The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir 2020, Sta. Rita Hills, California

The unobstructed, ocean facing east-west valley known as Sta. Rita Hills Valley is a complex AVA. One could divide it into four quadrants: northern-facing, southern-facing, close to the ocean, and further inland from the ocean. With such a frame, The Hilt’s favorite vineyards are in the northern-facing, closest to the ocean, windswept quadrant. These sites are the worst place for a grape grower, but the best ones for a winemaker. The Estate wines are defined by the fruit and flavors of our little southwestern corner of the Sta. Rita Hills. They speak of the nuances and complexities of our property as a whole. These wines take into account the many aspects, clones, soil types, and other properties of our estate. 2019 vintage – Beautiful and disarmingly pure expression of fresh red raspberry, black cherry, black tea, black pepper, and orange blossom. Wonderfully evocative and seamlessly changing between dazzling lifted fruit, deeply earthy notes, enticing toasty qualities and a deft touch of savory stem- inclusion. A precise display of the generosity of fruit from the 2019 vintage. Plush and silky, yet also undeniably coiled and powerful. Perfectly encapsulates the sunshine from 2019 alongside the always vibrant, tense, and focused nature of our rugged and windblown estate vineyards.