2019 The Hilt Vanguard Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2019 Pinot Noir Vanguard is soft, open-knit and very pretty. Spicecake, raspberry, dried flowers and mint open with a bit of time in the glass. The 40% whole clusters are mostly evident in the wine's structure, as there is more than enough fruit to balance things out. Even so, I would give this supple, forward Pinot a few years to fully come together. Hilt fans will want to note that this is the last vintage of the Vanguard Pinot. With the introduction of the single-vineyard wines, the winery felt the Vanguard was not that differentiated in the range. It's hard to argue against that view.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The ruby, semi-opaque 2019 Pinot Noir Vanguard is another gem, offering impressive caramelized strawberry and raspberry-like fruits as well as wonderfully integrated oak. Deep, rich, and layered, I love its overall purity and complexity, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, silky, polished tannins, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. It shows the balance and suppleness of the vintage perfectly and can be drunk any time over the coming decade.
About the producer
The Hilt is the Santa Rita Hills project owned by sports and property mogul billionaire Stan Kroenke, who also owns Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley and the Jonata estate in the California’s Ballard Canyon AVA.