2023 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir 459 Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Pinot Noir 459 collects eponymous clonal material from the Machado and Hapgood sites, which Brewer notes are particularly suited to whole-cluster fermentation. It offers a dense, rich and dark profile defined by intense spice, earth and anise tones, gradually revealing a citrus-driven lift with time in the glass. The palate echoes with what is perhaps the most tense and firm texture of the roster, releasing into a vibrant, crunchy finish that will take additional time in the bottle to come together fully.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
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Made from 100% Pinot Noir that was not destemmed and was aged 15 months in 100% neutral oak barrels, the 2023 Pinot Noir 459 offers candied cherries, leafy herbs, wild strawberries, and sappy, rose petal nuances. It's medium to full-bodied, has a decadent, layered, yet balanced mouthfeel, polished tannins, and a great finish. Drink bottles over the coming decade. Drink 2025-2035. Greg Brewer has stayed laser-focused on site expression in the Sta. Rita Hills, fermenting everything with 100% whole clusters and aging exclusively in neutral oak, with the goal of keeping the spotlight on the vineyards. Looking at the vineyards, 3D sits along the Santa Rosa Road corridor between Lafond and Ampelos and is typically one of the brighter, more mineral-driven wines in the range, and I always find a certain saline edge and remarkable balance from this site. Machado lies on sandy clay loam just north of Clos Pepe, west of Buellton, and while the Chardonnay here tends to be racy and mineral-driven, the Pinot Noir is broader and more opulent and always a big wine. Hapgood sits directly across the road from Machado and is planted on sandier soils, which tend to bring more depth and structure; both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from this site show savory, marine-like nuances, and they’re a beautiful expression of the Sta. Rita Hills. A relatively new site from Brewer, Perilune sits north of Melville and spans varied elevations and soils, from sand to botella clay. The wines from this vineyard, whether Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Syrah, all share an exotic, layered profile with a distinctive saline and marine influence. Across the board, the 2023s show the acids, minerality, and transparency paired with serious richness that have made Brewer-Clifton a reference point for Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In short, don’t miss these wines.
The 2023 Pinot Noir 459 is a more overt wine within this range. Cheerful red cherry fruit, spice and fresh berry tones stack up in a friendly, full-bodied package without an iota of excess. Expressive and open-knit, this is a very approachable offering that shares the same textural suppleness that runs through all the wines here. Finesse and precision are never compromised.