruit to speak for itself. This is a triumph!” – Glen Knight, The Wine House

Reviewer note: Jeb Dunnuck, who wrote “The Rhône Report” before being recruited in 2013 by Robert Parker to join The Wine Advocate, has recently launched a new publication, under his own name. He will focus on the regions whose wines he loves best: Washington, California, Bordeaux, the Rhône and southern France. Jeb has a stellar reputation in the industry for being an extremely hard worker who is passionate about wine, curious to learn more, with an open-minded attitude. He’s also described as a “genuinely nice guy.” You’ll continue to see his reviews, as the regions he covers are well-represented at The Wine House!

95 Points Jeb Dunnuck: “The 2015 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills checks in as a blend of the 3D, Acin and Machado Vineyards, and it’s brought up identically to the single vineyards. In addition, there’s really no barrel selection made, so don’t think of this cuvee as a second wine. Like the Hapgood, it’s a seriously rich, unctuous beauty that offers notes of buttered citrus rind, candied lemons, honeycomb and hints of minerality. Deep, rich and thrillingly textured, it’s certainly the smart value play of the lineup as it’s half the price, but more than half the wine.” (August 2017)

FROM THE PRODUCER

WINERY TASTING NOTES: With the goal of expressing a comprehensive expression of the appellation, we selected four unique vineyard sites to create this Sta. Rita Hills bottling. This blend is comprised of 3D, Machado, Acin and Hapgood vineyards. While each lot is handled separately and in a completely uniform fashion in the winery, each contributes vastly different expressions which ultimately harmonize in the finished wine.
Aroma: Lemon, Kiwi, Orange Blossom, Sweet Basil
Flavor: Jasmine, Lime, Ginger, Mineral
Texture: Peel, Orange Zest, Fresh Sea Salt

PHILOSOPHY: At Brewer–Clifton, we believe that the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation provide an ideal place to grow chardonnay and pinot noir of intensity, complexity and specificity. Our mission and indeed our passion is to present wines that convey the characteristics inherent to each of these sites, with uncompromising quality.

CRAFT: Only neutral barrels are employed. Whole cluster pressed chardonnay. We don’t promote or prohibit malolactic fermentation, allowing wine to be in balance, bright and elegant.

FARMING: As each vineyard has its own unique requirements and we manage each according to their inimitable needs rather than a macro approach to farming. We are working to achieve a natural balance between the site, the vines, the aspect and the microclimates in each vineyard, using sustainable and/or organic farming methods whenever possible.

CELLARING: All of the wines are produced with the intention of aging and cellaring for at least 10 years and can easily be enjoyed after 15 yrs.

VINEYARD: This blend is comprised of 3D, Machado, Acin and Hapgood vineyards:
3D - The primary emphasis of the predominantly sandy 10 acre vineyard is chardonnay, with five clones planted in equal amounts.
MACHADO - 15 acre parcel on the Machado family land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy clay loam soils.
ACIN - The Acin parcel is just over an acre of chardonnay planted in a section predominantly marked by sand. The budwood is a Wente selection originally taken from the original Nielsen Vineyard planted in Santa Maria in 1964.
HAPGOOD - In slightly richer soil, the vineyard is planted to the Mount Eden selection of chardonnay. The elevated clay loam content results in larger volume and a more dense palate expression.